In response to public need, the RI Department of Labor and Training and the Office of Library and Information Services have partnered to offer a free netWORKri workshop for job seekers at the Rogers Free Public Library, 525 Hope St., Bristol, from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, January 25.
The workshop, Interviewing Skills, includes an introduction to interviewing styles, follow-up techniques and salary negotiations. Workshop seating is limited. To register, please call (401) 721-1819.
In deciding to hold a netWORKri workshop in the Bristol 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 Chief Library Officer Howard Boksenbaum and Bristol Town Administrator Diane C. Mederos with securing the library location for job seeker workshops. The state is doing ongoing outreach in East Bay.
Governor Chafee states, "In these challenging times, my Administration will do all it can to help Rhode Islanders who are seeking good jobs find them."
Bristol Town Administrator Mederos states: "We are delighted to be able to offer Bristol's Rogers Free Library as the location for this workshop for job seekers in our area, and we applaud Governor Chafee and Director Fogarty for their concerted efforts to assist people to get back to work. When the building of an addition to our library was being considered some ten years ago, the vision was that the additional space would a welcoming environment which would be used for all types of public workshops to benefit our community. This type of workshop fits the bill perfectly, particularly in light of the fact that so many of our residents are looking for employment."
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.