Town Holds First Re-employment Workshop

North Haven hosted its first re-employment workshop at the Town Hall last Thursday, during which 18 unemployed adults received job-hunting guidance from a human resources professional.

Workforce Alliance, which runs career centers in four area towns, including Hamden and New Haven, brought its services to North Haven to assist local workers.

First Selectman Michael J. Freda said he used Workforce Alliance last year to assist workers who had lost jobs when Marlin Firearms relocated out of town.

“I’m impressed with the type of services they provide in terms of helping people,” Freda said. “They also help businesses in town by subsidizing the cost of training new workers.”

Laura Collins, a human resources professional who led the workshop, said it was designed for professionals or managers who have been unemployed for more than a year.

“They are out of work longer because the positions they had have gone away," she said. "Now they have to dig deeper to redefine their skill sets so they can qualify for new types of jobs."

The program taught networking skills, because “most jobs are not found through the web or newspapers," Collins added. "Older workers find that personal references are important in pointing them to new jobs so they have to use their professional networks more effectively."   

Resume writing skills, time management, and utilizing the Quinnipiac Chamber of Commerce and town website for company data were all covered. How to use social media in the job hunting process was also taught.

“During the day, people also share their idea and anecdotes, so the workshops have a cathartic element as well,” Collins said.

The 18 residents who attended the workshop are among the 7.4 percent of North Haven adults who are unemployed. The state has a 9.6 percent unemployment rate.

Robert Fort, the marketing director at Workers Alliance, said the organization, which is supported by federal funds from the American Recovery Act, may offer additional workshops at the .

Freda said the town will continue to offer two to three workshops a year.