Idea Submission GiveBackHack 2020

Calibraica Submitted by Janet Glover-Kerkvliet

What is the problem are you solving?

We like to believe that the employment issues caused by the 2008 Great Recession were resolved, as evidence by a pre-pandemic unemployment rate of 3.5%, In reality, unemployment was underreported and an average of 20 million Americans were laid off every year and only 40% of these workers received outplacement support. In 2020, layoffs number 36 million and our unemployment rate soared to 14.7%. Economists predict that long-term unemployment (defined as being unemployed for 6 months or more) will increase dramatically post-pandemic. Research demonstrates that the longer someone is unemployed after 6 month, the harder it is for that person be to re-employed, a phenomenon known as hysteresis.

How will this idea solve the problem?

Calibraica is a new company that provides low cost, high impact, comprehensive support through clinical counseling, career coaching and a new outplacement program that is designed to assist both newly laid off workers and long term unemployed workers in getting back to worker. This 12-week virtual program, called TEAMWORKS, teaches job seekers the skills they need to get a job offer while supporting the whole person. Curriculum units include topics such as building a support network, cultural and generational competency, emotional intelligence, career pivots, entrepreneurship, and more.

Is this idea brand new or has it been partially-vetted?

Partially-vetted

How you have vetted your idea and the success or difficulties you have seen thus far?

We are running a pilot of TEAMWORKS, our signature 12-week outplacement program.

Why are YOU uniquely positioned to solve the problem? What other people do you need to help?

My interest in unemployment is personal and professional. I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in Maryland, National Certified Counselor (NCC), Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF), and a Holistic Narrative Career Professional (HNCP). She has extensive experience working with diverse underserved and unserved individuals affected by unemployment, homelessness, incarceration, mental health disorders, substance abuse, violence, trauma, and other serious issues. I am the Director of the Baltimore Job Hunters Support Group (BJHSG), a volunteer-led organization that provides social, emotional, and psychological support to the un(der)employed. She is a Baltimore Corps 2017 Elevation Awardee, a 2018-19 Johns Hopkins Social Innovation Lab cohort member, a 2019 Warnock Foundation Social Innovation Fellow, a 2019 PioneerBaltimore cohort member, and a 2019 Open Society Institute-Baltimore Community Fellow for her work as with BJHSG.
When I was a kid, my father lost his job mid-career in the 1973 Recession. The loss of my father's job was devastating. We lost our home and had to live in a hotel for a while. This was humiliating for my father and although he recovered his career and finances, the trauma from this loss was never completely resolved for him.