The Arkansas Department of Workforce Services is using a computer program to assess occupational skills to help the unemployed find jobs.
But the program isn't limited to those out of work, said Tammy Dragon, program operations manager for the department.
"We can use it for those in high school or college who aren't sure of the direction they want to go in," Dragon said. "We can use the skills assessment and create a plan for them."
The software program -- known as TORQ for Transferable Occupation Relationship Quotient -- takes the individual's knowledge, skills, ability and educational level and suggests occupations, Dragon said.
The program was obtained by the department as part of the requirements of the federal Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, Dragon said.
TORQworks of Indianapolis developed the skills assessment program.
It has contracts in Arkansas, Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, said Brian Hartz, vice president of client services for TORQworks. The system also is being used in parts of Florida and Colorado, Hartz said.
Dragon provided an example of a woman with 10 years' experience as a waitress.
If she only enters "waitress" into the program, including an income range between $15,000 and $30,000, the program offers 27 alternate occupations within a 25-mile radius of her ZIP code. But if the all the tasks that the waitress uses in her job are included, the program provides 168 alternate occupations and 367 job postings, Dragon said.
If someone has an interest in a specific occupation, the program can help them get on that path, Dragon said.
"If they want to be a registered nurse, the program will show them their skills gap so they will know what they still need to do to become a registered nurse," Dragon said.
A homemaker who has never held a job also can use the program, Dragon said.
"That homemaker has, on average, 60 skills," Dragon said. "Some have more. The things they do at home -- transportation, budgeting, multitasking, organizational skills -- are things that they typically don't get credit for."
When creating a resume for homemakers, Dragon suggests creating a skills resume.
"You don't list the names of the employers," Dragon said. "Get your foot in the door and then sell yourself on the skills you have. It's all about how you prepare for the interview. Just because you haven't been paid for something doesn't mean you don't have the skills."
Kimberly Autry of Forrest City worked for a nonprofit organization last year, but she lost the job after she was involved in a car accident.
She asked about a job with Forrest City Water Utility in July and was told she needed to apply at the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services because the utility hired through that state agency.
She got the job as an administrative assistant with the utility in September.
Before the nonprofit job, she had been an educator for 13 years in the Earle School District but had to drive more than 30 miles to work. Now it takes only a few minutes to get to work.
She is earning a higher income than she did at the school, said Autry, who has a degree from Arkansas State University.
"But even if I was making the same amount, it would be a plus because I don't have to drive as far," Autry said.
The employees at Workforce Services were helpful and knowledgeable about the assessment program, Autry said.
"If I got stuck on something, they were always able to help me to get through the program," Autry said.
In Arkansas, the Department of Workforce Services has created more than 81,000 project plans for applicants in the past two years, Dragon said.
The department has a difficult time tracking which applicants secure new jobs, however, Dragon said.
"Whenever an individual goes into [the program] and finds a position they are interested in, they click on the position and it automatically takes them to that employer's website," Dragon said. "Once they leave the TORQ program, there's no way anymore to track it."
The available jobs come from aggregators, including Simply Hire, Indeed and U.S. Jobs. The Workforce Services' program only links to jobs for which an applicant is qualified, Dragon said.
Applicants seeking employment outside Arkansas also can access openings anywhere in the country, as long as the ZIP code for the area is known, said Becky Heflin, former spokesman for the department.
The department also works with the homeless and those recently released from prison, Dragon said. The majority of people who have been in prison had an occupation while they were there, Dragon said.
Massachusetts has used the program to help unemployed veterans find work, according to an article in the Boston Globe. The program includes almost 10,000 military occupations from all branches of the service, the Globe said.
"For those who utilize the TORQ program, about 60 percent find employment," Dragon said.
SundayMonday Business on 05/18/2015