Video: Cherokee Nation’s Day Work jobs success during slow economy

Jacob Rock washes dishes at Cherokee Nation W.W. Hastings Hospital as part of his job through the tribe's Day Work Program. (Photo by Jami Custer)

By Jami Custer
Staff Writer

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – In September, Cherokee Nation’s Career Services started a Day Work Program to help unemployed tribal citizens earn money by providing jobs for a day. Since then it has grown and received more funding for operations.

CN officials said day work jobs provide immediate assistance to unemployed Cherokees needing temporary help since the state’s jobless rate is at 7.1 percent, the highest in 21 years.

The program allows citizens to earn money by working temporary jobs or performing tasks at Cherokee Nation facilities. Cherokees can earn $25 for four hours of work and $50 for eight hours.

“We started the program to provide help to Cherokee people by allowing them the opportunity to work for assistance while they continue trying to secure full-time employment or assistance through other programs,” Principal Chief Chad Smith said.

As of Nov. 25, more than 3,000 daily temp jobs had been provided to Cherokees, with up to 200 individuals coming in daily to be given assignments with a CN department.

The program had also paid out nearly $170,000, officials said, and that Tribal Councilors added $300,000 for the service mid-November.

At first, the program saw few people. But as word spread, more Cherokees have taken advantage of the day jobs.

Jeff Vance, CN Employment Programs director, said the program has close to 500 participants, with 20 to 30 new participants signing up each day.

“The first week we began this program, we had a total of 75 payouts. The week of November 2, we paid out 845,” he said.

Krystal Goodrich, a day work participant, said she does anything the tribe needs her to do because if it were not for the program she would have no money.

“I use this program for extra money, gas and food and it is currently my only income,” she said. “I am glad this (program) is here.”

Along with providing immediate financial assistance, another day work goal is to make participants more employable, whether it is with CN or other businesses.

Vance said the program has a job bank card for each participant. Those cards are submitted to the Tribal Employment Rights Office and that TERO has found about 50 participants full-time jobs.

“Career Services is in the process of offering our participants a life skills course that will assist them with developing interview techniques, employability skills, resume writing, etc,” Vance said.

But the program is not without flaws. Vance said most participation is in Cherokee County, which sees nearly 330 participants a day. The county contains the CN Tribal Complex and the largest number of CN work sites in the tribe’s 14-county jurisdiction.

“We pay around 150 to 180 participants each day in Tahlequah,” he said. ““We actually have participants who carpool from the surrounding counties to Cherokee County so they can work.”

Currently, the program has only CN work sites participating, but Vance said tribal officials are trying to partner with Cherokee Nation Industries, Cherokee Nation Entertainment and Cherokee Nation Businesses, all of which have work sites outside of Cherokee County.

Despite this early shortcoming, Smith said the day work success reinforces what tribal officials know about Cherokee people – they just want to work and help themselves.

“Every day, program participants have expressed to us how grateful they are that this program allows them to work to provide for themselves and their families,” he said. “This is a program we’ve wanted to implement for a long time, but the current economy makes the need for the day work program even more critical.”

Reach Staff Writer Jami Custer at (918) 453-5560 or jami-custer@cherokee.org