In response to public need, the RI Department of Labor and Training and the Office of Library and Information Services have partnered to offer free netWORKri workshops for job seekers at the Newport Public Library, 300 Spring St., Newport. The workshop schedule is as follows:
Friday, Jan 20, 10:30 a.m. to noon: EmployRI.org, the online career center
Friday, Feb. 17, 10:30 a.m. to noon: Basic Résumé and Cover Letter Preparation
Friday, March 16, 10:30 a.m. to noon: Interviewing Skills
Workshop seating is limited. To register, please call (401) 721-1819.
In deciding to hold netWORKri workshops in the Newport area, Department of Labor and Training Director Charles J. Fogarty credits Governor Chafee for his emphasis on making government services as customer-friendly as possible. The director also credits both President of the Senate M. Teresa Paiva Weed and Chief Library Officer Howard Boksenbaum with securing a Newport County location for job seeker workshops. The state's One-Stop Career System, known as netWORKri, does not currently have a permanent location in the East Bay.
President of the Senate Paiva Weed says, "I am grateful to Director Charles Fogarty and Chief Library Officer Howard Boksenbaum for their assistance in bringing these important workshops to Newport. These types of partnerships are critical as we seek to build the skills of the workforce to meet the needs of 21st century employers and put Rhode Islanders back to work."
Director Fogarty adds, "Public libraries are the ideal partners for community workshops on employment issues. They already provide many Rhode Islanders with convenient access to our online career center, EmployRI.org, and they also offer a variety of related services that can help job seekers research careers and build work-related skills."
Boksenbaum comments, "It is extremely difficult to conduct a modern-day job search, much less prepare for the ever-changing world of work, without using the Internet. The netWORKri one-stops and Rhode Island libraries each have a role in helping job seekers find their way though the Internet thicket. By sharing knowledge, expertise and specialized resources such as those available on AskRI and EmployRI, both one-stops and libraries are ready and able to help job seekers reach for their goals."
The netWORKri One-Stop Career Centers, located in Pawtucket, Providence, Wakefield, West Warwick and Woonsocket, offer employment services to both job seekers and employers. The centers are managed and operated by the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, a netWORKri partner. Other netWORKri partners include Workforce Solutions of Providence/Cranston; the Workforce Partnership of Greater Rhode Island; the RI Dept. of Education; the RI Dept. of Human Services; the RI Dept. of Elderly Affairs; the RI Dept. of Children, Youth and Families; the RI Dept. of Corrections; the Office of Rehabilitation Services; Goodwill Industries; and SER-Jobs for Progress. For more information on resources and available programs, visit www.networkri.org.