A Change in Direction for Employment

The initial goal of We Will Go Arts was to help people who had an immediate need of $5 or a short need. We then grew to create a class that could teach a skill. This led to the development of products through We Will Go Arts that could be sold to pay trainees and fund the program. After setting it all up, we came back to the initial question: “Why was this program created?” It was created to help an individual who needed a job and could possibly learn a skill while hearing the gospel.

With that in mind, we worked to develop We Will Go Arts into an Employment program that could be more versatile and equip more people. David Lancaster, President of We Will Go and the developer of the original Arts program has been working to transform the program into something more far reaching. “We wanted to be clear that this was not the ‘end goal’ or ‘long term job’ that our neighbors were seeking. We wanted to be the stepping stone that would help them achieve a better job, a stable future, and a professional road we could guide them to,” he states about the direction the program is moving. Starting February 15 and going through March 25, our Employment program will offer a 6 week training that will end with a job reference and a job interview for our trainee.

One of the most important aspects of the program was being able to share the gospel with those who were coming. Even if trainees weren’t Christian or were just coming to work, we still wanted to share how Christ is what motivated us to start the Employment program and how He can change lives. We didn’t just want it to be a job you clocked into; we wanted it to be a job that gives the opportunity to share the gospel as well. Moving forward, our upcoming 6 week training program will blend the practical side of training and prepping for a job with learning and hearing about Christ.

Even with our 6 week training program, there’s another crucial piece of the program that we are also working towards: finding interviews and jobs that our trainees can transition to. David says, “My goal is that the participant will get a job interview by the end of our program. We want to work to create a network of professionals willing to take a chance on those in our community. Many are just looking for that start, that first job that will give them a chance. And we want to help equip them for that while also sharing how the love of Christ can positively direct their lives.” As we move forward and continue to develop our Employment program, we would love for people in our city to partner with us and take a chance on those in our program. Offer a position to someone trying to start their lives on the right track.