JOBS

The year 2020 unfolded with the COVID-19 pandemic halting economic activity globally. Factories and warehouses are forced to shut down to protect their workers, while those that are essential businesses struggle to prevent outbreaks. This event has triggered massive layoffs especially for traditional organizations in industries such as Tourism & Aviation, Hospitality & Food Services, Live Sports, Oil & Gas, Trading & Retail, Fitness & Beauty Services, Real Estate & Construction, Shipping & Transportation, Cinemas & Film Production, and Events & Entertainment.

The decline in economic activity is breathtaking, the speed and scale of job losses is similar to a natural disaster than a typical recession, and most economies are predicted to already be in recession. There is no doubt that some of the jobs lost as a result of the outbreak will not return, but when the economy does eventually recover, new skills and industries will play a significant role. States and organizations are exploring how to develop job skills that will support their future economic development in a changing landscape, and those that move quickly to meet their evolving skill needs will achieve faster economic growth than those that do not.

As part of the global cluster, our domestic economy needs a robust response to rising job losses, and Vestcraft is at the forefront of building capacity for jobseekers to be gainfully employed in startups and growing businesses. Our model is a tuition-free initiative, a WORKPLACE-READINESS program designed to allow young people out-of-jobs to up-skill, earn certification, get job placement within and outside the businesses in our cooperative. Annually, Vestcraft targets to train and place 1,000 Administrative, Tech, Creative, and handy workers for jobs that will pay well and offer a family-supporting wage.

For jobseekers, a post COVID-19 economy will be a challenging time to look for new jobs, and joining our Cooperative will largely improve the options of getting gainful employment for many.