The Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development recently implemented an innovative program that aims to service rural areas that do not have Career Centers in their communities.
As of April 2011, three mobile Career Centers will be visiting and servicing the less populated areas of Tennessee. The bus will be serving forty different Tennessee counties – including Cheatham, Bedford, Clay, Cannon, Coffee, and many other counties.
“We want to make Career Center services accessible to job seekers and employers in their home communities,” said Labor & Workforce Development Commissioner Karla Davis. “The mobile units will offer the same services available to our customers as when they walk into one of our Career Centers located across the state.”
The mobile Career Centers each contain ten computer work stations (along with a high-speed internet connection) and a laptop – with a high-speed internet connection as well.
Here, participants can research and search for jobs – for instance, the computers will have access to state-wide available jobs – catergorized by industry - via a dedicated website. Visitors to the mobile center will also have the opportunity to attend various career-related classes. Some of the classes that will be offered include job search strategies, résumé writing, and interviewing skills. To accommodate the classes, there also is 42” flat-screen TV with SmartBoard® overlay and a DVD/CD player for the instructors to use.
“The mobile units serve multiple purposes,” said Lynn Gibbs, coordinator for the middle Tennessee coach. “Job applicants can register for work and search available openings online. They can also take part in the three workshops we offer – résumé preparation, job search skills, and interviewing skills.”
The mobile career center is also an accessible one – and is equipped with a wheelchair lift and ADA compliant computer workstations. Employers are also encouraged to take advantage of the mobile unit’s resources. For instance, the Career Coaches available on the mobile unit can provide employee screening and/or interviewing for employers in Tennesee – absolutely free of charge. Moreover, other assistance is available to employers such as the ability to use the mobile facility as a location to receive job applications and to conduct job interviews.
What do you think? Is a mobile career coach a good idea?
Larisa Redins is a full time writer and editor with degrees in both Arts and Biological Science. She writes about career issues for CollegeJobBankBlog.com and other topics for a variety of international websites and magazines. Please visit her other blogs at CollegeJobBankBlog.comCollegeJobBank.com. and view job posting at
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