“My department is committed to ensuring that all of New Jersey's job-seekers have access to the most current job search information, tools and resources,” said LWD Commissioner Harold J. Wirths. “The Job Clubs offer unemployed people a structured opportunity to network, listen to expert advice from human resource professionals and industry leaders about job search techniques, and to attend workshops on how to improve their resumes and employment searches.”

The kick-off was held with leaders of the Monmouth County Workforce Investment Board at the One Stop Career Center in Neptune, where one of the state’s new Job Clubs already boasts 45 members. Most of them attended a workshop yesterday in which Vicki Gaddy, facilitator of the state’s Life Sciences Talent Network, spoke about employment possibilities in the state’s growing biotech industry.

“Today, we are launching one of the 23 Jersey Job Clubs, which is our new quick-start program to get New Jersey job-seekers the most up to date, effective job search techniques and tools available in a supportive networking setting,” said Assistant Commissioner Mary Ellen Clark, who heads LWD’s Workforce Development programs.

Through the next month, the state will launch 23 Jersey Job Clubs throughout the state, with each of the clubs operating out of a One-Stop Career Center. Open to all job-seekers, the goal is to focus and reinvigorate the employment searches of people who are out of work in New Jersey, particularly the long-term unemployed.

Each club will host a minimum of six workshops each week that instruct members on effective job search techniques, interview preparation and labor market information that can expose them to the fastest growing industry sectors in the state.

The Jersey Job Clubs will teach job-seekers the skills for becoming self-sufficient and successful in their search for work, and participants will have a limited time to take full advantage of all the services offered by the Job Clubs. Toward the end of a six month tenure in a Job Club, if a participant has not yet found employment, One-Stop counselors will offer more intensive counseling services.

“The Job Clubs will expose all members to a uniform, structured program showcasing the latest and most effective information on where jobs can be found, how people can effectively market themselves for those positions and the techniques, ranging from social media to networking, that work best for achieving employment,” said Commissioner Wirths.

Members are required to first register with Jobs4Jersey.com, the state’s premiere employment service website where job-seekers can load a resume through OnRamp, a robust, state-of-the-art job-search engine that links people to jobs by matching skills, not former job titles. More than 100,000 people already have posted resumes with OnRamp.

The clubs will be open to all job-seekers, whether or not they are collecting Unemployment Insurance, and the clubs will accept any job-seekers, regardless of whether they previously held white collar or blue collar jobs.

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Commissioner Harold J. Wirths speaks to a group of job-seekers at the kick-off of Jersey Job Clubs at the One Stop Career Center in Neptune. Jersey Job Clubs is New Jersey’s new quick-start program to get job-seekers the most up to date, effective job search techniques and tools available in a supportive networking setting.