Columbia-based employment center Job Point helped 418 people find jobs in fiscal year 2016.
Felecia Jackson-Qualls, the agency is hoping to up that number - especially in Callaway County said this year.
"Job Point is an employment agency, but we build communities at the same time," she said while addressing the Callaway Resource Network Thursday.
While Job Point does currently serve Callaway County residents, the organization doesn't have the ties with schools and employers here that it does in the Columbia area, she said.
"We work with a lot of employers in Columbia," she said. "Since I've been a recruiter, I've been building relationships with (Columbia-area) schools. A lot, when they don't think a kid's going to graduate, will call (Job Point)."
Qualls is hoping to form partnerships with Callaway County schools, employers and nonprofits.
Founded in 1965, Job Point, a nonprofit accredited by the Rehabilitation Accreditation Commission, offers a variety of services. The center helps prepare people to enter the workforce, with a focus on at-risk and historically underemployed group like the economically disadvantaged, ex-convicts, disabled individuals and high-risk youth.
Assistance can take many forms, from job training to coaching to help find employment opportunities.
"We deal with all ages," Qualls said. "If they're 99 years old and want a job, we'll get them a job."
For people aged 17-24 without a high school diploma, Job Point offers YouthBuild. It's a way for qualifying youth to work, earn money and learn skills while studying for the High School Equivalency Test.
There's a special focus on construction skills and volunteering - YouthBuild participants are currently working on building a house for Central Missouri Community Action, Qualls said.
"I have a lot of young ladies that want to come into the program, but the construction kind of scares them off," she said.
But, she said, those who do give it a try learn a lot and usually prove capable.
Cliff Atterberry, youth career manager at Fulton's Missouri Job Center, said he'd like to work more closely with Job Point.
"If someone qualifies for YouthBuild, they may also qualify for our program," he said. "They could do dual enrollment, and we can help with transportation (to Columbia for YouthBuild)."
Qualls said Atterberry has referred several youths to the YouthBuild program.
Job Point also offers training courses for certification in a number of fields, including construction, office technology and health care. Courses last between eight weeks and six months, depending on the course (some are short, some more involved) and the rate at which the learner progresses.
"The training is self-paced," Qualls said.
While courses cost $6,000-$7,000, Qualls said most participants qualify for grants and scholarships, which Job Point will help them find and apply to receive.
Another major focus area is disability services. Job Point helps connect mentally and/or physically disabled people with vocational rehabilitation services and training.
During the several years she's worked with Job Point, Qualls said she's seen lives change for the better.
"I witnessed one young lady with a disability," she said. "I worked with her for seven months. She was dependable, and I got to see her personality grow. She worked at McDonald's and decided she wanted to move up - now she's working at a nursing home and doing great."
She's also watched people who've served sentences for illegal substance use find sobriety and gainful employment.
"They turn into a whole new person," she said.
Qualls said during fiscal year 2016, 87 percents of the adults Job Point worked with maintained employment for at least 90 days. In other words, the center is helping change lives for the better.
To learn more about Job Point's services, and how employers can get involved, visit jobpointmo.com.