Submitted by Kirkland J Murray on Thu, 09/15/2016 - 12:00am

Did you know that right now there are over 13,000 job openings in Anne Arundel County advertised on the Maryland Workforce Exchange (mwejobs.maryland.gov)? That puts Anne Arundel County fourth in the state for highest number of openings right now.  What about the fact that over 24,000 job openings were posted in July alone? That is a lot of jobs that businesses need filled.  

In July there were over 12,000 Anne Arundel County residents who were unemployed and looking for work. So why are individuals unemployed if there are almost two job openings posted for every one person unemployed?

This problem has a variety of factors involved; however one of the biggest and most prominent issues is called the skills mismatch. This is when individuals looking for a job do not poses the skills, certifications, and/or work experience that businesses are looking for.  This is where the workforce development system comes in to save the day.

Workforce development was specifically created to make sure that individuals have these in-demand skills, certifications, and work experience so that they can get back to work quickly and businesses have the talent needed in order to grow, thrive, and ultimately succeed. As workforce development professionals, we are constantly reviewing and analyzing the current and projected demands from businesses to ensure they are providing the best services possible.

The workforce development system is not just those partners that are located in the Career Centers across the County; the system incorporates a variety of businesses, organizations, and nonprofits which all play a vital role in making sure that our community succeeds.

Partners such as the public schools, community college, and training organizations provide the classroom learning needed to build skills and get certifications. There are nonprofit partners that focus on helping individuals overcome problems that arise that prevent them from finding or keeping a job. Then there are partners that work with specific individuals to provide support and/or specialized programs that they need to succeed based on their current situation. All of these partners are key; however businesses are at the heart of the system, not only as a customer that benefits from the workforce system but as a key partner.

Businesses provide the information and insights needed to make sure job seekers are prepared and they give people a place to get hands on experience in an occupation through work and learn training such as a summer internship for a youth or work experience for someone looking to enter a new industry.  Without partnership from businesses, the workforce system would be behind on the trends and unable to fully prepare job seekers to get back to work.

September is National Workforce Development Month, a time where we not only showcase what the workforce system does for our communities but also a time where we recognize the hard work that dedicated workforce development professionals put in everyday to help individuals and businesses succeed. If you are looking for a job or your businesses is looking for talent I strongly encourage you to visit an Anne Arundel County Career Center to connect with one of these talented professionals that can help you build your success.