Bell Countians got an all-access pass to the array of free services available to both employers and job seekers at EKCEP's Bell County JobSight as part of "JobSight Awareness Day" on Aug. 29. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., visitors were given the chance to tour the Bell County JobSight at the Bell-Whitley Community Action Agency in Pineville and learn about the many free state and federal workforce programs available there under a single roof.

Visitors were greeted by representatives of many of the JobSight's partners who offer services there, including staff of the Kentucky Department for Employment Services (DES), the Kentucky Department for Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), Job Corps and Experience Works.

One of the major attractions of the day was the JobSight's impressive Career Resource Center, which job seekers can use free to conduct their job search. The center also includes a fax machine, photocopier, a printer, resume-writing software and helpful books and videos, and computers for conducting internet job searches.

The finale of the day-long event to raise public awareness of the one-stop's services was a live two-hour radio broadcast from the JobSight. The event was simulcast throughout Bell County by WFXY-FM, WANO-AM and WXJB-FM. During the broadcast, Jeremy "Bo" Farmer, general manager of the stations, interviewed several EKCEP and JobSight staff members, as well as representatives of several of the JobSight partner agencies. That broadcast reached a listening market of more than 65,000 people.

During her interview, Angie Roark of DES concisely summed up just why the JobSight is a unique resource.

"It's all free. I can't stress that enough," she said. "All you have to want to do is make a change, and it's all here to help you do that and it won't cost you a penny."

Breathitt County resident Wilma Spicer told Farmer about how she took advantage of the services the Experience Works program offers through JobSight to get retrained in order to find employment at an older age.

Shawn Collins of the Ideal Print Shop in Bell County, and Nancy Johnson, manager of the KFC restaurant in Pineville, stressed that JobSight isn't just about helping low-income job seekers find new or improved employment. During their radio interviews, each said their respective businesses have used JobSight's employer services, including applicant screening and work readiness training, and have had positive experiences.

Overall, JobSight is about serving any and all people with a genuine need for any of its services, said Crawford Blakeman, former JobSight Manager and currently EKCEP Business Solutions manager.

"Hopefully, these efforts will result in a greater awareness of all of the services we have to offer at Bell-Whitley and the JobSight, and ultimately in more people walking through our doors," Blakeman said.

The federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) mandated the creation of one-stop workforce centers where customers can get access to the fully array of federal employment and training services. "JobSight" is the brand name for the WIA one-stop centers operated by EKCEP. EKCEP has served 23 counties in eastern Kentucky with workforce development and training programs since 1968. Today, EKCEP's network of JobSight centers includes four comprehensive one-stop centers (like the Bell County JobSight), three JobSight Affiliate Sites and 68 JobSight Access Points.