Although this press release was issued in October, many unemployed individuals will find it useful today!
Governor David A. Paterson today announced a revolutionary E-Government tool that will help nearly 875,000 unemployed New Yorkers receive job leads in their regions immediately. The Department of Labor's ground-breaking, web-based Skills Matching and Referral Technology (SMART) 2010 program analyzes resumes for skills and work experience, then electronically contacts unemployed New Yorkers via e-mail, recommending job openings in their areas to them based on their past work history, experience and skills. “Throughout my administration, state government has become a national leader in utilizing technology to make government more transparent and accountable,” said Governor Paterson.“By harnessing the power of the Internet, the Department of Labor’s innovative new SMART 2010 program will increase job opportunities for the unemployed and help them become more marketable. I encourage every unemployed New Yorker to visit their nearest One-Stop Career Center and let this amazing technology work for you.”
In the age of globalization, the Internet has become one of the primary destinations for individuals to conduct job searches. As Danielle Lazzaro of Nassau County can attest, “I've been looking for a full-time job since the beginning of June, spending a minimum of six hours a day conducting job searches on the Internet. This has, in a sense, become my full-time job.”
Many job seekers possess skills for jobs they may not be considering in their day-to-day job searches. SMART 2010 goes beyond buzz words and keywords and looks at the entire person – their strengths, skills and talents. The program then develops a holistic approach to find the best job openings available, immediately opening the door to more job opportunities.
State Labor Commissioner M. Patricia Smith said, “We know that job seekers are on their computers every day, searching through job openings and trying to find their niche. SMART 2010 already knows their niche, and can also find other occupations out there they may not even have considered. With one click of the mouse, this program takes everything we’ve done in our 100 year history and changes the way we do business for the better.”
Every unemployed New Yorker is encouraged to visit their nearest One-Stop Career Center to get immediate help in crafting a resume. Once a resume is completed in an electronic format, a Labor Department counselor will feed the resume into the SMART 2010 system. Within 24 hours of submitting a resume, the individual will receive an e-mail containing one to 10 job matches from the Department of Labor’s database of employment opportunities. Job openings will be within a specific geographic radius, depending on the region. These e-mails will continue every day thereafter. Customers without an individual e-mail account or computer skills are encouraged receive assistance from Department of Labor staff.
To increase the effectiveness of SMART 2010, the Labor Department also encourages every business across the state with job openings to list them on the New York Job Exchange. To find your nearest One-Stop Career Center or to post a job with the State Labor Department, please visit http://www.labor.ny.gov/.
