FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
What is the purpose of
Tennessee’s new Career Centers?
The purpose of Tennessee’s Career Centers is to advance the economic
well-being of Tennessee’s workforce by serving as a focal point for
a wide range of services for both businesses seeking qualified
workers and individuals seeking career direction. This is
accomplished through an integrated system of employment training and
education resources. The Career Centers provide a means of
connecting people and jobs.
 Who
can use the Career Centers?
Tennessee Career Centers have been created to serve all Tennesseans,
employers and individuals seeking career services. Anyone who needs
assistance should be able to receive it, whether or not the person
meets criteria for a specific government support program.
Where will the Career Centers be located?
Career Center are currently open in Athens, Chattanooga,
Clarksville, Columbia, Dayton, Jackson, Johnson City, Knoxville,
Memphis and Nashville. The other three sites are to be open by July
1, 2000. Plans are to provide a Career Center in each of the 13
Local Workforce Investment Areas (LWIAs) within a 25-mile radius of
75 percent of Tennesseans. The remaining 25 percent will have
electronic access through satellite connections at remote sites.
What services will Career Centers provide to people seeking
career direction?
Services include information and resources and related to the
following:
- Information about local, state
and national labor markets
- Job and career resource room
with computers, faxes, and telephones
- Job listings and hiring
requirements
- Job search skills
- Job referral, placement, and
quality of education and training programs
- Initial screening for training
eligibility
- Testing and assessment
- Assistance in filing
unemployment insurance claims
- Eligibility in screening for
TANF and food stamps
What services will Career
Centers provide for employers and business?
- Recruitment and pre-screening of
qualified applicants
- Easy access to post job listings
on America’s Job Bank
- Job and industry growth trends
and forecasts
- Wage data and other valuable
labor market information
- Compliance information on
Federal legislation, such as Americans with Disabilities Act
- Work Opportunity Tax Credit
How are the Career Centers
different from what is currently available?
Previously, customers wanting services from programs such as
Dislocated Workers, Food Stamp Employment and Training, Veterans,
Job Services, Welfare-to-Work, JTPA, and Unemployment Insurance had
to seek those services from several providers at multiple locations.
Tennessee’s Career Centers will
integrate the resources and activities of these programs into a
streamlined system. The Career Centers are a way of reinventing
government services so that employers and job seekers can get
better, more comprehensive service in one place, without having to
navigate a bureaucratic maze of programs and services.
What is the source of the money to fund the Career Centers?
The State of Tennessee received a $9.5 million grant in July 1997
from the U.S. Department of Labor. Through an application process,
each of the 13 Local Workforce Investment Areas in Tennessee is
eligible to receive a $10,000 Career Center planning grant and
$400,000 for implementation plans. Resources to supplement the
federal grant funds, such as personnel, equipment, and facilities
will be provided by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce
Development, Department of Human Services, and the local Private
Industry Councils.
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