2011 was both exciting and exhausting for many of us. Some employers were faced with cutting overhead while continuing to operate... many were forced to implement new and innovative technologies and many had to return to the front line in order to keep their head above the water and remain successful. For big business, this meant reorganizing their corporate structure which left many high level professionals unemployed; looking at starting a new career path. For some, this seemed daunting and unimaginable to start a new career. The Department of Labor and Workforce Development unveiled a new tool to assist in this transition called jobs4jersey.com, “Where talent meets Opportunity” with smart technology and a new approach to job matching. This cutting-edge technology delivers employment matches that are highly relevant to your employment goals, analyzes career transitions, learns the skills required for every job and the success patterns from millions of resumes, and applies that knowledge to your job search. The site allows uploading your resume as part of the state’s online talent bank. This technology will assist you in improving your resume by suggesting skills and other qualifications you may have overlooked. If you don’t have a resume it will take you step by step and you indicate your work experience and education and let the intuitive resume builder “interview” you online to create your most effective resume. Once your resume is in the system, job opportunities are identified that meet your specific skills, experience and education. jobs4jersey.com works 24hours a day and alerts you by email of the matches.
It was late 2010 that we held our first Greater Camden County Business Owner/Employer and Human Resources Empowerment Conference; we decided it was time to reach out to county employers and make sure they knew who and what the Workforce Investment Board and One-Stop Career Center is and, what we do that could be beneficial to them and their bottom line. In partnership with the Camden County Freeholders, Camden County Improvement Authority, Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Camden County College, and NJ Economic Development Authority we took a unique and innovative approach and collaborated to package, market and present the best practices that foster economic recovery and growth.
Based on the success of the conference, under the leadership of Sandi Kelly, Director of Economic Development a team of business service representatives was assembled to provide superior customer service that exceeds employers’ expectations. Each team member and other key staff attended a state sponsored training class session to become certified job developers. The key focus was that by meeting employer needs we could be successful in placing our customers into available positions Ongoing training is necessary and cross training between partnering agencies will provide agency representatives with the core knowledge of all services provided through the different agencies and provide seamless service delivery allowing for “one” point of contact. We found that by building relationships one at a time and working together we can cover more ground in our business outreach efforts fostering economic growth.
While 2010 was a year of us reacting to a tumultuous time, we turned the corner in 2011 and became proactive. We are no longer just keeping our head above the water; I see us turning the corner and know the time is now to focus on a strategic plan to sustain us over the next five years. In order to complete our five year strategic plan I will need the assistance of each and every one of you; from your fresh ideas, hard work, success stories, tried and true practices, and most all, your “we can do it” attitude because together I know we can!
May you and your family enjoy a joyous holiday season filled with laughter and all things that make you happy. Happy New Year!
Jeffrey S. Swartz
Executive Director
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