Client Review on State of New Jersey

Feedback:

I came to Newark One Stop for a tuition waiver and spent 6 hours there. The counselors have very very poor communication with the clients. It seems that everyone works their schedule around the counselors. They spend hours talking and mingling with each other and spend at least 5 minutes with their clients. The counselors take lunch whenever and have you wait for hours. Additionally, they help you get a job which means any jobs which can range from $9/hr to $16/hr. For you to get a job in your field require time and a lot of initiative on your part. Other than that, you have to be very proactive and flexible when coming here. You have to ask them every question, even the simplest question otherwise, they won’t give you a complete answer. My first day there, a woman told me she had 2 kids and came here for a job and to finish her nursing degree. She confided in me that the counselors advised her to get a $9/hr job. I couldn’t believe it. How can she support her kids off Fedex $9/hr and go to school? She couldn’t and that’s why she came back. She needed a better job. Newark One Stop need to demand higher wages for their clients. It’s absolurely insulting and disrespectful to advise someone to take a $9/hr job when they worked 5 yrs in a restaurant setting. As for me, I will continue to come back for assistance with my tuition waiver but I hope they improve their communication and respect toward their client along with demanding increase in wages for clients. Let’s work to move Newark forward not stagnant.