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