Lynchburg Business

Region 2000 Career Center: Your One-Stop-Shop for Success

Issue: August 2010 by Carrie Williams in Cover Story, Human Resources, Inside The Magazine

With the long, hot days of summer often comes the overwhelming desire to kick your feet up and relax. Unfortunately, not all of us will have that opportunity just yet. If you are one of the hundreds of people looking for work in Lynchburg, it’s time to kick things into high gear instead.

First things first—Get those resumes in tip-top shape and start distributing. Keep your eye on local company career pages and read the classified section of the newspaper. Get involved with local networking groups and take advantage of public seminars given to career-seekers. Getting your name out there and being aware of the opportunities available is the only way you will find yourself a niche in the business world.

But what if you’ve been doing these things for months, maybe even years, and you’re still not getting anywhere? There are resources in Lynchburg that can help, even when you feel like things are impossible or hopeless. If you can relate to this sentiment, then you need to be introduced to the Region 2000 Career Center. Located conveniently in the heart of Lynchburg, at the Plaza on Memorial Avenue, the Career Center is one of the first places to go if you’re job hunting.

Since opening its doors in March of 2003, Deborah Alfers, Center Manager for the Region 2000 Career Center, explained that the organization’s clientele has grown from an initial 50 to now 5,000 a year.

“We have served well over 35,000 jobseekers since opening 8 years ago. … Our rates of performance have earned our center three incentive awards based on our performance being higher than the state’s rates. We are getting credentials and employment to approximately 90 percent of those we serve,” Alfers said.

To begin the process at the Center, job-seekers first register with the organization and then complete an initial assessment, the results of which will then pair them with an appropriate case manager. For those needing less one-on-one contact, there is a computer lab available to provide “self-directed services.” At the lab, clients can run digital job searches and also do research in their extensive resource library.

Counselors are also available to provide jobseekers with advice, support and training to get them on the fast track to a job and, more importantly, a career. This isn’t a place that will help you to just secure a slot on a company’s payroll. The Career Center helps people get the support they need to find ways to get paid to do what they love.

So how much does it cost to become a client at the Career Center? Absolutely nothing! Incredibly enough, the many resources offered at the Center, from education and training, to help with job searches, employer services for recruitment and business consultation, support services and case management, are all free to local jobseekers. The types of people the Center sees every month runs the gamut in terms of career field. Alfers explained that the “trend is toward the dislocated worker due to outsourcing, global competition, downturn in the economy, company shut-downs and lay-offs. [But we also see] a number of jobseekers who do not have a GED or technical training for today’s high tech jobs.”

Looking for a change? The Career Center also welcomes those wanting to enter into a new field. Their counselors and case managers offer GED services to strengthen your educational foundation and also provide training to give you a broader skill set.

“Perhaps now is a good time to upgrade skills and accomplish a recognizable credential so that job seeking can be easier,” Alfers said. “Those who have skills but have been laid off may find their skills have become obsolete and need to update their computer abilities, resumes, interviewing techniques and other technology skills. The Career Center can assist with these services.”

According to the 2010 Region 2000 Economic Growth Study, conducted by Mangum Economic Consulting, LLC in Richmond, there was a monthly average of 3,090 individuals claiming unemployment insurance benefits in our region last year. Of that number, the Virginia Employment Commission’s data shows that more displaced people came from the manufacturing sector than any other field, indicating that the market is changing. With this change, people are now having to find ways to update their skill set and that’s part of the Career Center’s mission.

For those who find that a career change is essential to the success of their job search, the Center’s staff encourages training through funds from the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA). Alfers explains the idea behind this 1998 Act as “multiple partners operating in a voluntary consortium, providing a wider scope of services and enhancing access to services to create a ‘no wrong door’ approach. As many of the services as possible are delivered on-site and others are through close, formal referral mechanisms.”

Alfers went on to say that the Career Center is currently “the primary service delivery center for the local WIA board for Region 2000.”

Also included in this act is the “One-Stop Approach,” which refers to the idea that those displaced from work should be able to find everything they need for their job search at one location. Ideally, jobseekers should be able to enter one of these mandated agencies and be provided with all the resources he or she may need without having to go to multiple organizations. The Career Center is the epitome of this idea, offering numerous, individualized services tailored to each client who walks through their doors.

In the meantime, Alfers’ advice to those in the market for employment right now?

“Hang in there,” she said. “Unemployment went up dramatically—double what it had been in recent years … but thankfully we did not reach double digit rates as some of our neighbors did in Danville and Martinsville. Finding a new job will become your job for awhile. Devote several hours a day to your job search. Highlight your personal skills and point out your excellent work ethic, social skills and ability to learn quickly as very important skills as well. All in all, with the right attitude, education, training, resume and interviewing techniques, you are much more likely to get a job.”

Set a career goal for yourself and consider taking the first step using resources at the Career Center. Before you know it, you will be well on your way to finding the job or career you desire. That will be the time to kick those feet up and give yourself a pat on the back–You did it!