September 4, 2003
ROMNEY, HEALEY CELEBRATE ‘JOBS FIRST’ DAY AT CAREER CENTERS
Governor, Lt. Governor, economic development team to visit 21 one-stop centers
To highlight the first ever “Jobs First” Day at the state’s One-Stop Career Centers, Governor Mitt Romney, Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey and members of their economic development team today visited 21 of the 32 career centers across the state to get a first-hand look at the services and programs offered.
“The core of our ‘Jobs First’ initiative is to ensure that every citizen who is in need of a job can get one,” said Romney.
“To attract employers and encourage faster growth rates, the Administration has already commissioned the career centers to extend their hours, and now with the events across the state today, we are one step closer to making sure every person who is looking for a job is given the tools to find one.”
Today, career centers throughout the state were transformed into bustling centers of activity, holding a variety of events free of charge, including job fairs, interviewing seminars, resume writing workshops and company visits.
Kicking off the day at the North Shore Career Center in Lynn, Romney formally dedicated the center at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. In Lynn, he recognized General Electric (GE), a major area employer that uses the Career Center to recruit and hire all new employees. He also recognized Cheryl Tate of Lynn, a 56-year-old homemaker who since 2001, has used the state’s career center services and now works for the federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA) as a head security screener at Boston’s Logan Airport.
“All across the Commonwealth, today and every day, the state’s 32 Career Centers are at the front line, providing hope and resources for job seekers such as Cheryl Tate,” said Romney. “I will not be satisfied until we get many more citizens back to work. Through the state’s one-stop career centers, we will work to accomplish this one person and one job at a time.”
In addition to the ribbon cutting at the North Shore Career Center in Lynn, Romney met with job seekers and local employers at ValleyWorks Career Center in Lawrence, a city experiencing a high job loss over the past two years.
From Lawrence, he traveled to the Career Center of Lowell, where he greeted participants of an industry roundtable discussion, “Anticipating Technology Trends,” led by UMASS Lowell Professor Dr. Edward March and paid tribute to four local employers who have hired area youth to perform summer jobs.
Healey visited career centers in Brockton, New Bedford and Quincy. In Brockton, Healey observed a job search strategy session conducted in Spanish as well as in English. At the Greater New Bedford Career Center, she met representatives from the Stop & Shop Company, who will be on hand to recruit staff for their warehouse, scheduled to open in nearby Freetown early next year.
“We want people to know that our career centers are open for business,” said Healey. “I’ve seen people post their resume on-line, learned helpful techniques to succeed in the job hunt, and met with local employers who find the centers to be valuable resources as they look get information to grow their business and hire staff.”
At the Quincy Career Center, she sat in on recruitment sessions with several employers including: The Home Depot, Toys ‘R Us, Kmart and Verizon.
During the past year, career centers in Massachusetts have served more than 170,000 individuals, enrolled nearly 100,000 individuals in career and skill related workshops and provided career counseling and planning services to more than 87,000 people.
Events held today include:
Lynn – North Shore Career Center of Lynn hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Governor. Tours of the Center were conducted throughout the day.
Lawrence - ValleyWorks Career Center hosted a luncheon to celebrate the Merrimack Valley Mayors Summer Jobs for Youth initiative.
Lowell – Career Center of Lowell recognized four employers with an employer roundtable led by Dr. Edward March of UMass Lowell.
Quincy – Quincy Career Center hosted a mini job fair showcasing employers from the DOL’s National Business Partnerships program, and a resume critique workshop for job seekers.
New Bedford – The Greater New Bedford Career Center had a Workforce Training Fund employer presentation that included information on various assistance programs available to area businesses. Tours of the Career Center were given to employers.
Brockton – CareerWorks hosted seminars on interviewing, resume critique, and job search strategies.
For information on the Commonwealth’s 32 Career Centers, visit the DET website at www.detma.org.
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