Coming back after being away with some good news! A little long.....

[gimmethesimplelife]

The past couple of weeks have been absolutely crazy for me and I have not been here as much as I would like to be. But I am back now and I do have some good news.....I have a new job developer at Workforce Development here in Phoenix who thinks he can get me federal money to learn web design.....I know I posted this last Spring but it seems as if I have been reassigned job developers as the last one did not follow through with her end of the deal - didn't follow through with her end of the job development plan and started not returning calls. I did not understand what the dynamic was until I went back to the Workforce Development Center this Wednesday for an appointment with my new job developer. I saw the old one in her cubicle as I passed by on my way out of the building when I was done with my appointment - she made a very dismissive hand/wrist gesture to me implying distaste for my sexuality and then it all clicked and made sense.

I am really glad I covered this ground with the new Job Development person, as after I sat down one of his questions was what do I feel holds me back in getting hired with potential employers. So I brought up the sexual orientation thing - and was relieved that it seems he will have no problems in dealing with me and that he agrees I am an interested in an area - web design - in which this is not going to be an issue overall.

So I am doing the footwork to get the training money once again and am hoping for the best. We shall see. There is a part of me that is really disgusted with my first job developer but making a big deal of it is probably not going to serve me well and I am so ready to move in a new direction it is not funny - esp. as this is an area in which I can be self employed. Rob

[Jilly]

Horrible. I work closely with our WDC here, actually worked there for a while to see if it was a good fit. It was for them, but not so much for me, so now I just let them return to referring clients to me, but if anything happened at our location that was anything like that, well, heads would roll...hands and wrists, too.

I am glad that you have a new person with whom to work, and to hell with that woman. What a mess she is. You are right that she is not worth a moment's thought or energy, but I have some spare time so I will obsess about it for you, When you have some space and distance from it, you may feel as though filing a report about her performance and actions will be beneficial to you, not to mention that it could protect other people from exposure to her. My best guess is that she has sufficient behaviors that render her ineffective in many other areas, as well.

Good luck with the funding. It really helps to have a competent person assisting you with that process.

Man, that woman makes me mad.

[iris lily]

Congrats!

[KayLR]

Rob, that is very encouraging---good for you! I'm excited for you. On the old job developer---let it go, not worth it. Like you said, it doesn't serve you to dwell on her. Upward and onward.

[RosieTR]

Good to hear the opportunity was not lost! Sorry to hear that your sexual orientation was a big issue. Unfortunately this just illustrates why this sort of thing needs anti discrimination laws. But AZ is not particularly progressive in this arena :-(. Hopefully they will be some day sonner than later. And best of luck with getting the training!

[Gardenarian]

Sounds great - best of luck!

[Tussiemussies]

Hi Rob,

So sorry that you had to go through that horrible experience with that woman. So disgusting. I am glad you are. Going to try and just let it drop from your min and move forward with all the other great things that are happening.

Everything else sounds so good. I will pray for you that you get the training money.

Best of luck to you. Christine

[JaneV2.0]

Are web designers in demand in this economy? I know developing a marketable skill can be a movable target, so my advice is to try to tie your new skills to a growing or at least recession-resistant industry somehow.

[larknm]

You sound good, Rob.

[martha]

Hi, Rob. I mostly lurk here but have been around for at least the last 2 or 3 incarnations of the board. I get a lot of referrals of clients from our Workforce Center that they are unable to get funding for, and have been able to help many of them get funding through the state vocational rehabilitation agency, where I work.

Your situation with Workforce sounds very promising, and may work out exactly as you hope it will. Should they, however, run out of funds and be unable to help you, try your state department of vocational rehabilitation. If you have any sort of chronic health condition (for their funding purposes defined as a disability, but it could be anything from ADHD, specific learning disability, asthma, diabetes, depression, anxiety, carpal tunnel syndrome, migraines, mild hearing impairment, residuals of trauma, arthritis, degenerative joint disease, and many others, as well as conditions more generally thought of as disabilities), you may be eligible for services to help you get training to get into or back into the work force. Doesn't cost anything to apply, and services are all free to the client. We help a lot of people get training and then find jobs.

As at Workforce, a lot depends on the individual counselor you're assigned to. I'm so sorry that you had that experience, and hope that your new developer isn't a bigoted jerk.

Best of luck on your path! Keep us posted!