July 5, 2012

Some career-independence assistance from ESD

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The smoke from the fireworks has cleared and the picnic leftovers are in the fridge, but two recent announcements from the Washington state Employment Security Department (ESD) are continuing the independence celebrations a little longer. One is a new page on the department's website that enables returning U.S. military veterans to connect more easily with potential employers. Another is a skills-training tool to which ESD is finally giving some attention after a few years of relative anonymity.

New veteran hiring feature: They helped defend the freedoms we celebrated yesterday, but the valuable service of our military veterans does not always transfer easily into securing gainful employment once they return to civilian life. Though some recent reports show a significant drop in the unemployment rate for vets over the past few months, it's still difficult for many of these brave men and women to find new jobs when they get back home.

To help give these people a fighting chance, the ESD has added new features to its WorkSource site that will help pair up veterans with employers that are seeking out their knowledge and experience. Veterans, as well as their spouses, can now check a box to indicate their military status when they upload their resumes to Go2WorkSource.com. These resumes can then be selected more easily by companies searching for people with military experience.

Also, employers who are posting jobs to the WorkSource site can let vets know that they will be given preferential treatment. Veterans who type in "veterans preference" in the search box will find a list of these employers. This service was made possible by a Washington state law passed last year that allows private-sector employers to use military status as a criteria to help determine who they should hire.

Brush up on your skills with KeyTrain: For those of us without the benefit of military experience, the ESD also reminded job seekers about a free skill-building program offered through the WorkSource site.

Called KeyTrain, the training program includes 17 online courses containing 200 lesson plans on a wide array of topics, such as reading, math, best work habits, locating critical information, business etiquette and more. Unlike formal training programs, which can be lengthy and costly, the KeyTrain classes are self-assigned and designed to be short refreshers that focus on a narrow range of targeted skills. Best of all, the classes are absolutely free.

"Some job seekers are very close to job-ready, or they have a job and they're looking to move up," said Margaret Hess, the ESD area director on the Olympic Peninsula. "A math or reading refresher or some tips on business etiquette may be all they need."

If you haven't heard of this program, you're not alone. Strangely, although the classes have been available for about two years, WorkSource does not mention KeyTrain anywhere on its website. In most cases, only those job seekers who visit their local WorkSource office looking for training are told about the program.

With a recent press release on its website about KeyTrain, the ESD is attempting to be more proactive. "It's not something people have been aware of, and we're trying the get the word out," says Ashley Wilson, the agency's communications manager. "You only have to go into WorkSource once to sign up, so we can get your name and create a password. Then you just take a short, 12-question skills assessment to find out what classes you need."

Some courses require only a half-hour. Others, such as more complex math classes, may take up about half a day, Wilson says. "But after you sign up, you can do it all from home on your own time," she adds. "It's very informal. Eventually you get an end-of-course certificate, which you can put on your resume."

The most popular course is Reading for Information, which includes pointers on building your vocabulary, following directions and applying instructions, Wilson says. Others with consistently high enrollment include Work Habits, Applied Mathematics and Locating Information. Last year, nearly 26,000 people took free KeyTrain courses, and 13,000 more have enrolled so far this year.

For more information about obtaining access to these classes, job seekers should contact their local WorkSource center. Counselors can also help applicants choose which lessons would be best suited for their career needs.

Randy Woods writes about job-search tools, networking techniques and other tips to help you land your dream job.

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e-learning, education, hiring practices, training, veterans