Alan Sessions is here for you - the job applicant and the employer.

As a Business Services Representative with the Department of Labor his job is to build bridges from employers to potential employees. In this, he is aided by the DOL's integration into the One Stop Career Center environment.

"A One Stop Center really brings together various agencies that partner to stop any duplication of services and provide a wider range of services that an employer can access at one point," says Sessions. "I see myself as a Resource Manager for businesses, telling them what resources are available - not only those offered by the CDO Workforce and the Department of Labor, but those offered by partnering agencies like our colleges and other training providers."

"We've got an excellent web site that we use. [www.ajb.org] We take what we call a 'job order' where the employer tells us what type of person that they're looking for to fill the job. (The qualifications and requirements. What the job entails.) Then all that information is put out on the web site."

"Job seekers can access the web site and review the job to see if it’s something they’re interested in, and if they meet the qualifications and requirements the employer is looking for. Then, they can contact that business directly."

"Our computer program will do a screening of individuals in our system to see which ones match ... and then send them a letter notifying them about the opening. We also have listings available in our One Stop centers."

Sessions notes that it's not just job seekers who benefit from the resources available through the One Stop. They're here to help employers, too!

"We can help an employer put together a job description. We use Labor Market Information to help make sure they're paying the correct wage. We give them an idea of the qualified individuals out there and their training and education backgrounds."

"We can also offer 'pre-screening' to employers. If they're looking for certain qualifications, we can screen those resumes or individuals before we send them on to talk directly with that business."

In addition, Sessions points out, "We put on Job Fairs and do recruitment activities. We can do customized recruitment for business."

"If the business has training needs we can help it connect with the training providers. We can do the leg-work in putting out a request for specific training and get bids - saving the business time and energy."

Plus, "we have on-the-job-training opportunities for hard to fill positions, where we can help to offset the training costs for people who don’t have all the qualifications the employer is looking for."

Sessions reiterates, One Stop services and specifically the Business Service Representatives are here to help job seekers and employers.