The director of the Genesee County Job Development Bureau is banking on the internet and World Wide Web to make it easier for out-of-work residents to find a job.
“My number one priority is figuring out how to do virtual job fairs,” Teresa Van Son said earlier this week during a Genesee County Legislature’s Ways & Means Committee meeting via Zoom. “I think there’s definitely a need. We’ve looked at it quite a bit and I’m hoping within the next month or two, I will figure out some way to do it.”
Committee Chair Marianne Clattenburg said she was on board with that considering the current employment situation.
“Sometimes people are hesitant to walk through a door but if they just have to click on a website and do it virtually – the younger folks especially who are so used to that – it might be a great way to reach out,” Clattenburg reasoned.
Van Son said that although the building (located in the Eastown Plaza behind Aldi) is closed, Job Development Bureau and Department of Labor staff are working from home and offering services remotely and over the phone.
“There are a few things we can’t provide right now – hands-on assessment services, job fairs” and two programs with the Department of Social Services that have been temporarily suspended, she said.
Van Son said she is focusing on the Summer Youth Employment Program, with a goal of serving 50 young people.
“We’re looking to do it differently. We’re looking at where can we find outdoor spaces. So, maybe working with local towns with their cemeteries and helping them do some beautification, or something potentially with the parks," she said, adding that forming a sanitation crew is another possibility.
“We’re trying to be pretty creative and come up with outdoor things so that social distancing might be a little easier.”
Van Son said a team approach is another idea being considered.
“Maybe groups of five kids work together with a team leader and they determine what project they want to do,” she said. “They design it from the ground up and they make all the arrangements, and they execute that project. That would be their summer youth employment experience and they can put that into a portfolio.”
Operationally, Van Son said one longtime employee, Veronica Frost, is retiring while another, Mary Spaulding, is putting off her retirement for at least another year. Both have been with the bureau for more than 35 years.
She also said that renegotiation of the agency’s lease that expires on Jan. 31, 2021 has begun. She mentioned the benefits of the current location include longevity, a favorable monthly rate, being on the bus line and plenty of space to accommodate social distancing.
In a related development, the committee authorized Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein to sign a Job Development Bureau contractor’s agreement with Livingston County to facilitate the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act program.
The resolution states that the grant is a one-year agreement that may be extended based on performance for two additional one-year periods with a budget of $243,800.
Van Son said the WIOA federal grant, which is passed through the state for funding, provides over 65 percent of the bureau’s revenue. She said an additional $23,000 has been approved this year due to increased costs related to out-of-school youth services.
Genesee County does not allocate funding for the bureau but provides other types of support.
“No county dollars directly fund the job development program but we’re very appreciative of the amount of in-kind service and assistance that we receive through the county to be able to provide these job-seeking services to folks in the community,” Van Son said.
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The Genesee County Job Development Bureau is located at 587 E. Main St., Suite 100, in the Eastown Plaza. For information about programs provided and employment/unemployment matters, call (585) 344-2042. The bureau’s website is here.
