Public Employee Press

Thousands prep for clerical exams

More than 3,000 members have signed up for DC 37 Education Fund courses aimed at boosting their scores on the January civil service tests for Secretary and Clerical Associate.

In late October, the city extended the filing period for the tests to November 7. The union has warned members that signing up for the course did not automatically register them to take the exam. The extended filing period will give members who did not previously file a chance to take the test. For more information on filing, see page 6.

Since the courses were announced in August, members have been jumping to take advantage of the opportunity.

Expert instructors will cover the basics in the free18-hour course that started in October and continues through December. The course covers subjects such as reading comprehension, grammar and usage, clerical accuracy and test-taking strategies. To accommodate the needs of working adults, classes will be held on Saturdays and weekday evenings — and the manuals are free, too.

Members seek job security
On Oct. 11, participants lined up to pick up their materials, including the manual. The first two members who arrived were early and eager. Carol Grant, a member of Clerical-Administrative Employees Local 1549, has worked for the Housing Preservation and Development Dept. since 2000.

“Working as a per diem Clerical Aide, I don’t have any job security,” Grant explained. “I have a good job that I love, and I want to protect it! I really have to thank the union.”

“I’m still provisional and I’m doing this to protect my job security,” said Local 1549 member Sue Dargenio, who started in 2006 at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Her first experience as a union member leaves her with a positive feeling: “I think it’s a great thing that the union is doing this for its members,” she said.

“We offered this program five years ago,” said Fred Lewis, an assistant director in the Education Fund. “But the response this time dwarfs that one. It’s an ambitious under­taking, triggered by members’ needs.”

A recent court decision calling for systematic replacement of provisionals by permanent civil service employees have given many members a strong incentive to take the tests and to prepare well for them. The city has announced that it will be making ­appointments from civil service lists wherever possible to replace provisionals.

DC 37 has responded with programs such as the Clerical Associate test prep courses offered by the DC 37 Education Fund. In response to demand, the Education Fund will also offer keyboarding classes to build clerical skills, counseling to help workers evaluate their work ­experience and academic needs, help in applying for the state High School Equivalency examination, assistance in preparing resumés, and referrals to outside agencies for services not provided by DC 37. “We’re all doing our best to keep up with the demand,” said Lewis.