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STATE OF LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AWARDS
Career T.E.A.M. STATEWIDE WELFARE TRAINING PROJECT

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, June 2004 - Career T.E.A.M., a national leader in workforce development coaching, announced that it has been awarded a statewide contract by the Louisiana Department of Labor (LDOL) to serve the states 16,000 unemployed TANF (welfare) recipients. The program award, entitled, Strategies To Empower People (STEP) involved a competitive proposal requiring both a written and oral presentation to a selected group of LDOL representatives and was created to transition Louisiana welfare recipients to self-sufficiency.

Career T.E.A.M. will initiate the yearlong project by training and certifying 108 assigned instructors in various regions of the state to facilitate their customized four-week job readiness program. All attendees will receive a comprehensive Facilitator Guide, which contains practical exercises, case studies, leaders notes and job readiness strategies. TANF recipients will then participate in the 4-week competency based pre-employment course and receive a Career T.E.A.M. student manual designed to assist them in a timely transition to self-sufficiency. Upon completion, Career T.E.A.M. will grant LDOL a permanent, nonexclusive license to reproduce and continue use of materials.

According to Career T.E.A.M. Founder, Christopher J. Kuselias, "this most recent award will cost effectively allow LDOL the opportunity to serve thousands of participants with premium materials. It is a clear example that Career T.E.A.M. continues to be a leader in the design of empowerment materials which yield positive outcomes." Career T.E.A.M. instructors BJ Thomas and John Cyr, expressed appreciation and gratitude for the opportunity. "We are truly honored by the invitation to be part of such a worthwhile endeavor and committed to developing new strategies and techniques to assist Louisianaâs unemployed achieve self sufficiency."

Founded in 1996, Career T.E.A.M. has previously been recognized by INC MAGAZINE as one of the U.S.'s 500 fastest growing privately held companies. The organization derives revenues from government contracts, where it has successfully trained over 1,000 youth and employed over 5,000 former welfare recipients. This stellar performance record has resulted in numerous honors and commendations including recognition as one of the nationâs Top 10 welfare to work intermediaries by the National Welfare to Work Partnership and a recipient of the 1999 US Chamber of Commerce Blue Chip Enterprise Award. Career T.E.A.M. has also been profiled in several national media sources including CNN, The Employment and Training Reporter and The National Alliance of Business Work America.

For more information regarding program design, project management, staff training, youth coaching or welfare that works, visit our web site at, (www.careerteam.com.)

Career T.E.A.M., LLC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE