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Port JOBS and partners win state's "Best Practice" award

Abdirahman Jama fled civil unrest in East Africa 10 years ago, and found a job at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) as a security screener. When the federal government took over passenger security at airports last year, he had to apply for his job all over again.

Thanks to Airport JOBS, he learned what he needed to stay employed.

“Airport JOBS helped me get my job back,” he said. “They never tired and they never shut their doors to us.”

With nearly 1,000 security screeners facing layoffs, Port JOBS assembled a team of partners to help. South Seattle Community College (SSCC) developed a screener-specific vocational English-as-a-Second-Language curriculum and taught classes on site at Sea-Tac, and lawyers volunteered to help screeners with citizenship applications.

The Airport JOBS Office and SSCC offered workshops six days per week, attracting 650 participants to courses including computer skills, test-taking, interviewing strategies, and more.

“I felt confident going in to take the test. America accepted me as a refugee and it was my dream to give something back by becoming a public servant. Airport JOBS helped my dream come true,” Jama said.

"SSCC is proud of the accomplishments made through our partnership with Port JOBS. We couldn't ask for better collaborative allies,” said Wendy Price, Program Manager at SSCC. “As a result of our combined work with the Security Screener Project, we have built an on-going partnership and continue to work on initiatives that make a real difference in people's lives," she added.

Port JOBS and its King County partners received the 2003 Governor's Award for Workforce Best Practices.

The award recognizes Port JOBS and its partners' success in training, educating, and supporting hundreds of security screeners who might have lost their jobs when the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) took over security and screening operations at Sea-Tac.

The project also focused on serving dislocated screeners. The King County Dislocated Worker Program contracted with SSCC and Port JOBS to assist in providing intensive services, including access to retraining and employment.

"We are proud that this collaboration helped 400 people (50 percent of the incumbent screeners assessed by TSA) to retain their jobs. That is a significant figure, especially in light of the 10 to 15 percent retention rate in similar airports nationwide," says Susan Crane, Port JOBS Executive Director. "This award belongs to everyone who was a part of this effort," she added.

Airport JOBS has served job seekers and employers from its location in Sea-Tac's main terminal since 2000. By listing employment opportunities with more than 100 airport employers, processing applications, coordinating on-site interviews and offering job search assistance, the office has helped more than 18,000 people look for work. Airport JOBS is the primary recruiting tool for many of Sea-Tac's employers.

“Port JOBS and its partners gave screeners the tools and opportunity to compete for the new security checkpoint jobs at Sea-Tac,” said Commissioner Paige Miller, Port JOBS board president. “With this help, hundreds of people succeeded in keeping their jobs. We made a real difference in their lives.”