My Catawba County
Good Jobs, Great People
Good Jobs, Great People
For local job seekers, the NCWorks Career Center in Conover is an amazing resource – not just for finding jobs, but also for receiving a wide variety of career development services. Perhaps the best part of visiting the Center is the opportunity to meet its staff, an incredibly warm and caring team dedicated to helping others find their next career. To learn more, we talked with NCWorks Career Center Manager Jesse Williams, Jr.
What is the NCWorks Career Center?
NCWorks Career Centers are user-friendly facilities located throughout North Carolina. They provide job seekers, those seeking training, and employers access to career training and job placement services while also serving as the connection between employers and qualified workers.
Catawba County’s NCWorks Career Center is located at 403 Conover Station Southeast in Conover.
How does the NCWorks Career Center help local residents find employment?
The NCWorks Career Center is a central place to access tools and resources to help with your job search. Our employment team can assist in searching for a job, improving your skills or developing a career plan. The career center can help you find work, improve your skills and connect you to other resources to help you prepare for interviews and make a good impression on employers. The following services are offered to job-seekers, at no charge:
- Career assessment and guidance
- Access to training and education programs
- Learn about job fairs and workshops
- Information on the job market
- Assistance with searching for jobs
- Résumé and cover letter preparation
- Practice interviewing for jobs
- Free computer and Internet access
- Help registering with and using NCWorks Online
What kinds of employment can people find through the Center?
NCWorks lists full time and part time employment opportunities with employers throughout the state of NC.
Who is eligible to receive services from the NCWorks Career Center?
Everyone that is seeking employment opportunities, seeking educational and scholarship program information or posting employment opportunities can receive services at no cost. Employers must provide W-2 documentation to be eligible for services.
How do people access the services provided by the NCWorks Career Center?
Website www.ncworks.gov, in person at their local NCWorks Career Center, by telephone or virtually.
What other specialized services, events or workshops are offered by the Center?
Career centers also offer special programs to help the following populations find jobs:
Veterans
Young adults
Migrant farm workers
Former offenders / justice-involved individuals
Virtual Workshops (TBD)
Recruitment Events (TBD)
Veterans can visit their NCWorks Career Center and take advantage of the following no-cost services:
- Career assessments
- Labor market information
- Access to training opportunities, job fairs, and workshops
- Job interview preparation
- Resume and cover letter assistance
- Assistance with NCWorks Online
- Access to computers and free Internet service
- Help applying for federal employment and training programs in which veterans receive priority of service
Some veterans face significant barriers that make it difficult for them to find suitable employment, especially vets who are transitioning into civilian life. Most offices have specialized staff—all of whom are veterans—who work closely with employers to create more opportunities for veterans and provide the following services to veterans:
- Help developing an employability plan and goals
- Coaching in individual and group settings
- Referrals to supportive services, including vocational rehabilitation, transportation, elder care, food and nutrition services, and non-profit organizations that address homelessness. Traditional employment and young adult development programs teach participants how to maintain positive relationships with responsible adults and peers, explore opportunities for community service, and develop leadership skills. As part of the program, each young person will assess their skills and participate in a program that’s designed to address their individual needs.
Young adult services may include the following opportunities:
- Tutoring and study skills training
- Alternative secondary school
- Summer employment opportunities
- Paid and unpaid work experiences, including internships and job shadowing
- Occupational skill training
- Leadership development
- Supportive services
- Adult mentoring
- Follow-up services
- Comprehensive guidance and counseling
- Financial literacy education
- Entrepreneurial skills training
- Labor market and employment information
- Activities to help prepare for training and education
Each NCWorks Career Center provides services to individuals with criminal records. Career center staff ensure those job seekers have the necessary resources to conduct an effective job search.
In addition to the services provided to all job seekers, individuals with a criminal record have access to the following:
- Help with writing resumes and a “letter of explanation” detailing their criminal record and/or incarceration and indicating rehabilitative efforts.
- Knowledge about employers' policies concerning hiring individuals with a criminal record.
- Workshops specific to addressing concerns of individuals with criminal records.
- Referrals to community organizations that assist individuals with criminal records.
- Information on Federal Bonding and the Work Opportunity Tax Credit.
Career centers also work with federal, state, and local providers of reentry services, including community- and faith-based organizations, and vocational rehabilitation centers.
In addition to the economic value of obtaining employment, an individual who finds a job is less likely to be re-arrested or return to prison than those who do not obtain employment.
The Limited English Proficiency program helps individuals who do not speak English as a primary language by providing technical assistance and guidance to workforce staff. The program works with people who have a limited ability to read, write, speak, or understand English.
Specialists are in local workforce offices. These specialists, working with the program coordinator, are responsible for identifying resources in the community to help customers receive the same level of services available to individuals whose primary language is English.
How does the NCWorks Career Center help local employers?
There are several Career Centers located across the state, and each center provides services to help local businesses, including the following:
- Job applicant screening and qualified candidate referrals
- Valuable and up-to-date labor market facts and projections, such as wages
- Information on tax credits for hiring particular groups of workers
- Space to conduct job interviews
- Help arranging job fairs
- Workshops on employer-related subjects
- Employee training resources
- Layoff/closure prevention services for employers
- Information about Federal Bonding (insurance for hiring at-risk workers)
These services are offered at no cost to employer businesses.
Is there anything you would like to add?
The NCWorks Career Center System was created to combine the resources and services of several organizations under one roof. The result is a one-stop career center for individuals seeking employment and training as well as a resource for employers seeking qualified job candidates, training programs, displaced worker services and more. Local, statewide and national resources give NCWorks Career Centers unparalleled reach in making the right connection between employers and job seekers.
