CED Solutions’ Students Find Value in Unemployment Training

March 27, 2009

CED Solutions
1640 Powers Ferry Road
Building 5, Suite 100
Marietta, GA 30067

[singlepic id=394 w=320 h=240 float=right]Dear Terry, David, Steve, Linda, and all of the rest of the wonderful people behind the scenes at CED Solutions:

I’m not even sure how to begin to say thank you… but I am sure that a simple ‘thank you’ is not adequate enough to express my appreciation for the training that you have provided me this past week. Everyone who walks through your doors and is given this wonderful gift of training that you have provided has a story… and I briefly wanted to share mine so that you can better understand how what you do has such an impact on the lives that you touch.

About three years ago I was laid off from my job the day after I returned from maternity leave, after 18 years with the company. I was fortunate to find a job a few months later, and my husband and I relocated to Atlanta from NJ with our 3 children. Shortly after moving, the company that my husband had worked at for 28 years went out of business, but at least I had a job. It took him almost a year to find a job, but after being in his new job for 5 months, he was laid-off again due to the economy. Then 5 months later, I was laid-off from my job that we had relocated to Atlanta for. So here we are… we went from a two-income family, to a no-income family… in a city where we have very few connections, and virtually no close family support. The stories you hear on the news that you never think will happen to you… well, they can hit you from out of the blue. You go from being thrifty, clipping coupons, and buying discount items… to all of a sudden laying awake at night praying that you can afford the doctors and medicine bills for your child’s chronic illness, and thinking about what you can sell next so you don’t default on a loan. And yet you also realize that you still have it better off than others in your position, and you hope and pray that it just doesn’t get any worse. You count every penny, you do without anything that isn’t a necessity, and then you are given a gift like this training… and it’s like someone has just served you a luxury on a golden platter.

As you know, the job market is so competitive right now, and I was thrilled to find out that I was offered this opportunity for training. I had previously used Word and Excel, but was self-taught through trial and (a lot) of error, and did not have a solid foundation. In addition, as I found out through the training, I really was doing some things the l o n g way. The training has not only given me confidence in my skills, but will certainly improve my productivity on the job (when I find one). I have also been reviewing the information with husband during the evenings, since he has been watching the children during the day so that I would have the opportunity to attend the class during the week. So, I’m not the only one who is benefiting from this training. This will also improve my husband’s computer skills, and will help him with his job search and in his next career.

In a time where the news headlines are filled with stories about corporate greed, irresponsible business practices, and consumer fraud, it is almost a ‘too good to be true’ story. When I heard about the offer of free computer classes for people who are unemployed, my first thought was, “What is the catch?” Well, I’ll tell you the catch – an incredible opportunity, a true blessing, and a responsibility to ‘Pay it Forward’ – these are just a few of the things I’ve heard from other classmates who share the same opportunity, blessing, and responsibility as me.

Thank you for setting the example… for being the company that gives back to the community, for being the company that chose an action that wasn’t based purely on profits, and for being a company that recognizes that investments in people are important to the future of the community, their business, and the economy. I hope that my next career will lead me to a company that has a similar type of culture and sense of community responsibility. If they don’t, then I will be right there looking for opportunities to bring about that change – consider it my way of Paying it Forward… and of course, you have a customer for life.

Sincerely,
A. Velella

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