MACHIAS, Maine — With nearly one in 12 people unemployed in Washington County, the two Labor Department Career Centers in Machias and Calais provide a vital link between potential workers and jobs, according to their manager.
The career centers, with two staff members in Calais, four in Machias and a veterans services employee who works in both, are quite different from the unemployment offices of years ago, according to Nichole Jellison, manager of the two offices.
The Bureau of Unemployment Compensation has no actual offices, so the career centers, created through the 1998 U.S. Workforce Investment Act, help the unemployed apply for compensation by telephone or online either individually or at group sessions given Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in Machias.
Jellison acknowledged the winter months traditionally result in the highest unemployment Down East because of seasonal declines at hotels, motels and restaurants, and the ending of the annual flurry of wreath and Christmas tree business.
She said recent low prices for lobsters and blueberries and the slowdown in the construction industry have resulted in more laid-off workers. In addition, the condition of the state and national economies creates anxiety over “the unknown” as those who are employed wonder whether they will have jobs come April, she said.
Laura Fortman, commissioner of the Maine Department of Labor, estimated in a recent television interview that as much as 11 percent or 12 percent of the state’s labor force is unemployed, underemployed or discouraged and not actively seeking work.
Jellison said the career centers attack this problem through the online job bank at Mainecareercenter.com.
Plugged in to the other 16 centers throughout the state, plus five “itinerant” centers such as the one in Hancock County that uses community resources for space, the site lists available jobs and lets job seekers enter specifics of experience, education, the type of jobs they are seeking and even what shifts they want, Jellison said. “We’re an online matching system — a place for answers,” she said.
For those looking for a change in careers rather than a short-term income supplement, the career centers help individuals fit into one-, two- or four-year programs in business management, social services, medical professions, and automotive industries and trades.
In a recent speech, University of Southern Maine economics professor Charles Colgan said medical fields are likely to lead in new hiring for the near future, and work in construction trades for alternative energy projects may accelerate.
Recognizing some job seekers may not have adequate qualifications, Jellison emphasized the career centers’ efforts to sharpen workers’ employability. Free classes in computer skills are offered at both Washington County locations, and job search workshops are given every Tuesday in Machias. The workshops include job hunting, interviewing and resume skills, in addition to the finer points of a cover letter. Through the Machias Adult Community Education Office, tutors are available for GED programs.
The state Department of Labor’s Adam Fisher said the money for specific programs comes from a variety of sources, including from the state Department of Health and Human Services to Vocational Rehabilitation Services for training of individuals with disabilities, as well as the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program for those whose jobs have been lost to venues overseas.
“There are options for everyone here,” Jellison said, pointing out that the career centers offer a range of resources, including an information center and lending library as well as fax, copier and computer use. “We try to be the first stop for the unemployed.”
Jellison said employers also use the career centers for job searches and interviews, as well as research for starting new businesses.
Acknowledging “these are tough times,” Jellison insisted Mainers are rugged and innovative.
“We’ll weather the storm,” she said.