If you're looking for a new job heading into the new year, the state of Nevada has programs and services to get you on the right path. Nevadaworks, Northern Nevada's hub for job seekers and employers, helps with training and certification in 13 Nevada counties.
"Our primary job is to connect job seekers and employers and create that talent pipeline," said Milt Steward, CEO of Nevadaworks. "We focus on the in-demand occupations and industries, but we'll help anyone that needs assistance."
The state has EmployNV career and business hubs set up all over the region. The location at the Reno Town Mall caters to both employers and those looking for work.
"This is sometimes what's called one of the best kept secrets in the community," said Terrance Bowens, program manager of the Reno EmployNV Career Hub. "And that's because people go to look for work on their own, they try to figure out training programs on their own, and they don't always realize there are places out there that can not only help them identify those opportunities, but even contribute to them completing them as well."
These EmployNV Career Hubs are set up as a one-stop-shop for the unemployed or underemployed.
"From a job seeker's perspective, we offer services as basic as resume writing, interviewing skills, all the way up to occupational skills training that can take someone who is looking for a position and provide them with that training that employers are looking for to get that job," Stewart said. "We convene multiple partners, multiple agencies under one roof so we can take that no wrong door approach, where somebody comes in the door, we can fulfill their needs and remove those barriers to employment."
With the help of one of the training programs through EmployNV, Mathew Ortiz went from client to employee. Now, he helps others get jobs they love.
"When I actually started working here and helping people out, it just really fulfilled me," Ortiz said. "I loved helping people before, and then helping people get on the right track or keep going in the right direction, that's something I really love to do. My mom is the one that recommended this place to me, so I came in here to find opportunities, and that was when I had the chance to meet the amazing staff here. It's been a dream come true."
The services here are all free, a collaborative approach to connecting the right people with the right careers.
"The labor market is very tight, so generally speaking, most folks that are looking for jobs are already employed," Stewart said. "But there are individuals out there who have particular barriers, maybe needs that are preventing them from getting a job, and that's what we're trying to do now is to bring those folks into the labor market and increase the size of the labor pool so employers can get additional employees."
It's a program designed to streamline the process of getting a new job, and there are regular workshops and seminars.
"Job seeking is incredibly frustrating," Bowens said. "It's the cycle of rejection; you apply and apply, you get an interview, and they go with another candidate, and then it just feels like it starts all over again. So we just encourage people to keep going, we offer some great workshops like how to do better on interviews, how to write a great resume, and even how to negotiate a salary for yourself. You don't even need to sign up; just look at the calendar and when you see something you want to take, come in and take a class."
It's a line of work that can be rewarding.
"The best part is seeing job seekers succeed," Bowens said. "We want to see them come in, get what they need, and ride off into the future. That's the most gratifying feeling in the world."
More information: https://www.employnv.gov/vosnet/Default.aspx
