WIB of Tulare County

2010 Tulare County Career Fair

There are clearly a lot of motivated people in Tulare County looking for work.

The Tulare County Career Fair, an annual networking event linking jobseekers with employers, is a strong collaboration between the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County, the California Employment Development Department (EDD), Community Service Employment Training (CSET), Tulare County Department of Child Support Services, Tulare County Office of Education, and other partners.

 This year’s Career Fair was held April 21, and while there wasn’t a significant increase in attendance like had been forecasted, more than 1,300 jobseekers attended this year.  A line was forming to enter the event a full two hours before the doors were scheduled to open. By the time doors opened, the line stretched nearly two full city blocks. 

Observations from this year’s Career Fair indicated that there was a slight demographic shift in the participants.  In previous years, attendees often were younger and more ethnically diverse.  This year’s attendees represented a much broader economic spectrum, further indication that many of the job cuts in the last two years have affected all levels of jobs, including mid- and upper-level management.

Nearly 100 businesses, non-profits, vocational schools, and public sector employers rented booths at the Career Fair, indicating that even in a recessed economy, there are still job opportunities in the region.   In this case, however, the competition for those jobs has increased substantially, making it important for jobseekers to know not only how to do a job and perform well in their chosen careers, but now just as important is to know to get a job.

Career coaching is one of the services provided to job seekers at the four Employment Connection offices located in Tulare County.  Those services include a wide variety of workshops in the areas of resume writing, interviewing techniques, personal financial management, dealing with a layoff, job search strategies, and many other important job search skills.  Additionally, WIB clients (jobseekers) start to receive immediate, one-on-one career coaching on their first visit.

Participating in the Career Fair, whether as an organizer, employer, jobseeker, or casual observer, is a good exercise in reminding oneself that unemployment figures, and all economic numbers, really, have a human face, too.  For every one percentage point change in the unemployment rate in Tulare County, that represents about 2,000 individuals – a single mom trying to pay rent and hoping she can keep the kids in soccer this year, a recent retiree realizing Social Security won’t pay all the bills, a soon-to-be college graduate hoping the job market turns around before the student loans become due, or a husband and father wrestling with the distress of wanting but unable to provide for his family.

The Career Fair occurs every April, and as long as the needs exist and the resources are available, the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County and the Employment Connection will continue trying to match businesses with jobseekers who are trained, prepared, and ready to work.

Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County Launches New Website

On behalf of the directors and staff of the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County, I would like to welcome you to our new website, and thank you for visiting. 

The “WIB,” as we’ve been calling ourselves lately, launched a new marketing strategy in 2009, including new logos and new approaches to reach both job seekers and businesses.  We plan on building on that WIB brand extensively, so that when any Tulare County job seeker is looking for a job, or wants any kind of employment assistance – resume writing, career assessments, creating a training pathway –  they first think of contacting the WIB.  

Likewise, as businesses become ready to hire again in 2010, we anticipate they’ll look to the WIB for referrals and pre-employment screening, testing, and placement.

The New Year brings with it a new commitment to face the issues head-on that have plagued Tulare County and the Central Valley for far too long.  The challenges we know all too well – chronic high unemployment, skills gaps, education budget cuts, local governments in financial crisis, etc. – but with augmented funding from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) and new demand-driven strategies, the WIB is more ready than ever before to meet these challenges head on. Being demand-driven means listening to businesses regarding their hiring and job training needs, and utilizing our resources to better prepare our workforce to meet those needs.

As the WIB also enters a new decade, we face many new challenges and opportunities in the county and region, not the least of which is recovering from what economists are now calling the “Great Recession.”  Most experts forecast a slow recovery, and new job creation may be sluggish through most of the year. The WIB, however, with a new industry sector focus, will be applying its resources towards not only improving the Tulare County workforce, but identifying all major business climate issues.  The various sector committees created by the WIB in 2009 will serve as the “eyes” for those issues, and will help create new strategies to strengthen the growth sectors in the region.

The sector committees created include: Health Care, Agri-Business, Manufacturing, and “Green” Jobs.  The Green Jobs Sector Committee is a progressive approach towards developing alternative energy, biofuels, and other important new segments to the regional economy that will also help reduce our impact on the environment while building sustainability in the region.  In development, as well, are two new committees that will target Food Processing and Distribution/Transportation. 

Perhaps our greatest opportunity in 2010 is the creation of the new Sequoia Valley Enterprise Zone (EZ).  This designation will allow nearly all businesses in Tulare County to take advantage of tax credits for hiring new employees – potentially worth up to $36,000 for every new hire – and reimbursement of sales taxes on new equipment. The WIB will be partnering with the Tulare County Economic Development Corporation to market the EZ and we look forward to getting the word out on this important incentive for new and existing Tulare County businesses.

Again, thank you for visiting the new website of the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County. My staff is ready to assist you, whether you are an individual looking for a new career path, or a business looking to find the right people. The WIB looks forward to making 2010 a cornerstone year in the development of the local workforce and regional economy.