Holistic Student Supports

The Workforce Transitions office offers many supports to help students connect to campus and community resources. Feel free to share the Workforce Transitions electronic application with your students to help them connect to services. They can also be reached at scc.workforce@scc.spokane.edu or 533-7249.

 

Grant Support

Such grant support may consist of, but are not limited to:

Basic Food Employment and Training (BFE&T) - Assists students in professional technical certificate or degree-seeking programs. BFET connects students to child care supports, the ability to maintain food benefits, and where their financial aid funding is delayed or limited. We may provide assistance with tuition and/or books. If a student is not currently collecting food with DSHS and feels they would be eligible for services, Workforce Transitions Coordinators can refer them to the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) to apply for benefits.

Opportunity Grant - Assists students in specifically approved credit certificates or degree-seeking programs. This grant assists low-income students working towards high-wage, high-demand career fields. Student support services consist of tuition, books, or tools, and/or wrap-around support while they work to complete their certificate or degree pathway.

WorkFirst – Assists students in professional technical certificate or degree-seeking programs receiving TANF support from DSHS. WorkFirst requires participation hour reporting, connects students to childcare supports, and can provide funding options if financial aid has become delayed or limited.

Worker Retraining –Assists -with first-quarter start-up costs and the last 2-quarters of training to help prepare students for industry. Students may qualify for services if they are currently collecting unemployment, have exhausted their unemployment in the past four years, separated from the military in the past four years, or can be considered displaced homemakers.

Additional funding supports available through separate application processes include:

• Metallica Scholars- is open and ready to receive applications.

• SEAG - Student Emergency Assistance Grantassists with unforeseen emergencies or situations that affect a student’s ability to continue attending classes.  (applications are now closed for winter quarter).
• SSEH - Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness (SSEH) may reduce barriers to help in obtaining access to resources on campus or within our community while experiencing homelessness (applications are now closed for winter quarter). 
• CCS Foundation Emergency Scholarship application - scroll down to the red “apply for emergency aid” icon.

 

Community Resources

Fig Tree - thefigtree.org

Spokane Community Resource Guide

Resource Center of Spokane County (RCSC) has a goal to help the underserved members of our community achieve economic empowerment by increasing access to opportunities and restoring hope. This is done by providing access to a wide variety of agencies offering a diverse number of services, including housing, training, healthcare, and justice-involved services among others. Learn more about the Resource Center of Spokane County.

2-1-1 connects callers, at no cost, to critical health and human services in their community. If you are unable to find a service, please dial 2-1-1 for assistance. If you are outside of Washington State or having a problem using the 2-1-1 number, please call 1-877-211-9274.

If students are in need of food assistance:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, called Basic Food in Washington, helps people with low incomes make ends meet by providing monthly benefits to buy food. You can check if you are eligible for Basic Food and apply at WashingtonConnection.org. If you are receiving Basic Food, you may also qualify for BFET. See below for more information on BFET.

Community Colleges of Spokane Foundation has the mission to support students. Each January applications for over 100 scholarships open with a select number becoming available again in August. There are also some limited emergency funds available through the CCS Foundation. Learn more about Community Colleges of Spokane Foundation.

 

Campus Resources

For our students to succeed, we realize basic needs must first be met. The SCC CARES Food Pantry and Resource Center is available to assist students who need food and hygiene assistance, free of charge. Learn more about SCC Cares Food Pantry and Resource Center.

 

Meet the Workforce Transitions Team

Credit (On-Campus) Program Coordinators

• Wendy Jones is the Workforce Transitions Office Manager and provides support to the whole Workforce team, both on and off-campus. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with my family and anything that has to do with home improvements.
• Helen Faasala provides support to staff with BFET support. In her spare time, she enjoys quality time with her grandchildren.
• Allie Groves provides support to students that are enrolled in the Tech Ed and Apprenticeship division programs. In her spare time, she enjoys baking and hanging out with friends and family.
• Anne Mayer supports students that are enrolled in the BHIT (Business, Hospitality, and IT) division programs. In her spare time, she likes connecting with friends, enjoys good food, and traveling.
• Sue (Susan) Morgado supports students that are enrolled in the Allied Health and Environmental Science division programs. In her spare time, she likes beading jewelry, gardening, crafting with her daughters, and watching her grandchildren grow (virtually).
• Deana Sleep supports our veteran population connect to veteran resources and educational benefits on and off campus. In her spare time, she enjoys watching the NASCAR cup series, football, and her critters.

ABE (Off-Campus) Program Coordinators assist students who are enrolled in ESL, GED, HS21+, STP, College Prep, and Career Transitions.

• Venessa Luke is our co-located Program Coordinator that rotates between both DSHS locations and both CCS campuses. Venessa helps our DSHS potential students connect to either campus depending on the student's level of interest. Venessa loves spending her time with her boys. 
• Mark Ramos is located in the Workforce Office in building 6 (The Lair). In his spare time, Mark is a very active member of his native community as he participates in local Pow Wow as a traditional dancer.
• Molly Thorpe will be sharing her time between the Adult Education Center (AEC) on Monroe and the Valley Center. In her spare time, she enjoys the outdoors and traveling with her kayak and she loves spending time with her fur babies.
• Katherine Cornelis (KC) is housed in our Newport center and services all 4 of our Northern Counites campuses (Newport, Colville, Inchelium, and Republic). 
• Joe Witmer processes funding requests, which may also include tuition waivers and basic skills funding. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and watching them at their sporting events. He has also been a long-time member of the Spokane Children's Theatre.

 

Contact Us

The Workforce office is open Monday-Friday 7:30 am-4:00 pm. Students can reach out to us by emailing sccworkforce@scc.spokane.edu. Students can schedule an appointment by calling 533-7249 or by swinging by the Workforce office to see what we are all about.

If you would like a program coordinator to come to your classroom (in-person or virtually), please let us know! 

Please note: We are not expecting anyone that works outside of the Workforce Transitions office to become an expert in this area, but we do hope this information helps you know where to refer students when they are in need.

 

Additional Resources

Watch video interviews with Workforce Transitions staff, part of the SCC Community Share and Tell Series by Jenny Wilson.

• Interview with Wendy Jones, Manager of Workforce Transitions

• Interview with Mark Ramos, Workforce Program Coordinator, and Joe Witmer, Workforce/Scholarship Funding