About the "Center for Workforce Transition"


Welcome to the CWT!

Lansing Community College's Center for Workforce Transition is located at Capital Area Michigan Works! The CWT provides information and assistance to adults looking to transition within the workforce...whether it is identifying career goals, gaining new skills and knowledge through Lansing Community College, or seeking assistance on job search techniques, the CWT is your one-stop partner.

NEW!
Lansing Community College's Center for Workforce Transition is pleased to announce that it has expanded its programming to include workshops designed specifically for baby boomers looking to re-enter the job market. For more information on the Encore Plus 50 program attend an informational orientation meeting at Capital Area Michigan Works! Lansing Service Center on Tuesday, April 8th from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. If you have any questions, contact our staff at (517) 492-5580 or LCCAdvisor@camw.net.

Plus 50 Completion Initiative:
Lansing Community College has joined other community colleges in a national program designed to train 10,000 baby boomers for new jobs in healthcare, education, and social services. The program is sponsored by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). The college is part of the Plus 50 Encore Completion Program and seeks to assist adults age 50 and over in completing degrees or certificates within in-demand occupations that give back to the community. Please visit our website at lcc.edu/lifelong/encore for updated information on this program.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Remembering Those Who Sacrificed So Much...

Today is one of those days, actually, there are two of them, Memorial Day and Veterans Day, when I quietly reflect on the many blessings I have received...especially, the ability to live in a country with the many freedoms I have available to me.  While I myself did not serve in the military, my thoughts go out to all of the brave men and women who, over the many generations, have served our country.  I remember their courage and sacrifices, and for far too many, the ultimate sacrifice.  Today, my prayers go out to those who gave their lives for this country and for their families who also made the sacrifice.

A few years ago I visited the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis.  A few of us were being given a private tour of some of the buildings and grounds.  One particular place that has stayed with me since that day was our visit to the chapel.  While we were there, our guide explained that a previous graduating class had donated a large painting that was hanging within the chapel.  There were three images that were projected on the black canvas background.  The images were of a cross at the top of the canvas, then the American flag followed by the image of a midshipman.  Our guide explained that the portrait emphasized  the commitment to God before country before self.  That portrait and its meaning continues to resonate with me to this day.  It is a stark reminder of the unselfish generosity of those who have served in our military.  

Yesterday, in our small community, a memorial was held honoring those from our town who had been killed while serving our country.  The list included World War I, World War II, Korean, Vietnam, and Afghanistan losses.  Regretfully, the list contained 33 names.   


Last year, the high school football team used the season opener to honor our fallen heroes.  They wore the names of those who had sacrificed so much on their jerseys.  Those young men were inspiring as they showed an entire community how much they respected the sacrifices made by those who paid the highest price for our freedom.

As we continue on with our holiday weekend and on into the July 4th weekend, let us continue to espouse the courage and dedication so many fought to preserve for us.  To all of who have served and to their families, I say thank you.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Job Blasts Updates!

In today's Lansing State Journal, George Fulton of the University of Michigan stated that "job growth will be steady but not spectacular...."  As well, Fulton credits the rebound of the state's auto industry for helping to get Michigan back on its feet, especially with news that Detroit's Big Three have seen their first  increase in market share since 1995.  (Lansing State Journal, May 17, 2011)

While the numbers may seem large and the news good, this equates to an average annual job increase of just over 60,000 jobs in the next three years (remember, there were over 800,000 jobs lost during the Great Recession).  The manufacturing industry in our state has been a significant contributor to the increase in private sector jobs.  Again, not trying to beat a dead horse, but job seekers are continuously learning that available positions are generally going to those with the right skills.  If you're in the market for new employment, be sure to take the time to assess your knowledge and skills and learn how to effectively communicate them to a prospective employer.  As well, Lansing Community College's "Jobs Connection" Workshop (held most Tuesdays at Capital Area Michigan Works! Lansing Service Center) will provide information on local labor market data, tools (free!) for exploring individual career options, as well as helpful tips for the Job Seeker to aid with a competitive advantage in the job search.  The next workshop will be held on Tuesday, May 31, from 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm.


Each week, the Capital Area Michigan Works! Service Centers provide Job Seekers with an orientation that introduces them to the services available.  For a complete calendar listing of events in the CAMW! Service Centers for the month, visit their website to view the updated Calendar of Events.  (NOTE:  The Lansing Service Center hosts its Orientations on Wednesday's at 2:00 pm.  St. Johns hosts theirs on Tuesdays, and Charlotte hosts theirs on Thursdays)


In addition, each of the Service Centers provide free workshops on building resumes, interviewing tips, to name a few.  The Lansing Service Center will be providing a  Resume Writing Workshop on Tuesday, May 24th from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm.  To register for the event, sign up at the Greeter Desk or email Barb Poma at bpoma@camw.net.



