There was a glimpse of hope for the jobless in Northwest Indiana last week.
More than 100 people showed up at Gary City Hall for the Major Moves pre-apprenticeship program that promises to lead to high-paying construction jobs for minorities.
Job seekers sat silently for more than an hour, listening to tales of long-lasting careers. They took notes and asked questions. When they got home, they called the Workforce One phone number designated specifically for the Major Moves operation.
And this is what many heard when the answering machine picked up:
"We are so pleased you are interested in our pre-apprenticeship program. Please spell your name, clearly state your phone number and we will contact you at our earliest convenience. Thank you again for your interest in Major Opportunities. That mailbox is full. Goodbye."
It was impossible to leave a message, as the phone call disconnected.
A frustrated job hopeful contacted the Post-Tribune on Monday after trying to get through to the Gary WorkOne extension because he wanted to join the program, but couldn't figure out how to let anyone know he was interested if he couldn't get through.
By Tuesday, the Post-Tribune contacted the governor's office, WorkOne officials, Gary Mayor Rudy Clay and state Sen. Earline Rogers to let them know about the problem.
They promised to look into the problem and get it fixed. Twenty-four hours later, when a reporter called 981-1520 Ext. 340, as the job seekers were told to do, she listened to the mailbox greeting, which was followed by a click as she was disconnected due to a full mailbox.
"Our folks here at Workforce Development are in constant touch with the staff at the field office, trying to make sure the regional process is operating smoothly," said Jane Jankowki, spokeswoman for Gov. Mitch Daniels. "If there is a problem, they'll certainly look into it right away."
They didn't and Shaunna Finley, regional field coordinator for the Center of Workforce Innovation, said anyone who didn't manage to get through before the answering machine filled, is out of luck. She said all testing slots were filled already.
She said that since the information session last week, the WorkOne staff has been overwhelmed and not equipped to deal with all the attention.
"This initiative is big, but we still have other programs that we run. Staff, staff, staff," Finley said, pinpointing the problem. "Next time we get ready to launch we'll be good to go on bodies."
Finley said there's one person in charge of the testing to qualify for the pre-apprenticeship program, and the same person is also responsible for answering the phone and clearing the mailbox.
"There's a lot that want to sign up, that's for sure," Clay said. "They need to hook up more phone lines."
Anyone interested in the pre-apprenticeship program will have to wait until WorkOne announces another set of testing times. Finley said she didn't know when that would be scheduled.