Worksystems, in partnership with the Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council and the Workforce Investment Council of Clackamas County, recently hosted a symposium for job seekers looking for high tech careers. More than 250 people attended the event which offered interactive sessions and panels featuring expertise from industry insiders, talent management professionals and job search experts.
The symposium was partially funded by the Professional Skills Training and Employment Project (ProSTEP), a combination of three federal grants totaling nearly $11 million awarded to Worksystems and its area Workforce partners to train workers to support the region’s information technology industries. Symposium attendees were also informed about ProSTEP funded trainings including short-term skill upgrades, industry certifications, two-year degree programs, internships and on-the-job training.
"ProSTEP Connect provides WorkSource Portland Metro with a unique venue to serve unemployed professionals and engage them in career development activities that can lead to jobs in high-growth fields,” explains John Gardner, Director of Business Services at Worksystems. “In particular it gives us the opportunity to outreach to those long-term unemployed professionals in our community, and give them a focused opportunity to retool, reinvent, reengage, and possibly find a new path to employment.”