New Region 1 Full Service One-Stop Center

On May 21, 2003, the Career Resource Center of West Central Technical College was approved by the Northwest Georgia Workforce Investment Board to become a full service comprehensive One-Stop Center. This Center will pull together workforce investment programs, educational initiatives, and other human resource programs into a seamless service delivery system.

This process began in 1999 as Mel Fain, the New Connection to Work and One-Stop Coordinator, began to look for a location to house the One Stop Center. Through the efforts of Mel and the school’s President Janet Ayers, a location was found in Haralson County at the new Murphy Campus. The One Stop will link the Georgia Department of Labor, Rehabilitative Services, Right from the Start Medicaid, Child Support Enforcement, New Connections to Work, the Georgia Fatherhood Program and the Workforce Investment Act program.

Initially, according to Mel Fain, approximately 50 individuals per month came through the center, which was considered an affiliate WIA site during the last program year. Now that number has grown to over

300 per month. “Within the last year, we have coordinated and provided training for the new Voter Machine with the Chamber of Commerce, Voter Registration with Right from the Start Medicaid, Unemployment Services for the Hubbard Plant closure with GDOL/Rapid Response team, Job Fair with the Carroll/Haralson County Collaborative Partnership, initiated a youth program called COPS (Career Occupational Placement Services) with the support of the Haralson County Family Connection Coalition and Juvenile Justice, and now the Bremen WalMart Super Center will be using the One Stop as a hiring base”, stated Mr. Fain.

President Ayers and West Central Technical College have one focus and that is the success of those that we service in today’s ever-changing, technically enhanced economy.

“I hope that West Central’s full service One Stop Center can become an integral part in today’s demanding socio-economic workplace by bringing together shared values in partnerships and being a leader in tomorrow’s future,” Mel Fain.

EMT/Paramedic Training Targeted for I-75 Corridor

The Northwest Georgia Workforce Investment board has approved the funding for the addition of 75 new training slots to be used for EMT/paramedic training. This is in an effort to meet the needs of the I-75 corridor and Whitfield and Murray Counties. The emergency agencies in the area are adding additional emergency response sites to improve response times. Currently there are an insufficient number of EMT’s/paramedics to fill their needs.

Training will be provided by Dalton State College (DSC). The funding includes 1 full time and 2 part time instructors. This will allow Dalton State to run three classes: 1 daytime Paramedic program, 1 daytime EMT program, and 1 evening EMT program. Currently there are waiting lists at DSC, and additional classes and personnel are needed in order to train additional participants.

Northwest Georgia News

As reported by NAWDP Avantage, the US Department of Labor has released a Spanish translation of O*Net, the online resource that provides occupational and career exploration information. The Spanish O*Net database maintains the same structure and format to facilitate its use by software developers and vendors. The Department says it has no current plans to develop a Spanish language version of the O*Net OnLine application, but strongly encourages states, public and private organizations to develop Spanish language products and applications incorporating O*Net information. The database is available for free download from http://www.onetcenter.org/developers.html.

Mel Fain, West Central Techical College’s New Connection to Work and One Stop Coordinator, was elected as the first male State President of the Georgia Women Work program. This organization assists women by providing a communication link to program resources and is an advocate on policy issues which affect women’s employment, and the mission and activities of Women Work! The National Network for Women’s Employment. Mel stated that there are tremendous opportunities available for working women both in traditional and non-traditional fields but that he has concerns that equal opportunity is not always provided to women in the workplace.

The Northwest Georgia Workforce Investment Board held it’s annual retreat in Dawsonville, Georgia at Gold Creek Resort. The regular bi-monthly meeting was held during this time, and the Workforce Investment Board Strategic Five-Year Plan was approved by the Board. In addition, a day of strategic planning was held in which the plan priorities were established and implementation strategies discussed. Five priorities for the year were established: 1) Better meet the needs of the carpet industry; 2) Better meet the needs of the health care industry; 3) Develop ways to market the program; 4) Improve inter-agency communication; 5) Improve the region’s high school completion rate. The completed plan can be viewed on the web at www.careerdepot.org.

Ten Tips For Working with Youth

• Share the responsibility for leadership. Provide guidance, but avoid control.
• Listen carefully to youth and work to understand their perspective.
• Treat young people as equals and develop a partnership relationship.
• Share all work activities, even tedious ones.
• Keep complicated processes and structures, in which most youth have little interest, to a minimum. 
• Keep youth informed about activities
• activities, even when problems occur.
• Be energetic and excited about activities. Have a positive, open attitude.
• Make activities fun and challenging and celebrate small successes.
• Be clear about levels of authority for youth and back their decisions when they fall within the agreed upon guidelines.
• Provide orientation on the process and procedures of formal meetings and hold meetings at times and locations convenient for youth to attend.

New Connections Employee Earns
 Career Development Facilitator Certificate

Karen Edmondson, Workforce Development Coordinator at Dalton State, announced today that Gebarb Acosta successfully completed the 120 hour curriculum for Career Development Facilitator (CDFs) conducted by Project IDEAS, a division of Continuing Education at Kennesaw State University. Ms. Acosta and 24 fellow graduates received their certificates at a graduation ceremony held at the KSU Center in Kennesaw. The graduates are now eligible for global certification by the National Career Development Association (NCDA).

Ms. Acosta is a Career Transition Specialist with New Connections to Work. She works closely with job seekers, providing them with information, guidance, training, and encouragement. She is a native of Dalton and a graduate of Dalton State.

CONGRATULATIONS, GEBARB!

Work Site Accommodations: A Symposium for Employers presented by JAN Sept. 22-23, 2003 in Rosslyn, VA. JAN is a free service providing accommodation information that can be used in the hiring, training, retention, and career advancement of people with disabilities. For more information call Voice/TTY: 1-800-526-7234. Information can also be found at http://symposium.jan.wvu.edu

SETA (Southeastern Employment & Training Association—Fall Conference 2003. October 5-8, 2003. Biloxi, MS. For information call: 1-800-354-2450 or 1-228-436-2946 or visit on the web www.seta.org

ACCRA presents Foundations of Regional Economic Analysis, Sept. 22-26, 2003. Dallas, TX. For information visit on the web www.accra.org.

Personal Dynamics 2003-2004 Workforce Development Training Series presented by Jodie Sue Kelly, 1-800-613-0510:

Sept. 23, 2003—Charleston, SC
Sept. 24, 2003—Florence, SC
Oct. 21, 2003—Aiken, SC
Oct. 22, 2003—Greenville, SC

A National Leadership Summit on Improving Results: Policy & Practice Implications for Secondary and Postsecondary Education and Employment for Youth with Disabilities will be held on September 18 & 19, 2003 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. For information call or e-mail Kelli Crane, NCSET at 1-240-418-2684 or kcrane@transcen.org

Stress Management Seminar, Paulding County Chamber of Commerce, Sept. 18, 2003 at 5:30 p.m.. For more information call Jane Jenkins, 1-770-445-6016.

Strategic Fund Raising Workshop—5 days of intensive training, Santa Fe, NM, December 8-12, 2003. For information visist www.tgci.com or call 1-213-482-9863.

Educational & Psychological Test Certification—Standards, TABE, COPS/CAPS/COPES, WRAT-3, WPT, and Applying Assessment to O*Net. For information call Ralph Kraus, 1-877-212-1689: Sept 15-18, 2003-Canton, OH Oct. 6-7, 2003-St. Louis, MO