The Wakefield netWORKri one-stop career center, located in the Stedman Government Center at 4808 Tower Hill Rd., will reduce its operations to two days per week. Effective May 31st, the office will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays only.
South County residents seeking netWORKri services on other weekdays are advised to visit the West Warwick netWORKri one-stop career center, located on 1330 Main St. and open Mondays-Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In October 2010, the Department of Labor and Training utilized American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding to reopen the Wakefield netWORKri center, which had been closed due to lack of funding since 2007. While ARRA funding for the center runs out on June 30th of this year, the Chafee Administration encouraged the department to commit other funding to maintain a part-time presence in South County in the immediate future.
The department’s Assistant Director of Workforce Development Susan Chomka explains, “After evaluating customer usage of the Wakefield facility over the past six months, we felt strongly that netWORKri should maintain a part-time presence in South County.” Currently, the Wakefield netWORKri center draws approximately 100 visitors each month. In contrast, the West Warwick netWORKri center draws nearly 400 visitors each month.
The netWORKri One-Stop 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, directions and calendars of netWORKri events, visit www.networkri.org.