  Barks Hoffman, Kathy, "Economist:  State to gain 182,800 jobs over 3 years",  Lansing State Journal, May 17, 2011.

JOB BLASTS!
The postings for the following Job Blasts can be found by clicking on the posting number, or going to the Michigan Talent Bank website and conducting an Advanced Search.

Biophotonic Solutions (East Lansing): Operations Assistant,  MTB # 3070253

Magnuson Hotel (Fowlerville):  
  • Housekeeper (F/T):  MTB # 3069155
  • Guest Service Agent (F/T):  MTB # 3069150
CATA (Lansing):  Facilities & Grounds Maintenance Person,  MTB # 3069559

Pratt & Whitney (Lansing):  Cell Leader/Manufacturing Supervisor,  MTB # 3069148

Doty Mechanical (Lansing):  Service Dispatcher,  MTB # 3068530

Budget Tire Center (Lansing):  Auto Technician/Assistant Manager,  MTB # 3067597   


Tina S. Gray, P.C. (Williamston):  Administrative Assistant/Legal Secretary,  MTB # 3067633


Remember to check the previous week's Blog as some of the postings may still be available.






 

Monday, May 9, 2011

Job Blasts Updates!

I came into work this morning and there were some new Job Blasts available (since my post on Friday!).  Be sure to check out these and other postings on the Michigan Talent Bank or Indeed.com.  As well, following my Blog last week on Job Search Tips for the Experienced (50+) Worker, one of my co-workers sent me a link to another Blog on Interns Over 40. This particular blog focuses on some of the concerns that experienced job seekers feel they encounter.  Again, check out some of the resources available to help in the resume and interviewing aspects of the job search in the Job Search Tips... Blog.

JOB BLASTS!
As always, for those positions with a Michigan Talent Bank posting number (MTB), be sure to click on the posting number to be taken directly to the job posting.  As well, check out Job Blasts in earlier Blogs as some of them are still open.

Lansing Community College (Lansing):  Multiple positions available, including many adjunct faculty positions.  To apply for a position with Lansing Community College, please visit their website at:   http://www.jobs.lcc.edu/

Some of the positions currently available, include:
  • Director of The Early College (Temporary)
  • Lead Support - The Early College (Temporary)
  • Admissions, Registration & Records Processing (P/T) Support
  • Financial Aid Generalist (P/T)
  • Institutional Research Assistant
Capital Area Community Services: (Lansing):  Weatherization Application Specialist,  MTB # 3065446      NOTE:  Deadline to apply is May 10, 2011

Sears (Lansing):  Multiple Positions
  • Backroom Associate/Shoes:  MTB # 3065197
  • Office Assistant:  MTB # 3065198
  • Sales/Mattress Dept.:  MTB # 3065194
  • Sales/Home Appliances:  MTB # 3065193
  • Merchandise Customer Assistant:  MTB # 3065195
  • CSA/Automotive:  MTB  3065199
LAP Respite Center (Lansing):  Executive Director,  MTB # 3066475

Tony Grant's Paint Co. (Lansing):  Painter,  MTB # 3067633

CATA (Lansing):  Paratransit Scheduler 2,  MTB  # 3066291  FILLED

Arctic Glacier, Inc. (Lansing):  Production Associate,  MTB # 3066249

Katren Industries (St. Johns):  Welder/Fabricator,  MTB # 3065081

Maco Tool & Engineering (St. Johns):  Certified Electric Designer/Programmer,  MTB # 3065039

Inspired Green (Grand Ledge):  Energy Efficiency Installer & Canvasser,  MTB # 3059851

Friday, May 6, 2011

What Do "Jaws" and College Grads Have in Common?

I remember sitting in a dark theatre in 1975 with my feet tucked underneath me in the seat while I watched a really, super-scary movie about a menacing shark...Jaws!  I remember, also, that it was the same day that my brother was taking his scuba certification test...in Lake Michigan.  It didn't matter that, one, there were no sharks in Lake Michigan that day, and, two, there were no sharks in the theatre, either.  I was still scared.

Worse yet, was the book.  When available, I have always preferred to read the book before seeing the movie.  Generally speaking, the books are better (according to my professional opinion).  Anyway, one day about a year before the movie came out I was strolling through a bookstore looking for a good 'read'.  It was summer and I worked at a job that, periodically, had long moments of total boredom; so, a nice, relaxing book was on my list of things to help me pass the time.

