Use of Pierce College Job Center Up 44%

Pierce College officials said an effort to the get the word out about its Job Center has paid off with a 44% increase in student and nonstudent usage last year.

A total of 7,005 people took advantage of the center’s free services in 1997, up from 4,864 in 1996, said Bonnie Caruso, job center director.

The largest increase, at 52%, came from members of the public.

In 1996, only 892 nonstudents used the center, while in 1997, 1,358 sought help there.

Caruso said the center worked hard last year to inform people about the service and of the many ways it helps people find jobs.

“When you have a good service but one that many students don’t know about, it’s not very successful,” she said.

The Job Center works with employers to advertise jobs, ranging from clerical positions to professional opportunities for those who hold college degrees.

It also offers computer access to Job Trak listings available to college and universities nationwide.

Caruso said the center brought in a state Employment Development Department representative full time last year to help people search through the EDD job banks.

One of the ways the center has increased usage, Caruso said, was by offering frequent workshops in resume writing and interview techniques and counseling people on making career choices.

“If someone comes in who needs help immediately with a resume or an interview, we are able to help them,” she said.

The center provides information on positions in the Los Angeles area as well as other parts of California and around the country.

It is open between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays; from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays; and from 9 a.m. to noon on Fridays.

For more information, call (818) 719-6454.