Heavy losses in manufacturing have placed immense pressure on career centers throughout north central Ohio. For Troy Shutler, a career counselor at North Central State College, a key resource for providing guidance to dislocated workers is EMSI’s Job Finder. 

The new self-service tool combines regional labor market data and current job postings with occupational compatibility analysis and a list of local training providers in a web-based format so jobseekers can find new opportunities. To use the tool, jobseekers simply plug in their desired occupation, wage level, and maximum commute distance, and Job Finder produces a detailed report. “It doesn’t get any easier than plugging in the name and information and job-finding the job title that matches,” Shutler says. “You’ve got the match right there. So it’s very simple to use.”

Shutler, who works at an access point for Richland County OneStop job services  on the NCSC campus in Mansfield, advises between 8-10 dislocated workers each week. During these one-on-one meetings, he uses Job Finder “to get some ammunition or talking points to our discussion about where to go next from here,” he says. He also has begun to use the tool in career workshops. 

Regardless if Shutler is counseling a large group or an individual jobseeker, Job Finder has provided value by giving dislocated workers a realistic, data-driven look at what’s happening in the labor market. According to Shutler, “It helps them look at the data and understand, ‘Wow, there’s such limited growth in what I’ve done that maybe I really do need to be thinking about something new.’ ” If that’s the case, Job Finder recommends alternate occupations that require compatible skill sets and are at the same or better wage level.

For more on North Central State’s career services, click here. And for more on Job Finder, including a short video, follow this link.