Tag Archives: worksource

Kitsap company honored for hiring veterans

The state honored a rapidly-growing ship maintenance company in Kitsap County last week for its commitment to hiring veterans.

Former service members comprise more than half of the workforce at Global Government Services in Bremerton, according to a news release from the Employment Security Department.

Global Government Services hired 96 full-time workers in the past year, including laborers, helpers, welders, electricians, machinists and mechanics. It plans to hire another 100 employees in the coming year, according to the release.

Global was among 12 businesses across the state honored for creating employment opportunities for veterans.

“These companies’ commitment to hiring veterans is truly exceptional,” Employment Security Department Commissioner Peinecke said the in the release. “I hope other Washington employers will be inspired and follow their lead.”

The state’s WorkSource program placed nearly 7,500 veterans into jobs between July 2015 and June 2016.

Employers interested in hiring veterans can learn more at the WorkSource website.

$97,000 awarded for youth job skills programs

Tad Sooter

431751_5554031_ver1.0_640_480 The state awarded more than $97,000 to a local workforce development agency to create internships and training opportunities for young people, according to a news release.

The YouthWorks funding was awarded to the Olympic Workforce Development Area Consortium, which oversees WorkSource offices in Kitsap, Clallam and Jefferson Counties.

YouthWorks is a collaborative program between workforce councils, schools and other educational agencies to provide job search skills, career assessments and work experience jobs to high school dropouts and other youth re-engaging with school after dropping out.

Locally, the YouthWorks project will partner with Olympic Educational Services District, West Sound Technical Skills Center, Olympic College, West Sound STEM and Stand Up for Kids, an organization that reaches out to homeless youth to teach basic life skills.

“This YouthWorks investment opens wonderful opportunities for our youth to gain valuable work skills and experiences,” County Commissioner and Olympic Consortium Chair Charlotte Garrido said in the release. “It will enhance our local workforce and spur our economy.”

Concentrix files official layoff notice with state

Tad Sooter

Concentrix gave the state official notice Wednesday of plans to close its East Bremerton call center.

As we reported last week, the closure will impact about 500 employees.

The official WARN notice reports 520 positions are being cut, though Concentrix spokeswoman Jyllene Miller told me fewer than 500 people are currently employed at the center.

Miller said the displaced employees will be given priority for “a few hundred” work-at-home jobs Concentrix is hiring for.

The center is slated to close March 4, according to the WARN notice. Concentrix will continue paying employees through March 28.

A team from the local WorkSource office is responding to the call center to provide employees with information about unemployment insurance claims, retraining opportunities and job leads. Kitsap WorkSource Administrator Margaret Hess said a forum for employees is being planned.

This isn’t the only WARN notice being filed by a Kitsap employer this week. We also received word defense contractor BAE Systems will lay off 68 workers in Silverdale by the end of March.

New jobs website launched for veterans

Tad Sooter

On the eve of Veterans Day, the state’s WorkSource program announced a new web tool for connecting veterans and other departing service members with civilian employment.

The web portal, called Veterans Military Crosswalk, allows users to filter job postings using their Military Occupation Code. The site identifies which available jobs are most relevant to their military experience.

Users can sign up for email and mobile alerts when relevant job openings are posted.

“I can think of no better way to honor our state’s veterans than to make it easier for them to find jobs when they return home,” Employment Security Department Commissioner Dale Peinecke said in a news release. “The new job translator is a major service improvement for our veteran customers.”

The unemployment rate among Washington’s 632,000 military veterans was 7.1 percent in 2013. According to the release, WorkSource career centers placed nearly 21,000 veterans into jobs at an average wage of $35,600 per year between July 2013-June 2014.

Follow business reporter Tad Sooter on Twitter at @tsooter. Contact him at tad.sooter@kitsapsun.com or leave a comment below.