Job seekers can get free help

If you’re looking for a job, want to polish your interview skills and find out what will make you more likely to land a job – then the Grant County Public Library has a new program for you.

The library will be the site of a Public Library Workforce Center, a program that Wynita Worley, public services librarian, has been working on for a couple of years.

“We want to provide some training that we haven’t before or enhance what we currently offer,” she said.

For several years, the library has offered basic employment classes, which focused on resume writing, polishing computer skills and teaching software, but the federal grant will pay for more computers and job workshops, which focus on areas such as personal finance and business ethics.

“These are all areas that haven’t been addressed previously but are something that a participant could put on a resume and make them stand out above others candidates, which is a good thing in this tough economy,” Worley said.

The first class in the monthly fall series will be at noon on Sept. 10. It focuses on selling yourself. Light refreshments will be served.

“There’s a fine line between selling yourself and being over confident,” Worley said. “This class is geared to give practical tips on how to go into an interview and leave a positive impression.”

The local job market is tough. Worley realized this when the library had two-part time position come open. Worley said the library received 100 resumes for the jobs.

“This shows just how tough it is to find a job right now. There’s a lot of competition,” she said.

The grant targets county’s with high unemployment. Grant County’s unemployment for June was 10.5 percent, slightly above the state’s average for June at 9.7 percent, according to the Kentucky Office of Employment and Training.

Grant County joins 45 other libraries in the state in becoming a Public Library Workforce Center (PLWC).

This is a two-year program. To create its PLWC, Grant County’s library installed six laptop computers and six desktop computers. All of them have Office 2010. The library has also purchased a multifunction printer and computer furniture. The library used more than $25,600 in grant funds to purchase the equipment and software.

The library will be partnering with Grant County Adult Education and One Stop of Grant County.

Worley said these agencies will be coming to the library and bringing additional programs geared to finding a job or getting a better job.

Worley said more people use the library today than ever before to look for jobs and send resumes via the Internet and use the computers to enhance their skills.

“There’s a lot of people who come in and say they can’t afford to keep the Internet at home or to upgrade their computer at home. This money is designed for us to continue to help people and to keep our local people competitive,” she said.

Because many people are working during the week, Worley said the free sessions are being offered on Saturdays.

“These won’t be a two-hour lecture,” Worley said. “They will be a hands-on working session, where people can take what they learned and use it.”

The grant is made possible by a $1.3 million American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grant provided through the U.S. Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The project is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and administered by the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives.

To find out more about the program call 859-824-2080.

PUBLIC LIBRARY WORKFORCE CENTER

Grant County Public Library, Barnes Road, Williamstown
• Sept. 10 - Noon - Selling yourself in a tough job market.
• October - Personal finance
• November - Business ethics