Bobbie Risner

I am a case manager with the WIOA program, a federal grant run by Grant Associates, where I help individuals navigate their careers into new fields or toward scholarships that will further their career development. I've been working in employment navigation for about two and a half to three years now. What I do is help individuals think outside of the box to gain employment that is going to help them grow and continue in their professional field. I started my career with Easterseals of Oregon, working in the CSEP program helping individuals 55 and over have subsidized income while gaining new skills. We would place them in host agencies in the community to work on anything from new skills to refresher skills, helping those with limitations and barriers to employment. My greatest professional achievement has been working with the 55 and over population, helping them find their confidence and get back out in the workforce. I've seen people who worked in the same field for 35 years walk in the door, and by navigating with them about different skills they might like or hobbies, I've helped them find employment in something they weren't even looking for and realizing that's what they love and what they're going to do until they retire again. It's incredibly rewarding when someone has been doing the same thing for so long and thinks that's all they're capable of doing, but I help them understand there's so much more to them. I find their potential just by listening.