WILTON, Maine -- Last month, the Maine Department of Labor’s Bureau of Employment Services (BES) announced that it would be accelerating its commitment to revamping Maine’s CareerCenter delivery system in 2018.
These actions are an effort by the LePage Administration toward a more
efficient and effective service-delivery model for job seekers and
employers, and to reform the system in anticipation of potential federal
budget cuts.
“Being responsive to the needs of Maine employers and workers is at
the forefront of everything we do,” said DOL Commissioner, John Butera.
“That means understanding and adapting to the ways our customers want to
interact with us. While in the early years of the CareerCenter model
that meant ‘bricks and mortar’ to manage foot traffic into the offices
throughout the state, today it means a modernized approach more in
alignment with the current technology and the access demands of our
customers.”
According to BES Director, Ed Upham, the first of many upcoming
changes are the hours of the Wilton CareerCenter. “In an effort to
coordinate and maximize the time and customer traffic patterns into our
Wilton office, we will be changing the hours to Monday, Wednesday and
Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., beginning March 12,” he said. “These new
office hours will ensure staff are available during the peak days when
customers tend to use this resource the most, and it will allow staff
more time to work directly with employers, educational institutions and
other stakeholders on their needs for a quality workforce during the
rest of the week.” Signs updating the hours of operation will be put up
beginning next week.
The second major change is currently in the works. “We are moving our
Augusta CareerCenter from its current location on Enterprise Drive now
that our lease contract is up, and consolidating it into space in the
same business park where the Maine Department of Labor is located, on
Commerce Drive,” he said. The move is slated for late-March, with
limited disruption to service during the move and no changes to staff or
services to workers and employers.
In 2011, BES began upgrading the then-outdated labor exchange,
Maine’s JobBank, to Maine JobLink, which today offers self-service
options for labor information, career mapping and training. More recent
changes have included updating mainecareercenter.gov for mobile devices
and adding to it Live Chat, and co-locating the Portland CareerCenter
and DHHS in State Offices in Portland to better serve Cumberland County
residents and to provide a path from poverty to prosperity. “We
definitely will look different a year from now, including smaller
physical spaces, use of partner sites, and distance services,” Upham
added.
Department of Labor staff will be looking at contracts, seeking
partners and finding new and more effective ways to reach workers and
employers alike. “As we continually seek ways to better deliver
CareerCenter services in the new year and beyond, we will build on
existing partnerships and forge new ones to make delivery of
CareerCenter services more efficient and effective, and modernize the
system and its physical footprint to meet our customers’ needs now and
well into the future,” said Commissioner Butera.
CareerCenters, with 12 locations across the state, are part of the
Maine Department of Labor (MDOL), and provide employment and training
services at no charge for Maine workers and businesses. Job Seekers can
use the CareerCenter’s free resources to jumpstart their job search. CareerCenters assist Employers with recruitment, training, and workforce
services, and offers access to Labor Market Information.
Maine Department of Labor and Maine CareerCenters are equal
opportunity providers. Auxiliary aids and services are available to
individuals with disabilities upon request.
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