Maine Career Centers help residents seeking career assistance in Windham

Free career and training services are now being offered by The
Greater Portland Career Center for Windham residents. Career
Center help is available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Thursday
at the Windham Public Library. COURTESY PHOTO 

By Masha Yurkevich

Looking for a different profession? Trying to explore a new career? Want to improve your job qualifications? Those can be very difficult things to face when you are on your own in an unknown territory. Luckily, you don’t have to do it alone; there is someone who knows this territory and is willing to help you and guide you through every step of the way and it’s available this month in Windham.

The Greater Portland Career Center provides a variety of employment and training services at no charge for Maine workers and businesses. Whether you are looking to improve your job qualifications, explore a different profession, find a new career or hire an employee, the Career Center can help. Every Thursday, services will be provided to walk-in customers from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Windham Public Library.

This is an ongoing program with this designated day and set hours. Based on level of customer interest, it could expand to meet the needs and demands of the community.

The state of Maine has 12 Career Center locations throughout the state. Traveling to one of these centers may present challenges for those who live in rural locations.

Maine’s Department of Labor designed this program to focus on servicing rural communities and those who were adversely impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic.

New Career Center Consultants have been hired throughout the 2022 winter and have worked to create partnerships which allow for community-based service delivery. In many cases, partnerships have been established with libraries, town halls, treatment centers and workforce development stakeholders.

Rob Klaiber is the manager of the Career Center at the Portland location, located at 151 Jetport Blvd. in Portland.

“Due to funding under the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, the Career Center can offer in-person services in rural locations throughout Maine,” he said. “These services have traditionally been and are still available at Career Center locations across the state. During the pandemic, we expanded to offer them virtually as well. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to now hold service hours at Windham Public Library and other community locations. We very much appreciate the library’s generosity and partnership.”

Career Center consultants throughout the state have found that local libraries present ideal locations and facilities allowing for community-based services to be offered. Libraries tend to have strong and established connections to their communities which helps increase awareness of the program.

Klaiber said that the Career Center program helps libraries expand the scope of resources they can provide. Maine Career Center staff have partnered with over 30 libraries statewide.

“Christopher Scott, our Career Center Consultant is designated to the Windham Library,” said Klaiber. “As a Career Center Consultant, Chris is aware of the many state-sponsored programs and acts as a conduit for Mainers who want to explore career pathways, training programs and employment opportunities.”

Through initial conversations, Scott can support job seekers by referring them to workforce development workshops and hiring events.

Klaiber said in many cases, Scott starts his conversations by listening to customers as they describe their unique circumstances. He typically will introduce customers to Maine JobLink, which is a web-based job-matching and labor market information system. Maine JobLink provides job seekers, employers and training providers with easy-to-use tools that support a wide range of activities. As a service of the public workforce system, Maine JobLink is completely free to use. 

 

This Career Center program is open to the public and all Mainers. This is not limited to only Windham residents and there are no prerequisites or requirements to access these services.

“It’s important to note that this is a program and not an isolated event,” says Klaiber. “Services will be available to Maine job seekers and employers as long as there is expressed interest from the community.”

Job Seekers of any type (youth, senior, international, veteran, homeless, incarcerated and disabled) can benefit from learning about Maine Department of Labor programs. These programs can fund schooling or training opportunities and refer candidates to employers. Seekers can receive support and guidance from consultants such as resume writing, cover letter writing, job search activities, connections to workshops, hiring event information and apprenticeship opportunities.

Employer services range from hiring event registrations to job candidate referrals. Employers can also learn about the Maine State Apprenticeship program, and programs which focus on the employment of seniors and veterans. Career Centers can also provide customized support through the promotion of job opportunities by listing them in the Maine JobLink, posting them on social media and communications directly to Maine’s unemployed.

The success of this program will be largely determined by the level at which the local community accesses these services and benefits.

“We hope it is received well and we thank all those who help contribute to its success,” says Klaiber.

For more details, please visit http://www.windham.lib.me.us/calendar or call or email Ray at the Help Desk: 207-892-1908 ext. 5 or rmarcotte@windhammaine.us <