O*NET
in Action: NWCEP
O*NET Resources ~ A Piece of the Action
CEP, Inc. Helps Employers and Career-Seekers Find the Best Fit in the Labor Market
"Employers don't always understand what their jobs involve. When we sit them down at the computer and
show them O*NET descriptions, it really opens their eyes and they start thinking about the skills their
workers need."
~ Jon Chara, Deputy Director, CEP, Inc.
Northwest Wisconsin Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (CEP, Inc.) is a private non-profit agency that
provides One-Stop Career Center services focused on the needs of businesses. It also serves job seekers
and youth in 10 counties. The agency uses O*NET resources in multiple ways to help these diverse clients.
The Need
Employee turnover, absenteeism, and recurring fees for advertising job openings were eroding profits for
many of NW Wisconsin's small businesses. CEP, Inc. had not focused on serving such employers or treating
them as partners. The staff decided to balance its offerings, making local businesses a priority.
It wanted to offer them high-level human resource (HR) services intended to increase placement and
retention rates. CEP, Inc. felt these services would benefit both employers and its traditional job
seeker clientele.
O*NET Role
CEP, Inc. implemented the Talent Profiling System, a commercial Internet-based assessment designed to
help employers and job seekers find the best job fit. O*NET information is an integral part of the
system. As one staffer says, "I love the fact that O*NET fits into the system so well and really
enhances it, for both employers and individuals."
To help businesses, O*NET information is often used as a starting point for customizing employer profiles
and preparing job descriptions. CEP, Inc. staff may also use it when employers seek their help with other
HR needs, such as succession plans and out-placement activities during downsizing or reorganizations.
Job seekers, WIA youth participants, and workers in transition use the CEP, Inc. system to identify their
abilities, styles, and strengths. They receive a Career Compatibility Report, with a list of O*NET
occupations that match their results. Participants are taught how to use O*NET OnLine to explore these
occupations and find the ones that suit their interests and skills. They can use O*NET information
in building long-range career plans, as well as in preparing résumés and describing their relevant
job skills. CEP, Inc. case managers also use the Reports and O*NET OnLine to help clients who need
further career counseling.
Students use the CEP, Inc. system with O*NET OnLine for career exploration and educational planning.
By early 2003, 17 school districts in NW Wisconsin had started using these tools in their career guidance
programs. Because both are on the Internet, students can use them at home as well as at school.
Key Results
Employers have been so pleased with CEP, Inc. assessments and referrals that they are asking staff to
help them with other HR needs. In their first six months under the new system, CEP, Inc. staff analyzed
350 local jobs for employers. About 150 new employers and 3000 applicants are registered in the system.
For businesses, the "high value" of the CEP, Inc. system is the ability to find
well-suited candidates for their job openings. They also like the economy, speed, and ease of posting
jobs and searching the talent pool. Just a glimpse of O*NET information helps employers begin to think
about the skills their workers have and need.
CEP, Inc. staffers report that the "high value" for job seekers is the emphasis on what they want to do
with their lives. By exploring the range of O*NET occupations that match their particular skills and
interests, they can focus on finding not just "a job," but a job they will enjoy because it fits their
individual interests and skills. Having access to O*NET OnLine through the Internet makes it easier for
many to do their career research at home rather than finding time to go to a One-Stop Center.
CEP, Inc. reports a 33 percent increase in its placements, and its cost per placement has dropped by 38
percent. Staff morale is increasing as they see successful results of the new approach, and CEP, Inc.
employee turnover in the field has dropped dramatically. Because individual employers, partner agencies,
and job seekers can use the system on their own via the Internet, staff can serve a larger and wider
clientele effectively at lower per-participant costs.
Contact
Jon Chara, Deputy Director, CEP, Inc.
Email:jchara@nwcep.org
Telephone: 888-780-4237
URL:www.nwcep.org
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