North Carolina paper starts unemployment column

The Hickory Daily Record, a Media General newspaper in North Carolina, has a new column called The Unemployment Line, by freelance columnist Skip Marsden. The column will appear on Sundays in the Business section.

A story on its website states, “With a preschooler to take care of, Marsden handled home duties while freelance writing. In 2006 he heard about the NCTeach program at Lenoir-Rhyne University, a special curriculum to enable those who wanted to teach in the public school system. He entered the program in the summer of 2007 after a year of substitute teaching and taking necessary online coursework. That fall he was hired in Alexander County to teach 7th grade language arts.

“At the end of that school year, however, Marsden experienced what many in the area have, and found his job plus three more at the school were cut due to state budget problems. ‘I really thought public education would be immune to the economic turndown,’ said Marsden.

“He brings this experience plus years of writing for various media to The Unemployment Line column. ‘I want to put peoples’ stories out there — especially those stories of success — so that others can benefit.’ The column will also describe programs and services — many of which are at little or no charge — that are available to assist job seekers.”

Read more here.