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Job center opening soon By BARRY BURLESON
Editor A new WIN Job Center, brought about through teamwork, will open this summer in Holly Springs. Bill
Renick, with Three Rivers Planning and Development District, said the
center is “very unique – never done anywhere else in the state.” He
was referring to the cooperative efforts of Marshall and Benton
counties and the municipalities in the two counties in landing the
center. “This came about because of the efforts
of a lot of people,” Renick said. “The supervisors and the municipal
officials saw there was such a need for the service that they came
together and agreed to help with the funding. It’s the first new WIN
Job Center in the state in quite some time.” The
center will be temporarily housed for a few years on the Rust College
campus, adjacent to the David L. Beckley Conference Center. Renick, in addressing the Holly Springs Rotary Club recently, said it will be a “first-class, full-time WIN Job Center.” “It’s going to be a big plus,” he said. The
Workforce Investment Network in Mississippi is an innovative strategy
designed to provide convenient, one-stop employment and training
services to job seekers and businesses. “It is
not an unemployment office,” Renick said. “It is a completely different
organization – providing services to individuals looking for jobs and
to businesses looking for employees.” For the job
seekers, WIN Job Centers offer job search and placement assistance,
resume software, interview tips, access to office equipment like
computers and fax machines, Internet access for job searches and resume
posting, labor market information, career and aptitude assessment and
much more. For businesses, WIN Job Centers offer
recruiting and screening of job seekers, posting of job openings, job
fairs, office space for interviewing and more. Renick said the Holly
Springs center will also have a computer training lab available for
computer classes and pre-employment testing. The center will be operated by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security and Northwest Community College. Renick
said one of the reasons the state decided to put a full-time WIN Job
Center in this area is “because of the future economic development
opportunities.” “You have a very strong economic
development organization going – something to be proud of,” he said.
“Marshall County is positioned to have a bright future.”
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