ADULT RE-ENTRY CONFERENCE SET FOR WEDNESDAY

The Cape Girardeau Area Vocational-Technical School Wednesday will sponsor its annual Adult Re-Entry Neighborhood Conference at the Vo-Tech building, 301 Clark.

The conference will be held from 8 a.m. until noon in room 214.

"We've added another dimension to the Adult Re-Entry Conference this year," said Dorothy Hardy, director of the Single Parent Program at Vo-Tech. "As a result of our community outreach campaign earlier this year, we expect more individuals will come to this conference."

The conference agenda includes segments on several topics related to personal problems that single parents, displaced homemakers and underemployed women have to grapple with, even before they can seriously think about career training and education, Hardy said.

One of these topics is values.

"What is the worth or the importance of earning a decent income to you?" Hardy said. "The level of value placed on financial independence will determine the degree of motivation that individuals have toward seeking counseling, getting basic education and finding the right job-skills training."

Tina Snell sought the help of the program last year. A 26-year-old, divorced parent from Millersville, Snell knew last year that she wanted more out of life than the dead-end, low-paying job she held for years.

"I saw right away that Tina placed great value on improving her job outlook," Hardy said. "She is bright, personable the kind of person a supervisor would like on her team."

Snell spoke with her employer and arranged to work fewer and different hours. She also was given a variety of tests at the Vo-Tech Assessment Center.

"We had to investigate sources of financial aid because Tina's small salary barely paid her living expenses," Hardy said. "She followed through on every referral I made, and she called to follow up her counseling sessions."

In August, Snell entered a yearlong respiratory therapy program at the center, which she soon will complete.

"What Tina has done, other single parents who have been half-heartedly thinking about it, can do too," Hardy said.

She said the Adult Re-Entry Neighborhood Conference aims to equip others with the same opportunity to seek counseling, educational advising, career planning, job skills training, and financial aid.

For more information on the conference, contact the vocation school at 334-0826.