Contact: Dick Jones, Agency Liaison, 608-267-4780
On the web: http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/dwd/newsreleases/2009/042009_recovery_jcow_exec_order.pdf
Executive order requires recovery project contractors to use site, post openings
MADISON – In a move to help the unemployed find work and get the economy back on track, Governor Jim Doyle today announced an executive order requiring all contractors and subcontractors involved in recovery projects to post job openings on JobCenterofWisconsin.com, Wisconsin’s Internet employment site that is free, user-friendly and accessible at all hours of the day.
“With the Job Center of Wisconsin site, we are leading efforts to put people to work and get our nation’s economy on the road to recovery,” Governor Doyle said. “The executive order I am announcing today not only helps people find work, it helps employers find the skilled workers they need to succeed. We launched this free, easy-to-use site last fall, and it has become a popular destination for job seekers and employers. We are now making it the premiere site for job opportunities on recovery projects.”
Under Executive Order # 278, any employer receiving funds from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is required to list job openings on JobCenterofWisconsin.com, the Internet site operated by the Department of Workforce Development (DWD). The order further directs all state agencies to include the job posting requirement in all ARRA funded contracts awarded to contractors and subcontractors employing workers in the state.
“JobCenterofWisconsin.com is among the many successful efforts of Governor Doyle’s Grow Wisconsin plan for economic and workforce development,” DWD Secretary Roberta Gassman said. “We developed it to help meet the 21st century needs of job seekers and employers. With the Governor’s executive order, it will prove an even more effective tool in our economic recovery efforts.”
Wisconsin stands to receive more than $3.7 billion in recovery funds. An estimated 70,000 jobs will be created or saved in Wisconsin as a result of the recovery plan. Governor Doyle worked closely with President Obama and Congressman Dave Obey on the recovery package.
The Job Center of Wisconsin employment website is averaging 500,000 visits per day. In March, more than 3,500 job seekers posted resumes on the site. The site currently has nearly 13,000 job openings listed.
The site was among workforce agenda items Governor Doyle included early last year in Grow Wisconsin – The Next Steps, the third in his series of economic and workforce development plans he has offered. In addition to job openings, the site also lists job fairs and provides links to DWD programs and services.
JobCenterofWisconsin.com was designed with safeguards so that job seekers control access to their resumes.
