Islip to host free online jobs boot camp

Islip is hosting a free eight-week program to help out-of-work Long Islanders find jobs, the town has announced.

The virtual courses will begin Sept. 30 and continue Wednesday evenings until Nov. 18. They are meant to help participants find job postings, craft resumes and cover letters, professionally network and improve their interview skills.

Islip has been hosting its annual Job Boot Camp since 2012, according to Supervisor Angie Carpenter, who said  on average, 41% of past participants found work during the eight-week course and 65% were employed within two months of the course wrapping up.

“That’s a pretty good statistic,” Carpenter told Newsday. “It just translates to a real positive impact when we can get more residents working. And it reduces the burden on unemployment.”

The online program is free and open to anyone, including those who live outside of Islip. There is a maximum of 60 spots available, although class sizes average about 45, according to town spokeswoman Caroline Smith.

Participants can sign up before Sept. 30 on Islip’s economic development webpage.

Executive Consultants of New York, an Islandia-based firm, runs the program. The town covers the roughly $9,000 cost of the course with cash collected from developers who receive tax breaks through Islip’s Industrial Development Agency, according to Carpenter.

“I find it interesting that even though they’re not paying anything, the attrition rate is very low," Carpenter said. "People follow through and stay with the program.”

Carpenter said there is often a “real blend” of participants in the classes, including young people, older people who are out of work and those looking for career advancement.

“I’ve seen a real mix of people returning to the workforce, people wanting to elevate their positions and get something a little bit better, people just starting out,” she said. “That mix of people adds to the success of the program [because of] the networking.”

The classes will take place Wednesdays from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

“It’s a terrific model and hopefully other municipalities will replicate it when they hear about it,” Carpenter said.

By Sam Kmack

sam.kmack@newsday.com

Sam Kmack covers the Town of Islip for Newsday. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California and previously worked as a city watchdog reporter in the Phoenix metro area, as well as an investigative journalist at the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting.