Mobile Works Hires New Vice President of Adult and Youth Services
Friday, Aug 26th, 2005

MOBILE, Alabama - August 26, 2005 - Mobile Works, Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Leida Javier-Ferrell, Ph.D., as Vice President of Adult and Youth Services. One of the most important aspects of Javier-Ferrell's new responsibilities when she begins her new position on August 29, 2005, will be to oversee the administration of $4.9 million in programs to Mobile adult / youth jobseekers and businesses.

"We are proud to soon have Leida on board with Mobile Works because we are confident her leadership and expertise will be critical as we work to continue to deliver services to businesses and jobseekers alike," stated Sydney G. Raine, President. "She will help ensure that Mobile Works and the Alabama Career Center stay at the forefront of the needs of Mobile's existing and emerging businesses to provide the training and other services that these businesses truly need to stay competitive and be successful."

A key focus for Dr. Javier-Ferrell will be the On-the-Job Training and Incumbent Worker Training programs which Mobile Works offers to businesses. On-the-Job Training offers businesses matching training funds for jobs that require an internal training period for the new hire to be effective. The companies agree to hire pre-screened applicants and train them for a period of at least eleven to twenty-six weeks, with Mobile Works reimbursing up to 50% of the training costs. In the Incumbent Worker Training program, Mobile Works will invest up to 50% of the total costs for training a company's current staff, up to a $15,000 maximum per contract. The business puts up the other 50% and may contribute in-kind contributions as well as cash toward the match.

Dr. Javier-Ferrell will also administrate the award of Individual Training Scholarships for jobseekers to receive training at local training and educational institutions and the Mobile YouthWorks program, which assists young people with completing high school or obtaining a GED and then preparing for either a career or college. Individual Training Scholarships and the YouthWorks programs are critical for businesses as well, because these programs ensure that workers seeking jobs are focused and highly-qualified, with the skills needed to perform the jobs they are seeking.

"I am excited to joining Mobile Works soon because the work they do is so important to the future of our city. It is not only a wonderful opportunity to serve by utilizing my education, training and management experiences, but also to continue to build on the solid relationships I have developed during the past few years with the local business and service community," said Dr. Javier-Ferrell, "My goal is to help more businesses use our programs and take full advantage of our free and subsidized services. I am confident that will happen once businesses and other employers become aware of how they can profit by partnering with Mobile Works. The important thing is to help business with their bottom line, provide our people with the right training and education so that they can achieve their full potential and employability, and in turn, promote the economic growth of our community."

Dr. Javier-Ferrell comes to Mobile Works from Mobile AIDS Support Services, where she was Executive Director, and had responsibility for directing the transition of the agency as the premiere AIDS prevention education, advocacy and support organization for twelve counties in Southwest Alabama. Prior to that, she was the Project Director of the Welfare to Work program at Ross Innovative Employment Solutions, where she exceeded contractual goals with a 76% employment rate for participants, most within one month of beginning the program. Dr. Javier-Ferrell has been adjunct Sociology instructor at Bishop State Community College and Spring Hill College and was the Director of Student Affairs at the Alabama School of Math and Science.

Before moving to Mobile in 1997, Dr. Javier-Ferrell served at progressively higher levels in the university education system in Puerto Rico, with her last position being Vice President for Student Affairs and Marketing, Associate Professor, and Acting Vice President of Academic Affairs at the Ana G. Mendez University System in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico, a Master of Arts in Sociology from the University of Northern Iowa and a Ph.D. in Education Administration and Foundation from Illinois State University.

Mobile Works Inc., a local partnership of business, education, labor and community leaders, provides businesses with training, leadership, labor market information and employment programs designed to stimulate local business by meeting the needs of Mobile area businesses while increasing the available labor pool of skilled jobseekers in the Mobile area. Since its inception in 2000, the group has invested more than $19 million overall to support Mobile area job and educational programs. In addition, in the 2004-2005 fiscal year alone, Mobile Works invested nearly $4.9 million dollars in jobs, training and economic initiatives for all of Mobile County.

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Contact:
Gia Dinges
Director of Marketing
251-432-0909 phone
[email protected] email


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