Community Resources Available for Job Seekers

By: Amber Covington Rowan Public Library

Job searching requires computer access, computer skills, time, and money for job seeking candidates. Rowan Public Library is dedicated to ensuring our community has access to information including; materials for their personal reading interests, educational resources from birth to college, and connecting job seekers to online classes, technology resources, and information to attain employment. The recent announcement for upcoming job opportunities secured by Rowan County Commissioners shows our local economy is growing. Job expansion in the last year in the county has included Chewy and New York Airbrake. The library is a place that will assist individuals seeking to further their work experience by registering for online Gale courses at no cost or visiting the library to increase their technology skills with free computer access, online job searching, resume and cover letter writing assistance.

Job seekers in our area have several local organizations committed to helping them with their jobs searches; NC Works Career Center, Goodwill Rowan County Career Center, Bonney Staffing, Onin Staffing, Mancan, and R3 Career Services. Each of these organizations have partnered with Rowan Public Library and participated in our 2018 Job Fair and previous programming. NC Works Career Center helps individuals create online job profiles and assist them with locating jobs specific to their skills and interests. Various online resources are available to the public at no cost and our local office located on South Main Street, often has employers onsite conducting interviews for job openings. Goodwill Rowan County Career Center staff members are available to assist job seekers with career planning, mock interviews, online and paper application assistance, job searching, Adult Basic Education program, Project Re-entry program for former offenders seeking employment, and Veterans Services to assist veterans and military families obtain stable employment. R3 Career Services provides services to help adults gain skills for a career with dedicated staff to assist with resumes, computer classes, and workplace certifications.

Rowan Public Library collaborates with many local organizations to ensure Rowan County citizens have access to resources for locating jobs or advancing one's career. Everyday, our library offers computer labs at three branches- Headquarters in Salisbury, East Branch in Rockwell, and South Rowan Regional Library in China Grove. Our staff assists people daily with accessing and navigating online websites for job postings, creating and editing resumes, printing work related documents, and free online Gale Courses to enhance work related skills. Rowan Public Library encourages everyone to sign up for a library card and use the free resources available to all wanting to advance their career, beginning a job search, or seeking online coursework to help increase their skills. In the near future, Rowan Public Library looks to partner with local businesses and organizations to offer job fairs and employment seekers programming.