The Missouri Job Center-Ozarks Region’s locations at 2900 E. Sunshine and new satellite office inside the Cox North Medical Tower at 1443 N. Robberson, Suite 100, offer a variety of services – all of which are free – for dislocated workers, youth, adults, veterans, those with disabilities, job seekers and employers in Polk, Dallas, Greene, Webster, Christian, Stone and Taney counties.
“We are here for one reason: to connect people with jobs,” says Director Mary Ann Rojas.
The Job Center offers several ways to help job seekers decide on a career path and learn more about career areas that interest them, as well as labor market information on specific fields.
Once a job seeker is enrolled to receive services at the Job Center, they gain access to Missouri Connections, a Web-based resource to help Missouri citizens determine their career interests, explore occupations, establish education plans, develop job search strategies, and create résumés. Sponsored by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and Department of Economic Development, Missouri Connections is available to students, parents, guidance counselors, educators and job seekers at no charge.
The Job Center offers a variety of workshops that includes a career exploration workshop regularly. Visit springfieldmo.gov/jobcenter for specific dates. These workshops offer tools and resources to assess skills, personal interests and priorities on the journey to finding the right job and connecting the worker to that job.
The Job Center offers services for eligible youth ages 14-24 that include career counseling, GED preparation, internships, tuition assistance, pre-apprenticeship program, occupational and leadership skills education and job readiness activities.
The Mobile Career Center, which is equipped with 12 computers, Internet access, an ADA-accessible workstation and helpful staff, allows customers to access online job search sites. Laid-off workers can complete their weekly unemployment reporting requirements. In addition, the Mobile Career Center can be utilized for other job-related services such as online and classroom training, employee skills assessment tests, employer organization meetings, and rapid response services due to plant closings or mass layoffs. Visit springfieldmo.gov/jobcenter to view the Mobile Career Center’s schedule.
In addition to helping the unemployed find jobs, the Job Center’s staff assists employed workers as they transition to new jobs. Staff are responsible for ensuring that participants meet basic eligibility requirements, such as completing a two-week job readiness workshop. Workers seeking help from the Job Center are assigned a career counselor who monitors their progress and helps them work through barriers to complete their training.
The Job Center’s services for businesses include helping them find skilled workers, hosting quarterly multi industry hiring events, company specific hiring events, seminars, lowering tax liability, insurance protection and labor compliance. The Job Center’s new Incumbent Worker Training program will offer financial assistance to employer’s who would like to “skill up” their existing workforce.
In addition to job seeker and employer services, the Job Center hosts two special events each year – February’s MoMentum State of the Workforce Luncheon, which reveals the results of the annual regional workforce survey, and October’s EmployAbility Summit, which focuses on inclusive workforce solutions for those with disabilities. The Job Center also hosts quarterly industry specific roundtable discussions that streamlines communication between employer’s and educators.
“Our programs strive to empower Ozarks residents to secure and maintain gainful employment, benefiting not only themselves but our community as a whole,” Rojas says.