As I walked through the bookstore, I was drawn to the cover of a book that showed a woman swimming with (what I really, honestly thought was...) her pet shark.  I kid you not.  Talk about a really blond moment!  As it turns out, I was (and still am) fascinated with animal behavior.  I thought the book was about a woman who managed to behaviorally change a shark!  Heck, in high school I did a biology experiment on my pet white mice, Ben and Willard, in which I switched their biological time clock around (they were nocturnal creatures and I was going to have none of that when I was trying to sleep!).  So, in all reality, it could have been true.  Right?

Anyway, imagine my surprise as I read the first chapter!  Ouch!  The book had me mesmerized.  And, since the weather was terrible that day, I was able to read the book from 'cover to cover' by the end of my shift!  Wow!  I was, literally, hooked on that shark.

So, now you're probably wondering so what does Jaws have to do with college grads.  I'm glad you asked.  The Beloit College Mindset List.  Since August of 1988, Beloit College has published it's Beloit College Mindset List which provides a look into the "cultural touchstones that shape the lives of students entering college."  (Beloit College Mindset, 2009)   A few years ago, I was at a meeting where the speaker shared some of the ' Class of 2002 List' with us.  One of the items (number 32 on the List) was a reflection of the mindset of that year's List.  It hit home with me because I could totally relate!  The statement reflected that the class of 2002 "never took a swim and thought about Jaws."  WHAT!  That was like the scariest movie I knew of...for the time, which, after using some mental math skills, was 27 years earlier.  I realized that a generation had passed since Spielberg's metal 'fish' kept some of us out of the water.  As well, "Bruce" did not look near as scary when I 'visited' him at the Universal Studios last summer. 

Anyway, each year Beloit College publishes a list for the students entering as Freshmen (so the Fall of 2010 Freshmen class would be the Beloit College Mindset List of 2014).  For this Blog, I thought I would look at the Freshmen class of 2007 (which would be the Mindset List of 2011).  Student's entering College in 2007 were generally born in 1989.   Here's some of what I found (the list contains 70 items!): 
  • What Berlin wall?
  • Humvees, minus the artillery, have always been available to the public.
  • They never "rolled down" a car window.
  • They have grown up with bottled water
  • General Motors has always been working on an electric car.
  • Nelson Mandela has always been free and a force in South America
  • Pete Rose has never played baseball.
  • Al Gore has always been running for president or thinking about it.
  • They never found a prize in a Coca-Cola "MagiCan."
  • U2 has always been more than a spy plane.
  • They learned about JFK from Oliver Stone and Malcolm X from Spike Lee.
  • High definition television has always been available.
  • Tienanmen Square is a 2008 Olympics venue, not the scene of a massacre.
  • MTV has never featured music videos.
  • They never saw Johnny Carson live on television.
  • The World Wide Web has been an online tool since they were born.
And, to further remind us of how quickly things change, the class that entered college this past fall (the Mindset List class of 2014) has an even more interesting list.  For example, "The class of 2014 has never found Korean-made cars unusual on the Interstate and 500 hundred cable channels, of which they will watch a handful, have always been the norm.  Since "digital" has always been in the cultural DNA, they've never written in cursive and with cell phones to tell them the time, there is no need for a wrist watch.  Dirty Harry (who's that?) is to them a great Hollywood director.  The America they have inherited is one of soaring American trade and budget deficits; Russia has presumably never aimed nukes at the united States and China has always posed an economic threat."  (Beloit College Mindset List, 2010)  Here are some additional points to ponder:
  • John McEnroe has never played professional tennis.
  • Doctor Kevorkian has never been licensed to practice medicine.
  • Fergie is a pop singer, not a princess.
  • They never twisted the coiled handset wire aimlessly around their wrists while chatting on the phone.
  • DNA fingerprinting and maps of the human genome have always existed.
  • Unless they found one in their grandparents' closet, they have never seen a carousel of Kodachrome slides.
  • They've never recognized that pointing to their wrists was a request for the time of day.
  • Czechoslovakia has never existed.
  • Bud Selig has always been the Commissioner of Major League Baseball.
  • Nirvana is on the classic oldies station.
So there you have it.  Thus, in thinking about what the mindset of the next generation of workers in our workplace will be bringing with them, it reminds me of how working in a multi-generational environment can be filled with many opportunities for all of us to learn.  As well, for those of us who have had more 'experience', just think of the trivia we could add to the conversation...or, maybe not.

