The Westchester-Putnam Workforce Investment Board (WPWIB) One-Stop Employment Centers are full of job seekers looking new opportunities. But no matter how busy things get, the staffs there are always helpful and resourceful in assisting customers.
These centers offer workshops on topics like how to improve interviewing techniques and learning new computer skills.
The centers also match available jobs with qualified candidates. The staff members send emails to job seekers alerting them to new jobs that may be right for them.
Deena Scherer, who has been involved with social work for more than 30 years, recently lost her job. She”™s been visiting the One-Stop Employment Center in White Plains for the last four weeks and hopes to land a job soon.
“All day long, every day, people are pouring in without work,” Scherer said. “And the staff are very encouraging ”¦ very kind, from the minute you walk in the door. Everybody is very respectful and everybody is incredibly helpful.
“I was impressed by the tremendous resources they have for training and for helping people to help themselves find jobs ”“
the computers, the printers, the copiers, computer skill classes.”
Weekly newsletters with job listings
Scherer said that every week the center sends her a newsletter with jobs and it”™s very easy to apply for them.
“I already had an interview after four weeks of being unemployed. And they are very helpful with the resume writing. They really changed my whole resume. They help you practice interviewing. It”™s an amazing place and it”™s free,” she said.
In an interview, WPWIB Director Donnovan Beckford said many Westchester and Putnam companies are finding out how useful One-Stop Employment Centers are. But he urged more local businesses to partner with WPWIB, especially at a time like this when many qualified, talented people are still looking for work through One-Stop.
Employers often spend a great deal of time and money going to employment agencies and advertising, Beckford said. “What they are finding by coming to the One Stop Employment Center is that we have a wide range of qualified individuals that they could select from. We try to screen down candidates and match companies with right, highly qualified candidates.”
Another One-Stop customer, Barbara Adamson, was unemployed for eight months last year. After using the One-Stop resources for eight months, she is now back in the workforce.
“I am back in pharmaceutical sales. I started in January,” she explained. “The specialists who are there are just awesome. They have activities dealing with interviewing techniques, workshops on resume-writing and even just getting yourself prepared emotionally to deal with how the market has changed. I also participated in a workshop for refreshing my computer skills.”
It was also the One-Stop staff back in 2003 that found Adamson a job and even sent her to Westchester Community College to take computer classes. “So this is my second time going through the One-Stop Employment Center,” she said.
Matching jobs with candidates
Jackie Voyages is another customer looking for new work. While she is still unemployed, she said the services offered by One Stop have been superb.
Voyages said she has been an executive administrative assistant. “My last job was working for WLIP, a public television station, for seven years. They had cutbacks last year and I lost my job.”
She added, “When I am there, it”™s always full. People on the computers, people taking classes. They have job listings. They have fliers all around the place.
She has been mostly using One-Stop”™s website, www.westchesterputnamonestop.com, to post her resume and look for opportunities. “You submit your resume to them and they upload it into the system, and then they match you with jobs. So you get jobs e-mailed to you. And you apply to them. I”™ve been on some interviews for some of the companies. They also give you ways to look for jobs. I recently got from them a list of like 100 websites that have job listings.”
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