View From The Hill - (2/05/09)

Career Services Outreach

Soon-to-be college graduates aren’t the only ones flooding the job market.  In this week’s View from the Hill, Amy Bingham tells us how WKU’s Career Service Center is reaching out to help the community.

For the next few months, a center devoted to job placement for students will be taking extra steps to help displaced workers in the community find a new job.

“It takes time, getting a job is a job.”  Becky Bennett knows a thing or two about career placement.  “Here are my skills, here are the jobs, how do I fill in the gap and retrain to do those things?”  She’s been involved with Western’s Career Services Center for the past 25 years, the last three as director.  “We don’t want to reinvent the wheel, we did want to take a look at the resources available and say we can make this available to the community.”

The center is reaching beyond campus to help people in the community who are struggling with job loss and a slow economy.  “What I’ve seen most from the community is, are there jobs out there?  I’ve lost mine are there any out there?”

In addition to making sure students know how and where to search for jobs, the center is hosting several “Displaced Worker Workshops” to provide tips to the general public as well.  Dr. Jim Berger heads up the Adult Literacy Program at the Housing Authority.  Thanks to the Career Services Center, one of his client’s is about to land a job.  “When we gave our client the interest inventory it was very helpful for her…we found lots of info and have a potential job for her.”

So whether it’s determining your interest for a long term career or just replacing your recently lost paycheck, there are options for people looking for work.  “The thing they need to do is reach out, don’t suffer in silence.  There are a lot of people going through the same things, there is lots of support and resources they can tap into.”

The first Displaced Worker Workshop is scheduled for February 24th from four until six pm at Bowling Green Community College, WKU’s South Campus.  Others will be held throughout the spring months at WKU’s other campuses in the area.  With this week’s View from the Hill, I’m Amy Bingham.