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Attachment B <br />WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FOCUS GROUP <br />EIUIPLOYMENT OUTREACH MEETINGS <br />The Workforce Development Workgroup held two focus group outreach meetings with Orange,County <br />residents who are unemployed or underemployed and actively seeking jobs. The focus group elicited <br />participants' views on becoming gainfully employed and potential solutions to those obstacles. <br />The first meeting was held on April 18~' at the Employment Security Commission in Hillsborough and was <br />attended by five citizens. The second meeting was held on April 25m and attended by six citizens. <br />Susan Lombardo and Ben Mauk led both focus groups. After a brief background and introduction by <br />Susan, Ben led the group through a series of thought provoking questions and discussion regarding the <br />obstacles they personally had encountered in their job search.. The following are the answers, as <br />provided by the citizen participants: <br />Barriers <br />1. Child care (5:30 pick-up is too early if you are commuting) , <br />2. Computer training -lack of training in specific software programs <br />3. Lack of full time opportunities -especially jobs with benefits and livable wages <br />4. Temp to hire agencies usually result in just temp work <br />5. Lack of feedback/communication once a resume or application is submitted <br />6. Transportation, lack of car and expense <br />7. Jobs that require training -how to live and support family during training <br />8. Hours during training/introductory period conflict with hours available to work <br />9. Lack of direct work experience infield <br />10. No. internships unless you are astudent <br />11. Globalization <br />12. Poor credit report <br />13. Age - no one wants to hire older adults <br />14. Over qual~ed for jobs available <br />15. Lack of network in one's field <br />16. Criminal record <br />17. Lack of education <br />18. Resume is not effective <br />19. Lack of professional jobs <br />20. Intense competition for best jobs <br />21. Self esteem declines while unemployed making it difficult to present positive attitude when called for <br />interviews <br />22. Financial stability declines <br />23. Cumbersome training process <br />24. Unhealthy coping habits/substance abuse <br />25. Finding time for training and job hunting <br />Solutions <br />1. Nightlflexible hour daycare <br />2. Small business/technical assistance <br />3. Educating employers about advantages of hiring older/more experienced workers <br />4. Internships for non-student workers. <br />5. Provide job specific training or on the job training <br />6. Identify misleading marketing tactics <br />7. Identify and make readily available all resources available to job seekers <br />$. Encourage business owners to consider employing unemployed persons first <br />9. Provide training that is short term with flexible hours <br />10. Large corporations have more internal training (RTP) <br />11. More reliance on ESC for filling vacancies, rather than temp agencies <br />12. Require drug testing when initially approaching ESC for services <br />13. ESC should provide training in updated computer skills <br />14. Company supported educational opportunities <br />15. Provide employers with incentives for allowing flexible hours <br />16. Educating employers regarding the benefits of providing child care incentives <br />17. Tutorial on application process <br />