GROWTH COUNCIL GETS $12,000 GRANT FROM BELL ATLANTIC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Paul Badeau
Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council
784-0161
June 13, 2000
(LEWISTON) – The Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council has received a $12,000 grant from the Bell Atlantic Foundation to create “Hire L-A,” an automated kiosk system that will serve as an information resource for job seekers and employers in the Lewiston-Auburn area.
The system, which will be accessed initially at three kiosks at public sites throughout the Twin Cities, will rely largely on Internet technology. The system will provide a list of companies that have job openings, a company description, and a link to the employer’s Web site, where specific job listings would be maintained by the employer.
Designed to be easy to use, particularly for people who are unfamiliar with technology and the Internet, the system will also provide links to existing employment resources including temp agencies, national job databases, human resource associations, and the state’s Career Center. LAEGC also plans to list bus schedules, job recruiting ideas, and how-to resources on resume writing and interviewing.
“We seek to connect competent employees with employers and vice versa,” says Lucien Gosselin, President of the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council. “One of the greatest challenges facing today’s employers is finding qualified employees given our tight labor market. Thanks to the Bell Atlantic Foundation’s generous funding, this system will allow employers to access nontraditional employee market segments such as welfare recipients, partially retired or elderly workers, reformed correctional system candidates, non-traditional students, and others. We also intend to promote existing state, local, and regional employment programs and institutions.”
Other features may include success stories from companies that have implemented recruiting techniques such as job-sharing, job fairs, or senior citizen recruiting, for example. The site will also have a list of training resources. Organizers may offer limited screens in French and Spanish.
As a funding priority, the Bell Atlantic Foundation has chosen projects that integrate innovative technology into its diverse communities. Bell Atlantic’s grants support technology applications in the fields of education, health, arts and culture, and community development.
“The automated kiosk system offers an innovative use of technology in expanding employment opportunities for people of the Lewiston-Auburn region,” according to Celeste Viger, Public Affairs Manager for Bell Atlantic — Maine. “The accessibility to technology and multitude of resources provided by the system enable job seekers to position themselves at a competitive advantage.”
LAEGC will partner with various agencies including the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce, the Maine Department of Labor, and the Career Center to gain project feedback and assistance. In addition to Bell Atlantic, Liberty Mutual has also made a generous contribution of Macintosh computer equipment.
The Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council is the central economic development agency serving the Twin Cities of Lewiston and Auburn, Maine. It is a nonprofit, public/private partnership that helps emerging and expanding businesses in Lewiston-Auburn. LAEGC provides its clients with site searches, marketing services, and financing in order to enhance local job opportunities, increase the tax base, and promote economic prosperity.
