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New WIN job center open in Columbus |
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Friday, 14 November 2008 |
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By Jennifer Gentile
Daily Times Leader
A one-stop shop for job seekers in the Golden Triangle is now open for business — although no formal announcement has been made to the public.
According to Kathryn Stokes, public relations manager with MDES, the center officially opened on Oct. 24. The center on East Jordan Street in West Point is closed as of late last month.
The new 15,000 square foot WIN job center is located at 5000 N. Frontage Road in Columbus. The new center consolidates services that were offered at the WIN job centers that have since closed in Columbus, Starkville and West Point.
“It’s a complete one-stop facility,” Stokes said. “We can provide all of our services in one place for everybody.”
The new center features classrooms and a computer lab, which are available to both job seekers and employers. According to the MDES, the center is large enough to offer special classes and workshops, and space is available for employers to conduct interviews and training.
Based on the latest unemployment figures for the Golden Triangle Region, the unemployment rate for Clay and Lowndes counties both exceeded the state average of 7.4 percent. Clay County’s rate stood at 12.1 percent in September, while Lowndes County’s was 8.2 percent. Only Oktibbeha County’s was slightly less at 6.4 percent.
For those looking for a job, the center offers job placement services, veteran services, job search skills training, unemployment insurance benefit assistance and services for people with disabilities. Its services for employers include recruiting and screening of job candidates, information on tax credit programs, unemployment insurance tax assistance and unemployment insurance claims assistance.
“I hope people come (to the new center) and take advantage of all of the services that are available,” Stokes said.
Barbara Harris of West Point, who was recently laid off from Navistar, visited the center Thursday. Navistar recently laid off approximately 252 contractors from its West Point facility, which produces military vehicles.
“I’m looking for a welding job or an assembly job,” Harris said.
The Clay County resident said she wasn’t pleased about the consolidation and the closure of her local center on Jordan Street.
“I don’t like it because it’s too far from West Point,” Harris said. “It’s in an awkward location, too.”
Brian Byron of Mathiston also stopped by the center for help with a job search.
“I’ve always been able to have a job lined up before,” he said, explaining that he used to work for an auto parts store in Ackerman, and “there wasn’t enough business to keep the store open.”
Byron said he was pleased by the service he had received at the Golden Triangle Center.
“Everyone I’ve talked to has been really nice,” he said.
The center is open on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the exception of weekdays, when it closes at 4 p.m.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 15 November 2008 )
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