LEWISTON – The Androscoggin Bank Colisee played host to a special graduation ceremony on Nov. 3. Five members of the second WorkReady class received their certificates and are looking for jobs.

“The program helped me develop the job search skills and the marketing skills I need to find a great job,” said Glenn Early of Lewiston. Early is also excited about the guaranteed interviews he will get with local business. “I think it’s great, I know that I can at least get my foot in the door at a dozen local companies,” he said.

WorkReady participants spent 60 hours over the last several weeks developing the problem-solving, communication and interpersonal skills needed to succeed in the work place.

They have participated in discussions on a wide variety of topics, including personal employment plans, verbal and non-verbal communication, working with people, understanding important workplace information, utilizing job attainment skills and worker safety information

The program is designed to train prospective employees so that they are better prepared to seek and retain better jobs. According to Jim Baumer, at the Central/Western Maine Workforce Investment Board one of the keys to the program’s success is the partnership with local employers.

Baumer said, “Local business contributed to the curriculum and provided ideas for training. They are a great resource to learn from when it comes to training new skills. We certainly encourage more area employers to come forward with input.”

He said, “Lewiston Adult Education and the Career Center also played a key roll in the training. Again, it is about creating partnerships and bringing resources together.”

For more information on the program, call the board at 753-9026.