Job center gears up for rush

Ann Marie Ames

Jun. 15, 2008 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- JANESVILLE -- General Motors (NYSE:GM) : 756

Lear: 336

LSI: 132

Gilman: 162

Allied: 109

Those are just some of the recent local layoffs big enough to be reported to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

All over the state, and especially in Janesville, now is the time to be prepared to help people looking for work, Department of Workforce Development Director Roberta Gassman said.

"Given our national economy, we definitely want to have a very nimble employment and training system that allows employers to get the training and skills they need and gets employers the skilled workers they need."

The problem is, workers at the Rock County Job Center already are overloaded, Director Shannon Moe said.

"We're under the gun, right now," Moe said. "We're working hours we're not getting paid for, just like any other staff."

And it's only going to get worse, she said.

The job center, located at 1900 Center Ave., Janesville, is a former Kmart store converted to a "mall" that contains 11 state, county and other agencies that work together to provide services such as job training, Food Share or veterans services for Rock County residents and people across southern Wisconsin.

The center, started in 1998, does not charge clients fees for services ... ever, Moe said.

It might seem logical that as more and more people lose their jobs, the job center would ramp up services to meet the crush.

But it doesn't always work that way, Moe said.

"The job center is obviously busiest when the economy is not doing so well," Moe said. "Common sense might say with more clients coming in, there might be a need for more hiring. That's not the case."

Caseloads are "high and going to get higher," Moe said.

But one thing you'll never hear at the job center is workers complaining about the workload, she said.

"You're not going to hear that they're overworked because the clientele is not working," Moe said. "Nobody wants to be on the other side of the desk."

Looking for work

Eight people.

That's how many staff work in the job center Resource Room, where hundreds more could soon turn for help.

It's supposed to be nine, but one person is on leave, and the position hasn't been filled, Gassman said.

One of the eight is Job Service Director Bruce Palzkil, who travels to cover a six-county area. He is in the Rock County Job Center weekly, he said.

As recently as five years ago, there were 14 state-funded workers in the Job Service Division to help local residents and veterans find jobs or upgrade their job skills, Gassman said.

Now's the time to bring that number back up, she said.

The resource room was quiet on a recent weekday afternoon. Three staff members strolled in and out. They made friendly banter with customers, answered the phone and helped a few people navigate the Internet.

Parents entertained fussy children while waiting for appointments.

Three people used computers to search for jobs online. A couple had a brief spat.

One man napped at a table.

The resource room is full of computers, local newspapers, telephones, a copier and fax machines. Visitors can use programs to learn to type or learn to use software programs. Customers with disabilities can use accessible computers.

Staff members administer job skill assessments and conduct workshops for employers or employees.

The state of Wisconsin will focus on providing even more resources as soon as possible, Gassman said.

This fall, she expects the state to launch a virtual job center to let customers access services from any computer with Internet access. By 2009, Gassman said Wisconsinites can expect stronger, more innovative technology to aid in their job searches.

In the meantime, her department will reach for every bit of federal money it can get to boost staff capacity to help those looking for jobs.

Mass layoffs

Workers don't always have to go to the job center.

When mass layoffs happen, the job center goes to workers.

The Job Services Division and the Labor Education and Training Center, created by the AFL-CIO, have programs to help dislocated workers.

The two agencies work with all sorts of people, including veterans and those who have lost jobs to overseas trade agreements.

Last week, Moe was on the road in Albany and Orfordville working with 110 people who will lose jobs at Chromalox.

Since General Motors announced in April it would cut the Janesville GM plant from two shifts to one, job center staff have been meeting with those workers.

Those meetings are being paid for with a $75,000 rapid response grant.

The Department of Workforce Development has applied for an additional $190,000 to gear up for future job losses at GM and other companies, Gassman said.

Once employees have had time to deal emotionally with the June 3 news of GM's plan to close the plant no later than the end of 2010, job center workers will sit down with that group to explain the services available, said Labor Education and Training Center director Geoff Upperton.

The training center has four staff members at the Rock County Job Center.

Just like the Department of Workforce Development, the ALF-CIO staff is working hard to write for grant money to help the large number of local union employees facing layoffs, Upperton said.

His staff will know when the time is right to help, Upperton said

"That's something that we're going to determine," Upperton said. "We'll give them a little bit of time. We don't want to be getting in and doing something they don't want to do. But whatever's needed, we'll do."

Dislocated employees can expect job center staff to come to their place of employment for a one-hour orientation session, Upperton said. Staff will explain benefits and introduce various community services agencies that can help.

Staff will help workers figure out their options and their skill levels.

Vocational rehabilitation

Imagine you've worked on the line for 17 years--ever since you were old enough to work at the plant.

For 17 years, your body's performed the same service reliably, day in and day out.

Then, suddenly, you're forced into a new job.

Now, maybe you can no longer work around that back problem you've adjusted to. Or you can't ignore the fact that reading is harder than it should be.

Maybe you can't hide that addiction anymore.

That's where the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation can help.

Made up of 10 employees, the division works to help people with disabilities find appropriate work, Director Suzanne Lee said.

"Our primary function is to work with people with a disability when it poses a barrier to getting, maintaining or advancing employment," Lee said.

Some people are afraid to admit they have a disability, Lee said. Others are unaware of it.

Her staff works with up to 500 people at a time and has a waiting list for services, Lee said. Caseworkers start by helping a person determine what kind of work they want. Then they work backwards from there, she said.

Once a person is employed, staff follow up over 90 days, she said.

Economic Support

It's hard for Cindy Sutton to say what the "right" caseload would be for her workers.

They've been overloaded so long that Sutton, the director of Rock County's economic support division, was only guessing when she said 300 to 320 clients would be about right.

Each of her 51 employees has about 420 cases, she said.

"You can see people are stressed," Sutton said. "I can't say enough about my staff."

It would be possible for Sutton, or any division manager in the county, to turn to administration to ask for more money in the middle of a budget cycle, Assistant Administrator Phil Boutwell said.

But it's not likely.

What drives the county's budget is state and federal funding, Boutwell said. The county doesn't hire employees based on what it thinks the economy might do, he said.

"We are basically dealing with the situation that's before us," Boutwell said. "We're not adding on because we anticipate."

City services such as wastewater treatment or trash pickup don't get busier when the economy slows down. But the county is in the business of human services, Boutwell said.

"Economic support, alcohol and drug addiction treatment, child protective services, the job center, the jail ... those are all places that get busier when people are sitting home unemployed," Boutwell said.

Moe said people who need and qualify for services definitely will get them. It's the "human" in human services that gets lost when workers get overloaded, she said.

"We will handle it," Moe said. "We will do it well. We're just being stretched extremely thin. I'd love to see more staff in all of our agencies. I think all agencies would like to see more staff to handle increases in needs."

JOB CENTER SERVICES

The Rock County Job Center is not a welfare office.

It does not provide emergency services for people needing food and shelter.

But it does provide access to dozens of programs for people looking for jobs or needing a hand with groceries or utility bills.

The center, which opened in 1998 at 1900 Center Ave., Janesville, is one of 11 dedicated job centers in Wisconsin. A dedicated center includes a variety of agencies mandated to be there.

Rock County, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and Blackhawk Technical College are three of the mandated agencies at the Rock County center.

The center serves Grant, Green, Iowa, Lafayette, Richland and Rock counties.

If you qualify, the Rock County Job Center can help with:

Buying groceries or paying medical bills: Economic Support has 51 Rock County employees that administer the Wisconsin Works program, including medical assistance, child care assistance and Food Share; medical assistance for people in nursing homes and the elderly; employment and training for W-2 and Food Share recipients.

Finding a home if you're disabled: Long Term Support has 26 Rock County employees who help the elderly and disabled people live independent, community-based lives.

Finding work:

-- The Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board has three employees that work with technical colleges, program operators and job centers to enhance the quality of services to the workforce, provide training and emergency response support for dislocated workers and help the elderly and disabled get or retain jobs.

-- The Labor Education and Training Center has four AFL-CIO employees who help workers who have lost jobs or need to upgrade their skills. It coordinates with the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board and Blackhawk Technical College.

-- Job Service has nine Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development employees to connect job seekers and employers. Staff maintain the resource room at the Rock County Job center. Veteran services are available.

Energy bill problems or questions: Energy Services has one employee to help you.

HMO options related to your Medical Assistance: Automated Health Systems has one employee to help you.

Finding quality child care: South Central Child Care Resource and Referral helps parents find quality child care and offers programs for parents and service providers to improve child care.

Child care while you look for work: Community Action has three employees who provide licensed, drop-in, on-site child care to customers who use job center services.

Getting a job that fits your disability, or learning more about hiring a disabled person:

-- Community Solutions of Wisconsin has four employees who provide job development, training and coaching. They promote employer awareness of the benefits of hiring individuals with disabilities.

-- Division of Vocational Rehabilitation has 10 employees who help people with disabilities obtain or maintain jobs that lead to independence and full inclusion in society.

Source: Wisconsin Job Center

Newstex ID: KRTB-0098-25996162