Greater Portland CareerCenter Opens its Doors on January 26

January 22, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 22, 2015
Media Contact: Julie Rabinowitz, 621-5009

Located in the new State Offices building with DHHS, the facility will better connect people looking for work and help those seeking a way out of generational poverty

PORTLAND?The Portland CareerCenter on Lancaster Street is moving to the new State Offices building, co-located with DHHS and the Bureau of Veterans Services, at 151 Jetport Boulevard, Portland on Monday, January 26. Now known as the Greater Portland CareerCenter, the facility will open at 8 a.m. to offer employment services to Maine citizens eager to get back into the workforce and hiring employers.

?This building consolidates these agencies under one roof and provides Mainers with easily accessible resources and services to help them succeed,? said Governor LePage. ?Our Administration looks forward to serving Mainers at this new location and continuing to offer the training and assistance they need to successfully transition them from welfare to a career they enjoy.?

?Our new location will make it easier for us to connect with more people in Cumberland County and vice versa,? said Commissioner of Labor Jeanne S. Paquette. ?Being right there, with DHHS, we?re able to better serve the people of Greater Portland who are looking to get a job, who need training and who may not have previously been exposed to the services we provide. By offering the CareerCenter?s employment and vocational rehabilitation services down the hall from DHHS, we?re facilitating that warm hand-off while avoiding the delay and confusion of sending them to another facility at a later date.?

?Our new facility also offers flexible space for job fairs. Our monthly job fairs and frequent employer recruitments will not only attract employers and jobseekers, but will also be open to DHHS clients. This is a win-win for each agency and the people we serve,? Commissioner Paquette stated. ?In addition to our services for job seekers, we will hold a special open house for employers on February 26. Come discover how we can serve you.?

Employment services at the CareerCenter are delivered either by Department of Labor staff or Goodwill Workforce Solutions staff, depending on the job seeker?s eligibility determined during initial assessment.

People new to the job search process or looking to make a career change should begin with a visit to the Greater Portland CareerCenter. Parking at the new building is free and plentiful. Bus service is available on the Portland METRO 5 route. This route is about a 20-minute ride from downtown Portland and drops people off right in front of the building. Driving directions and other information are available at http://www.mainecareercenter.com/locations/greaterportland.shtml .

Job seekers currently receiving employment services through Goodwill Workforce Solutions should continue to visit their staff at the 185 Lancaster Street location through the end of March. Goodwill Workforce Solutions will move across the street to 190 Lancaster Street in Portland in April. Lancaster Street is accessible via the Portland METRO route 8 bus.

Visitors to the Greater Portland CareerCenter will find job search assistance and workshops, unemployment resources, training information, veterans? services and employment and vocational rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities. The information center is available for the purpose of a job search with access to a no-cost computer lab, Internet access and the Maine Job Bank, fax machines, copiers and phones.

CareerCenters, part of the Maine Department of Labor, offer a variety of services to help people find employment or upgrade skills. Each center provides several public-access computer workstations with Microsoft Office software, resume writing and cover letter software, Internet access and O?Net software for skills assessment. All CareerCenter services are free of charge.

The Greater Portland CareerCenter will have a new phone number starting January 26; call 822-3300 (TTY users call Maine Relay 711) for information and to register for workshops held at the CareerCenter. The Greater Portland CareerCenter, located at 151 Jetport Boulevard in Portland, is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. More information is available on the CareerCenter website, http://www.mainecareercenter.com .

Maine CareerCenters are an equal opportunity provider. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

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