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The job market looms constantly. It’s tough in times of economic distress, and it’s always overwhelming to navigate.
In August, the unemployment rate in Greater New Bedford was 5.6%, the second highest in the state. That’s compared with the state average of 4.7%, and just 3.9% in the neighboring Cape and Islands, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (These numbers have not been updated for more recent months due to the recent federal government shutdown.)
But for everyone in Massachusetts, whether they’re an adult looking to get back in the job market after losing a job, or a young adult looking to kickstart their career, or an employer looking for talent, there’s a free resource waiting in the wings: MassHire’s Career Centers. They offer help with the often-intimidating job market — and they’re extremely user-friendly.
Have questions about how to navigate life in New Bedford? Ask us here and our reporters will look into it for you.
How it works
Greater New Bedford’s MassHire Career Center is free to all state residents. It offers career counseling and planning, job search guidance and assistance and professional development workshops.
MassHire Career Centers across the state offer training workshops, which often deal with transferable skills, according to Beth Goguen, director of the MassHire Department of Career Services.
“It’s every industry,” Goguen said. “There are many training providers out there that provide [training] that will help you get to where you want to go in your career.”
It’s optional to become a member of MassHire, which just means making an account in the MassHire JobQuest database, so you can easily track your appointments and activities across the state.
MassHire Career Centers focus on growing, in-demand industries, Goguen said. The health care industry needs new employees all the time, but the New Bedford Career Center may also focus on industries like marine technology, which are regionally in demand. The centers also often match people with jobs in transportation, advanced manufacturing, and education, Goguen said.
In September, the state received a $6 million federal grant for apprenticeships to help train workers in childhood education. Matthew Kitsos, director of communications for the state’s Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, said training new workers in this field will make early childhood education more accessible and bring down the high cost of child care.
The Career Center can help with finding apprenticeships and job training in other industries as well, and will help cover trainees’ salaries, so that it’s in a company’s interest to train new workers.
Job seeker services
Greater New Bedford’s MassHire Career Center offers a variety of services for adults re-entering the workforce or seeking a career change, including:
- Job referral development and placement
- Job search workshops and career center seminars
- Vocational, educational and financial aid counseling
- Information on skills training, plus referral and enrollment
- On-site employer recruitment and unemployment assistance
- Resources to make searching for jobs easier
- Adaptive equipment for individuals with disabilities
- Veterans services
- Special youth programs
- A weekly hot jobs list of new employment opportunities in the area
It also offers special programs for veterans, individuals with disabilities and unemployment claimants who need support finding a job while collecting benefits.
Some occupational training programs may have eligibility requirements, because they’re funded through particular U.S. Department of Labor grants, but generally, career center services are available to anyone. MassHire programs are partially funded by Department of Labor Employment and Training administration grants. So far MassHire has not been impacted by any cuts at the federal level, Goguen said.
For people aged 14 to 25 in Greater New Bedford, the Career Center provides the following services for establishing yourself in the workforce:
- Career and education assessments
- Job search tips
- Job application guidance
- Résumé and cover letter writing assistance
- Interview preparation and mock interviews
- Job postings and referrals to open positions
- Onsite recruitments and job fairs that put you face to face with hiring managers
- Resources, articles and labor market statistics
- Access to Massachusetts child labor laws, youth work permit and minimum wage information
Employer services
For local businesses, the career center can also offer a helping hand.
Goguen and Kitsos strongly recommend businesses contact their regional workforce board or a business service representative at the Career Centers to see how the state can help them, as the state offers a broad range of services for employers. These include anything from tax credits to finding talent and helping with layoffs.
Kitsos said connecting with regional workforce boards and career centers can help businesses attract talent and investors. By helping new talent develop and investing in people, businesses can find reliable employees, Kitsos said.
“That means a lot for businesses, but it also means a lot for the employee, to go, ‘They’re really invested in me, I’m gonna stay,’” Kitsos said.
MassHire offers options for employers seeking job candidates with specific skill sets, and can help with tax credits and apprenticeships. All of this helps businesses lower costs, be they for training, recruitment or financial services.
MassHire BizWorks helps connect businesses to money-saving services the state offers, including MassHire Rapid Response.
The Rapid Response team helps businesses facing “workforce reductions” manage the transition and provide reemployment support to employees who have been laid off. It also assists when disasters and emergencies impact businesses.
The state’s WorkShare Program also helps businesses looking to avoid layoffs divide work among employees, so they can receive some unemployment insurance benefits while working reduced hours.
New Bedford’s Career Center is located at 25 Elm St. and is open weekdays. Find hours here.
Abigail Pritchard, a graduate student in the Boston University journalism program, is a frequent contributor to The New Bedford Light. She can be reached at apritchard@newbedfordlight.org.
