Workshop in Durham to Help Area's Unemployed

Durham First Selectman Laura Francis, Middlefield First Selectman Jon Brayshaw and Workforce Alliance invite job-seekers who are currently out of work to take advantage of a special all-day workshop. The Re-employment Workshop is designed for job seekers with management experience who have been out of work for an extended period of time.  Despite the overall decline in unemployment, the long-term unemployed continue to have difficulty finding work.

The workshop will be held at the Durham Town Hall on August 24 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Topics include: 

- Targeting your job search  

- Empowering your resume

- Reaching out to your network

- Tailoring your message

- On-line search and applications

- Using social networking media (FaceBook, LinkedIn, Job Boards, etc.)

- Managing your time

“Workforce Alliance wanted to assist management workers who have had difficulty finding a job in this recession.  Mid- and high-level people have found themselves unemployed for longer periods of time.” said First Selectman Francis. “We wanted to hold this workshop in Durham again because it offers our residents a new way to approach their job search.”

The workshop is led by Laura Collins of Collins Group, a Human Resources consulting firm that brings over twenty years of corporate and consulting experience. She has held leadership roles in Staffing and Development in both the finance and pharmaceuticals industries. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Human Resources at Gateway Community College.

“These workshops are our response to an employment crisis that has left no family untouched.” said William Villano, President & CEO of Workforce Alliance. “Unemployment benefits have run out for the long term unemployed. Many people have been unemployed for an unusually long period:  more than 6 times longer than in the last major recession in 1991.”

The workshop is free and includes lunch. Residents who are interested in participating should reserve a seat by emailing:info@workforcealliance.biz. Or call Robert Fort at 203-624-1493 x242. Seating is limited, so please respond asap. All requests will receive replies.