What happens when work that depends on the human element loses that face-to-face connection? Like countless other organizations across the globe, Rubicon has been grappling with a remote reality since March 2020. The emotional and technological challenges have been undeniable, but there have also been encouraging bright spots along the way thanks to the resiliency and innovation of staff and participants alike. 

Concord-based Career Advisor Greg Reimer is one Rubicon staff member who has seized the moment as a chance to get creative about how he works. Greg was, at first, trepidatious about having to connect with folks across a screen. Coaching depends on establishing “trust and a personal connection,” he says. “I knew the work would not feel the same, and I was curious to see how that would impact my relationship with participants.”  
 

Greg helps participants map out and achieve their career goals, a role he adores. “When I can help someone unlock their growth mindset and make a profound shift - that never gets old,” he says.   

In the early days of the pandemic, as meetings with participants switched from in-person sessions to video conferences and online classes, it was immediately clear that remote work was exacerbating existing challenges and inequities. “We identified digital literacy as an imperative,” Greg says.

Rubicon has provided laptops and stipends for WIFI to participants, but figuring out how to teach digital literacy at a distance took some ingenuity. Greg and others at Rubicon sprang into action, creating a teaching library of documents on everything from setting up an email account to using Google docs. Participants loved these new resources, consuming them quickly and asking for more. Still, technology hurdles persisted, so the team came up with an innovative solution: they hired a couple of computer-savvy former participants to staff a help line for those in need.  
 
Sarah A, who was a member of Concord’s first comprehensive program cohort, enjoys her new position as a Technical Assistant. She was working as a Community Resource Director at East Bay Works before the pandemic, but the position is currently on hold. In her new role at Rubicon, she is on the job for four hours a day, fielding phone calls from participants with tech issues.  
 
An aspiring social worker, Sarah does not identify as a techie but rather as a quick learner. She taught herself the ins and outs of Google Classroom in order to assist participants with that sometimes-confusing platform, but she says most of her calls are simple issues, like log-in problems or trouble with WIFI connectivity. Because she has been through the Rubicon comprehensive program, she knows that “it can be overwhelming at first. It’s a new way of doing things, a new way of thinking.” She is happy to be able to help participants with these issues so that they can concentrate on the content of the classes rather than on their frustrations with the technology.  
 
While remote meetings will never replace being with participants in-person, Greg is pleased that he is able to offer all of the same services, from teaching classes to conducting mock interviews to helping people access career training. In addition, he says, he loves that he can reach participants all over the East Bay because of the way remote work breaks down geographical barriers.  
 
Rubicon is committed to remaining connected with participants until the day in-person meetings and classes resume.