During what was a recessionary period that bordered on equaling the Great Depression with job losses and financial institutional collapse, or near collapse, homeless shelters have seen their populations increase. Five factors are causing an increase in our male population.
The first is an untrained population of men for the market of jobs that are available. From 1980 until circa 2007, construction jobs were at an abundance in Augusta and much of the Southeast. Housing markets have not recovered to their level of boom. Lending has slowed. The argument exist that the immigrant workers have transplanted American construction workers. Unemployment for longer periods has led to shelters being filled with workers and contractors from this industry. But,it was not just construction. Throughout the Southeast, textile industries have closed, or gone to developing nations, and those industries and those jobs are not coming back. The need for retraining has become evident. Jobs in medical, technology, financial services, education, and technical (vet tech, physical therapy, dental hygienist) are growing areas of emphasis based on the paradigms shift we are now working within. The technical colleges and four year institutions in the CSRA are well prepared to train the men to these levels. One of Head of the Giant Ministry's goals is retraining for today's workforce. GED classes are being provided through Augusta Tech, and apprenticeship programs are being set-up. We will also be connected to the other colleges and Jr. colleges for aptitude testing and placement within varying curriculum. (to be continued--Growing veteran population, substance abuse, mental health issues, 18-31 year old population.) Lavond Reynolds
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AuthorsLavond Reynolds is the executive director/founder of Head of the Giant Ministry, Inc. His desire to serve Christ by meeting the needs of the homeless in the CSRA comes from a compassion for people and personal experience. Archives
October 2017
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