Rini Parekh - Learning the Lingo

​Hi all! My name is Rini Parekh and this is my first year serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Corporation for a Skilled Workforce (CSW) in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Corporation for a Skilled Workforce is a Workforce Development nonprofit that partners with government, business, education, and community leaders to connect workers with education and good jobs, increase the competitiveness of companies, and build sustainable communities. Although CSW works with agencies and organizations throughout the U.S., a lot of their work focuses specifically on improving job opportunities for people who live in Detroit. One of the major projects I’ll be working on this year is a project funded by D4 (Doing Detroit Differently in Metro Detroit). The aim of this project is to connect residents of the West End neighborhood in Detroit with jobs in the Henry Ford Health System. It involves analyzing demographic and labor market data, conducting stakeholder interviews, and engaging resident leaders in focus groups. Sometime this month, I will take a tour of the West End neighborhood. I am excited to gain a broader understanding of this community’s characteristics and the challenges it faces.

In the first few months of my service, I have met one-on-one with each of the staff members and consultants. I even got to talk with the founder and former CEO about how he started CSW and his vision for the future. About half of the staff work remotely, so I’ve learned that communication via phone and email is very important. One of the challenges that I’ve faced so far is learning the lingo and terminology that CSW uses. One of my coworkers sent me a useful list of acronyms, which I’ve been studying. I’m also considering taking an online course in policy so that I can better understand the work the CSW does.
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I hope that during my VISTA year I will learn more about the field of workforce development, have opportunities to collaborate with my coworkers, and make contributions towards improving the economic security of people in my community.