HAMPTON — The economy can be a double-edge sword —- when unemployment rates go down, there are fewer jobs which means more competition.
According to the Virginia Employment Commission, Hampton’s underemployment rate is 12 percent, more than three times the city’s 3.7 percent unemployment rate, an issue the city is hoping its new WorkOne Resource Center can fix.
“We’re trying to find ways to eliminate those barriers to employment and keeping them unemployed,” said Kacy Futrell, an administrative assistant from the city’s economic development department.
The workforce development center, which opened Jan. 7, is a community resource center where people can apply for jobs, take certified training courses like hospitality management or GED programs, and attend skill training workshops that teach participants everything from basic work etiquette or soft skills to computer usage or hard skills. The programs are taught by the center’s partner organizations, including Goodwill, Hampton University and the city’s social services department.
Futrell, who is currently transitioning to a workforce specialist at the center, said about five people have used the center each day since it opened and she has seen people of all ages — more males than females — who are highly skilled and underemployed.
“They are taking anything to make ends meet and they aren’t getting livable wages,” she said.
While the center waits for final staffing resources and budget structure which is determined by the City Council and city manager, the center operates between the hours of 8 a.m. and noon and helps its clients prepare for the city’s annual job fair next month with mock interviews, dress for success tips and resume workshops.
After Feb. 5 the center will switch gears and resume normal operations.
Andrew Stith, a disabled Army veteran, has been to the center twice in the past week.
“It’s good, it’s a new beginning,” said Stith, who retired in 2015 and has worked three jobs as a janitor, at the shipyard and a transportation company.
“The places I’ve been to, I feel like I’m running around in a circle,” he said. “Some people are telling me since I have a master’s in OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), it’s easy I should go land a job like that, but others tell me the need is not good here and you are going to have a hard time finding a job.”
Stith is applying to both state and federal jobs and plans to attend the job fair next month. He is currently unemployed.
One of the common complaints from employers is applicants not being qualified enough or having the right skills or certifications for the job they are applying for, said Pam Croom, workforce development coordinator at the city’s economic development department.
“Individuals don’t know how to match their skills to those jobs,” Croom said.
Another barrier is basic presentation skills.
Kerri Thurman from Addeco Staffing in Virginia Beach said people need to be aware of how they present themselves on the phone such as background noise, using slang and whether or not the general inquiry is professional.
“People call and try and drive the conversation instead of listening,” she said.
The WorkOne Resource Center, at the Y.H. Thomas Community Center, 1300 Thomas St., is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit the website or call 757-727-8311.