Workforce Solutions East Texas (WSET) announces service location changes for Cherokee and Rusk County residents with the closure of its centers in Jacksonville and Henderson, as well as the addition of a new partnership site with the Jacksonville College Library, and an enhanced Mobile Workforce Center travel schedule.

 

Workforce centers located in Jacksonville and Henderson closed at the end of December, which was approved by the WSET Board and confirmed by the Chief Elected Officials board. The centers were closed due to funding reductions and low visitor traffic. WSET is committed to continuing services in these areas and encourages new and existing customers to access services and assistance through other mediums, such as our new partner site, enhanced mobile workforce center travel schedule, centralized call center, and online services.

 

WSET has established partnerships with community organizations to set up Access Point locations for job seekers to receive assistance. The first Access Point Site is now open at the Jacksonville College Library, located at 105 B J Albritton Dr in Jacksonville. This site has a WSET resource area where job seekers can register for WorkInTexas.com, receive assistance with job search, resume writing, workshops and access to resources during the service hours of Monday – Thursday, 8 AM to 4 PM. New Access Point Sites are also planned to open in Henderson and Emory in the coming months.

 

“Our pledge is ‘Serving You Where You Are,’” said Doug Shryock, Executive Director for Workforce Solutions East Texas. “Workforce Solutions East Texas is committed to keeping up with the ever-changing needs and accessibility of our 14-county region customers, as well as being good stewards of the funding we are trusted with. While yes, some of our office doors may close, know that we have established service methods in order to continue meeting client needs. We’re not just serving customers in buildings anymore.”

 

The Workforce Central Call Center is open Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. New and existing customers can speak directly to a caseworker by calling 1-844-ETWORKS (389-6757). Nearly all the services handled by a staff member in center locations are available over the phone, making access convenient for our clients.

 

WSET has also expanded its footprint in recent years to include designated off-site locations through Mobile Workforce Centers. Three mobile centers currently navigate through the region, to bring staff-assisted services and computer job-search capability directly to areas in the region without a workforce center. The Mobile Workforce Centers are equipped with multiple computers, a meeting and training area and flat-screen televisions for presentations of community announcements, job postings and advertisements by firms looking for workers. A travel schedule for our Mobile Workforce Centers can be viewed at www.easttexasworkforce.org/locations. With the closure of the centers in Jacksonville and Henderson, The Mobile Workforce Center travel schedule has been enhanced to include more scheduled stops in the affected communities.

Job seekers may also visit the WSET website, www.easttexasworkforce.org, which offers an online pre-application clients can fill out to get the process started on applying for services.

 

WSET will continue to maintain all services available in its five existing centers located in Athens, Longview, Marshall, Palestine, and Tyler. For more information, contact Doug Shryock at (903) 218-6425 or the WSET Centers Director, Mary Ann Rojas at (903) 561.8131.