Beloit College Mindset List, http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/, Retrieved 05/05/2011

JOB BLASTS!  The Michigan Talent Bank is being updated, daily!  Be sure to check it out (as well as other job search sites, such as http://www.indeed.com/ ) as well as earlier Job Blasts.

Mint City Carpet Cleaner (Lansing):  General Office Cleaner,  MTB # 3064435   
        
Shabazz Public School Academy (Lansing):  Substitute Teacher,  MTB # 3064190

Fraternal Order of Eagles (Lansing):  Server,  MTB # 3064229

NUWAVE Technology Partners (Lansing):  Systems Engineer,  MTB # 3052890

Capital Area Community Services - Head Start (Lansing): Weatherization Application Specialist,  MTB # 3065446

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Job Search Tips for the Experienced (50+) Worker!

One of the areas that I have received many inquiries during the past few months involves the 50+ job seeker.  This group of experienced workers has had some challenges in approaching today's job market with all of its nuances...particularly those who have been employed for many years and are now looking for a new opportunity following a layoff or early retirement.

In today's job search market, one of the challenges for the older worker coming out of a long held position has been using online resources.  Many people tell me that they used to be able to walk into a business, meet the hiring person, and interview for the position with far greater success than they are seeing in today's hiring environment.  So, this, and other (future) articles, will be posted with some links to resources focused on assisting today's more experienced job seeker. 

One of the many resources available to the 50+ Job Seeker is AARP!  Their website provides some great tools, including articles such as 6 Tips to Job Hunting Online by Christina Ianzito.  She shares some great ideas on topics such as revising your resume, joining a social networking site, and researching the latest developments in your field.  (http://www.aarp.org/, January 24, 2011)   As well, Deborah Russell offers insights on A Winning Job Interview which includes a link to videos focused on Job Tips for 50+ Workers.  (http://www.aarp.org/, March 10, 2011)

An additional resource for the 50+ Job Seeker is the Lansing Community College Jobs Connection Workshop at the Capital Area Michigan Works! Lansing Service Center.  Onece per month, a Jobs Connection Workshop will be specifically tailored to meet more specific concerns of the experienced worker.  While it is not limited to the 50+ age group, it will provide more specific information to assist those looking to explore additional career opportunities.  For May, the next Jobs Connection Workshop with this special focus will be on Tuesday, May 31st from 1:30 - 3:00 p.m..  There is no charge for the workshop, and information and resources will be provided.

Russell, Deborah,  A Winning Job Interview:  Come prepared with questions and be ready to show off what you know, http://www.aarp.org/, Retrieved May 2, 2011.

Ianzito, Christina,  6 Tips to Job Hunting Online,  http://www.aarp.org/, Retrieved May 2, 2011


JOB BLASTS!:

Lansing Community College (Lansing):  To apply for any position at Lansing Community College, including Adjunct Faculty, visit our Jobs website at:  http://www.jobs.lcc.edu/
  • Admissions, Registration & Records Processing PT Support
  • Part-time Financial Aid Generalist
  • Head Volleyball Coach

Franklin Energy (Okemos):  Energy Engineer II,  MTB # 3062735

Cravings Gourmet Popcorn (Lansing):  Customer Service/Prod. Team Mbr. MTB #3063139

CATA (Lansing):  Director of Marketing,  MTB  # 3063396

Express Employment (Howell):  CNC Horizontal Mill Program Set up Operator,  MTB #3063619

Symmetry Medical Jet (Lansing):  Machinist,  MTB # 3063205

Ajay Badhwar & Assoc. (Lansing): Accounting Assoc.,  MTB # 3059745

Ingham County (multiple positions available):  To view these positions, go to the Michigan Talent Bank website and enter the Job Posting (MTB) number in the Advanced Search window.
  • Boat Launch Attendant (# 3038407)
  • Boat Rental Operator (# 3038406)
  • Dentist (# 3013696)
  • Disease Control Nurse (F/T):  (# 3064031)
  • Disease Control Nurse (P/T):  (# 3013699)
  • Fair Manager (# 3052883)
  • Family Nurse (# 2959163)
  • Health Center Nurse (# 3013700)
  • Lifeguard (F/T):  (# 3038420)
  • Lifeguard (P/T):  (# 3038417)
  • Medical Director/Physician (# 2959167)
  • Nurse Practitioner/Physician (# 3048262)
  • Park Ranger (# 3038404)
  • Park Security Officer (# 3038424)
  • Snack Bar Attendant (# 3038408)
  • Universal Deputy Roster ICSO (# 3048248)
  • Van Driver/Rental Operator (# 3038410)
  • Public Health Nurse (# 3013701)