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One-stop career centers: all in one place and everyplace - job hunting resources

Occupational Outlook Quarterly - September 22, 1997

Continued from page 4.

"A lot of States besides Wisconsin are doing this now," Nancy says, "and we're serious about it. In the meantime, you'll be asked to attend an orientation to our JOBS Program."

"What's that?"

"It's where you'll learn about the programs we have to help you ease into the work force," Nancy says. "After that, a customer service representative will be assigned to you. He or she will work with you to plan a strategy. And I'll help, too."

"I've heard promises even better than this before," Alice says.

"I know," Nancy says.

"Where do I do all of this planning and stuff?" Alice asks.

"Right here. How's next Monday?" asks Nancy.

The customer service representatives who present the orientation calm some of Alice's fears. The program they describe makes sense to her. Afterward, she makes an appointment to meet with Brian Oland, one of the representatives.

The next day, they meet as scheduled. First, they go through an intake form, and Alice tells about her education and work history. She explains that she dropped out of high school in March of her senior year and that parenting is the sum of her work experience. They chat for a few minutes about how Alice always disliked school.

"Was there anything you did like about high school?" Brian asks, finally.

"I don't know," she says. "I guess I liked my business classes some, especially keyboarding. I used to type 60 words per minute."

Brian grins. "If I could type that fast, I'd save a lot of time on paperwork," he says. "That's a valuable skill."

"I wouldn't know," Alice says, but she feels a little proud.

"Have you ever considered taking the exam for a GED?" he asks.

"No, I don't think I'm up for that," she says. "I haven't really taken any tests in years."

"OK," he says, "but you might consider it. If you do decide to pursue that, I'll steer you toward some ways to prepare for the test."

"I suppose a GED would look better to somebody who hires people," she says.

"It would give you one extra advantage over someone without a diploma," Brian says. "But first things first. I want to suggest you spend a day doing some assessments and mulling over the results. It'll aid you in figuring out what you might like and not like about different types of work."

"It's a test?" Alice asks.

"No, not at all," he says. "It's just a chance to learn about yourself and where you want to fit in to the work force. How does that sound?"

"I'll do it," she says, "but...."

"What?"

"Why would anyone hire a welfare mother like me, anyway?" she asks.

"Employers will hire you if it's in their best interest," he says. "Like I was saying at orientation, unemployment is low here. Workers are scarce. There are lots of lower skill positions, and employers are willing to train you on the job--if you're willing to make the effort. And remember, our program will reimburse the employer for up to half of your wages during your initial weeks on the job. That's a good deal for them."

"And you said my welfare payments would stop if my income went over the limit," she recalls, "but I'd be earning a paycheck instead, and the program will help pay for Arlo's daycare, besides."

"Exactly," he says.

It's Alice's third week on the job. She still can't believe she's here in this office, sitting at her own work station. So many people at the one-stop center helped her along, finding solutions for every problem she ran into. One of the job developers even talked to the human resources manager here before she interviewed. That way, the company knew her strong points beforehand, so she felt less nervous at the interview. In a couple of weeks, she's mastered the basics of the word processing software. This week, a coworker will show her how to use a database.

The phone rings, and she answers: "Aske Industries, how may I direct your call?"

"It's Brian Oland. Just calling to see how things are going."

"Really well," she says. "I can hardly believe how far I've come in 2 months. None of it is easy, but I'm doing it!"

Professionals Reinventing Careers

Ali lies in bed in a room illumined only by the glow from the television and the few rays of midmorning Florida sunshine that make their way through the drawn curtain. He knows the cuts in defense spending are real, and his 20 years on the job as an aeronautical engineer are over.

Brooding over the end of his career, he skips from one television station to the next, clicking the remote again and again until some footage from a space shuttle launch rivets his attention. It turns out to be a show about Brevard County Job Link Centers and the employment and training resources they offer. After 30 minutes, the program ends, and Ali picks up the phone to inquire about the next orientation session.

The Job Link Center has a more inviting decor than the office where Ali previously filed for unemployment benefits. Ali does not notice. He tries hard to pay attention during orientation, but his worries distract him. Afterward, he schedules a meeting with a case manager, Laura Aldovar.

Three days later, he arrives several minutes late for his appointment. "I'm not sure this isn't a waste of time," Ali says, about 15 minutes into the meeting. "There's nothing out there for me."

"I'm not going to lie and say the outlook is rosy," Laura says. "There are few openings for aeronautical engineers here, and there are many well qualified candidates like you competing. However, remember that you will find a job. It's only a matter of when and what kind."

"But I only know one profession," he says.

"Still, you have skills that could transfer to other jobs if you wanted that," she says. "And there's funding available to help dislocated workers like you train for new work."

"I can't imagine doing that," he says.

"Maybe not," she says. "That's just one option. I worked with another aeronautical engineer who lost his job and then went into business for himself as a consultant. We also help people in circumstances like yours to look for work in other parts of the country."

"I know," he says, "and you'll provide for interviews by video conference and all the rest."

"And the program even pays for relocation expenses," she adds.

"But I have roots here," he says. "All of my family. And my wife has her job here."

"I understand," she says. "I just want to point out that many options exist, and there are always more than you imagine at first."

"OK," he says and sighs heavily. "I know I should have made greater efforts to find a job in the past month, but I've been so depressed. I can't get motivated."

"People react that way sometimes," she says. "Losing a job is major stress. Let me suggest one thing that might help with that. Join one of our job clubs."

"You mean one of those let's-network-and-help-each-other-find-a-new-job groups?" he asks.

"Yes."

"I don't know," Ali says. "I just don't feel capable of mounting a full-scale job search, yet."

"You don't have to do everything all at once," she says. "And the job club is partly a support group, too. It might help just to be with some people going through the same thing you are."

"OK, I'll try it," he says.

"Good," she says. "We'll talk more next week about which path you will want to take for the longer term."

"Yeah, I'll think more about it," he says. "At least it will take my mind off the short term."

"Speaking of which," she says, "are there any other problems you need to deal with right away, beyond what we've already discussed?"

"Well, my biggest worry right now," he says, "is my daughter's college tuition bill. I put it on plastic, but I was already sitting on a mountain of credit card debt. It's out of control."

"I see," she says. "Our credit counselor has hours here the day after tomorrow. We better get you signed up."

Ali raises his eyebrows. "You offer credit counseling on top of everything else?"

"Sure," Laura says. "You can't solve a puzzle without all the pieces."

When Ali meets with his case manager again, they talk about his old job and his love for finding solutions to engineering problems in military aircraft. At some point, he mentions how his duties changed during his last 2 years. He began to spend one-fourth of his time helping network engineers establish the company's wide area network. Ali enjoyed this special assignment more than he had expected, and he learned much about network engineering. Laura points out that the local employment outlook for network engineers appears very promising. Reflecting on this, he devises a new career strategy with Laura's help.

Ali enrolls in a school for 200 hours of special training that will qualify him as a certified network engineer. The program for dislocated workers covers the entire cost. By the time he completes training, the prospect of his professional change of course excites him. Using the center's job search computers, he quickly identifies one vacancy, applies, and is invited for an interview.

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