(From left) We Are HOPE EmployAbility Hub executive director Kim Carely and employment specialist Riley Sleger. Photo by Eleanor Corbin.

Today, nearly every aspect of the job application process relies on technology – from creating a resume to submitting applications and completing onboarding paperwork. 

In recognition of tech’s pivotal role in the contemporary job market, the We Are HOPE EmployAbility Hub in Sturgeon Bay dedicates every Tuesday to helping community members navigate their devices and the internet.

“We’re here to help people with their employment needs,” said Hub executive director Kim Carley. “But what we see often is if we’re not teaching them how to take care of their devices, how to use them, then they can’t really grow.”

At Tech Tuesdays, an office-hour style session from 10 am to 2 pm each week, individuals seek specific solutions and build their tech literacy skills.

From questions about digital storage to help with creating an email to recovering passwords, individuals come to Tech Tuesdays with a variety of needs.

Employment specialist Riley Sleger is always on site for this program to ensure someone is around to assist those with tech questions. His goal is not to take the computer and complete the task for them, he said, but to guide them through the process and teach them how to use their device on their own.

Carley recalls one instance in which a gentleman attended five Tech Tuesdays in a row while setting up a new computer. 

“If he would have had to pay somebody to do that for him, he wouldn’t have learned anything,” she said. “He would have just given it [the computer] to them and they would have done their thing. But he [Sleger] was able to work with him and make him feel confident.”

Neither Carley nor Sleger has a formal background in technology, instead drawing from their own experiences learning to navigate their devices. This perspective, Carley said, helps them provide problem-solving advice that works for the average person.

“We’ll go on to YouTube and we’ll watch a little video,” she said. “They can see how they can troubleshoot on their own.”

Since Tech Tuesdays started back up again in August, following a hiatus, at least one individual has come for tech advice each week, usually more.

Carely has made it a goal to offer the program consistently, so people can know exactly when and where they can find free assistance, she said. Individuals are also welcome to ask tech questions on other days, though Sleger is available specifically to help with technology on Tuesdays.

Other staff members are also on hand on Tuesdays to assist anyone who wants to use any of the center’s other resources. For those in need of more organized instruction, the EmployAbility Hub also offers computer skills workshops, which cover basics like accessing the internet and using programs like Microsoft Word.

Keep up with We Are HOPE’s offerings at wearehopeinc.org.

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