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News While the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced Friday that unemployment in the United States held steady at 9.7 percent in February, Liberal has reasons to stay optimistic.
In an average week, the Liberal Workforce Center provides services for 30 to 40 people looking to find a job or increase their marketability as an employee. While the center also offers services, like access to further education and training, for employed people, most of the center's work is devoted to helping unemployed people. "In six months, I have just seen one person that is employed that came in here," said Tovilla. "Most of them come in because they have lost their jobs." At least 40 percent of services provided at the center from October through December were related to unemployment insurance, according to data obtained from the center. While the center is not affiliated with any department of labor, it does allow people to use its public computers to file for unemployment compensation. "That's a very hard subject, because we have people that are very discouraged and the (U.S.) Department of Labor does not have field offices," said Jean Dizmang, a service supervisor who oversees multiple workforce centers. "So we try and help them through the process as much as possible." Dizmang says people take three-to-six months to find a job and around two-to-eight weeks to receive unemployment benefits. While being unemployed can be frustrating, she says the workforce center can help people to find employment and gain skills while between jobs. "It can be discouraging, but that's where it gives us the opportunity to say 'hey listen, if you may be waiting up to eight weeks for your unemployment, let's get you re-employed," Dizmang said. Liberal resident Kathi Eustice, 50, learned about some of the center's services when she went to the file for unemployment benefits. After her first visit, Eustice became interested in obtaining a WorkReady certificate, which is a state-recognized document that validates the employee's skill level. Eustice, who has been unemployed for a couple of months, said she decided to start the process to obtain the certificate to challenge herself. "I've always wondered how smart I really was because I've always worked behind the scenes doing laborious jobs," Eustice said. Eustice dropped out of high school her freshman year and since then, worked mainly labor-intensive jobs for minimum wage. Eustice obtained her GED after she was 40 years old. She said physically-demanding work became more difficult with her age and back problems. "I found things were getting harder and harder for me, so, instead of using my back, I am trying to use my brain," Eustice said. Eustice says she hopes obtaining the WorkReady certificate will give her more self-confidence, expand her job opportunities, and help her to make more money. The workforce center helps people to find job by serving as a bridge between employers and employees. Dizmang says the center focuses on matching businesses with the people who are qualified to fill open job positions. "We work with employers closely to find out what they're looking for," said Dizmang. "We also work with job candidates to find out what their skills are so we can match them with the correct job." Often prepping job candidates for employment involves enrollment in GED programs or ESL classes. "Almost a hundred percent of our employers that use our services require a GED or high school diploma," said Dizmang. "Also, the thing we hear the most is that they have to be able to speak, read and understand English." Tovilla says about 25 percent of the people coming into the center decide they need ESL classes. The center partners with Colvin Adult Learning Center in Liberal to help people gain these skills. The Colvin Center charges $20 for an ESL course. In Seward County and the surrounding area, other popular training involve health care, manufacturing, or obtaining a commercial driver's license. If further education or training requires fees, the center also works with people to help them obtain money through federal grants and Workforce Investment Act funding. The center's services are free to the community because it is funded by federal and state taxpayer dollars. The center receives funding from both the Kansas Department of Commerce and Local Area 1 Workforce Investment Board (LWIB). Other services offered by the center include various assessments. Those tests help people evaluate their skill levels and identify their best suited careers. The assessments look to gauge their personality and interests. Local businesses can utilize the workforce center in their hiring process by simply contacting the center with a job description or by posting the information to the KansasWorks Web site, www.kansasworks.com. The center is typically open from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Appointments are not necessary for services. The center is located in room T-154 of the technical school building on the north side of the Seward County Community College/ Area Technical School. For more information about the workforce center and its services, call 620-417-1958. For full story please see Sunday's Times © Copyright 2008 Southwest Times |
