DirecciónDo you have experience providing client services in the areas of unemployment insurance, assessment of clients needs, placement of workers and employer services?
If so, keep on reading!
The State of Connecticut, the Department of Labor (DOL), is currently accepting applications for the position of Labor Department Community Services Representative.
Comprehensive Benefit Offerings :
State of Connecticut is an eligible Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer, meaning you may be eligible to have qualifying student loans forgiven after 10 years of service.
Click here for more information.
- The opportunity to work for a Forbes top company : 'Forbes' State of Connecticut Ranked One of the Best Employers of 2023 - State of CT Receives National Recognition for Offering Job Growth, Competitive Benefits, and Flexible Schedule.
- A Platinum Healthcare Plan, the nation’s best for state employees and dependents, according to a report by Georgetown's Center on Health Insurance Reform and article by Ellen Andrews, Ph.
D., along with comprehensive benefit offerings.
- Comprehensive Benefits which include industry leading health benefits, including medical and dental coverage.
- Extensive pension plan and supplemental retirement offerings.
- Generous paid time off, including 13 paid holidays per calendar year.
- Professional growth and development opportunities.
- A healthy work / life balance to all employees.
Position Highlights :
- This position may require commuting between affiliate offices (Derby, CT and Stamford, CT).
- Schedule : Monday- Friday, 8 : 00 am -4 : 30 pm.
The Role :
- Conduct Initial Reemployment Services & Eligibility Assessment Program (RESEA) interviews; review of unemployment insurance eligibility and recipients’ efforts to find work, identify potential UI eligibility issues, provide labor market, and career information and review of available American Job Center services to assist in their return to the work.
- Register / Enroll customers in Wagner-Peyser via the state's workforce development business system, CTHires.
- Provide reemployment services (both virtually and in-person) to job seekers in the Bridgeport American Job Center (AJC) / Southwest region, including Derby and Stamford affiliate AJCs.
- Facilitate reemployment readiness workshops to job seekers on topics such as, Fundamentals of Résumé Writing, Interviewing Strategies & Techniques and Successful Job Search Strategies.
- Maintain & record messages, activities and case notes in appropriate business system(s), CTHires / ReEmployCT (RESEA).
- Determine eligibility for Dislocated Worker status based on Agency guidelines and certify job seekers as dislocated workers.
- Provide general unemployment insurance information / assistance.
- Perform other related duties as required.
About Us : American Job Center
American Job Center
The AJC system is a partnership of organizations that provide workforce assistance to job seekers and employers. This collaboration of state, regional, and local organizations work as a system to help prepare and train the workforce and offer services that help businesses and industry find talent.
We offer a full complement of employment services, including career centers, recruitments, workshops, and employment services for veterans.
We can also assist with unemployment insurance questions. At the DOL, we are committed to protecting and promoting the interests of Connecticut workers.
To accomplish this in an ever-changing environment, we assist workers and employers to become competitive in the global economy.
We take a comprehensive approach to meeting the needs of workers and employers, and the other agencies that serve them. We ensure the supply of high-quality integrated services that serve the needs of our customers.
Selection Plan
These positions will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules.
Applications to this recruitment will be used to meet collective bargaining requirements. Once any collective bargaining requirements have been met, all other applicants may be considered.
For Assistance in Applying :
Please read or watch our "Applicant Tips on How to Apply" page.
To Apply :
- For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from branch to branch but it does not impact your state service credit.
- At any point later in the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position.
These documents may include : performance reviews, attendance, supervisor references, college transcripts, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.
Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience most closely meets the preferred qualifications, so please ensure that your application is complete and details your experience as outlined in this job posting.
Please note : You will be unable to make revisions once you submit your application into the JobAps system.
- The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
- The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
- Ensure that your application is complete and detailed before submitting it. In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process.
You will not be able to make revisions once your application is submitted into the JobAps system.
Important Next Step Information for After You Apply :
- Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
- This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section).
Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the question's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications.
Please check your SPAM and / or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.
At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position.
These documents may include : a cover letter, resume, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc.
at the discretion of the hiring agency. Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications as indicated to apply for this position.
All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying.
Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period.
It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception.
Requests should be made to [email protected].
Due to the large volume of applications received, the Department of Administrative Services is unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process.
Updates will be available through your JobAps portal account.
Connect With Us :
- If you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Anamaria Giangarra at [email protected] and reference the recruitment number.
- Follow the State of Connecticut on LinkedIn.
PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)
In the Department of Labor this class is accountable for providing client services in the areas of unemployment insurance, assessment of clients needs, placement of workers and employer services;
in a Central Unit this class is accountable for performing basic technical tasks in the following functional areas : claims examination, benefit payment control and merit rating.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES
CENTRAL UNIT :
- Performs basic technical tasks within operational support functional areas of claims examination, benefit payment control and merit rating;
- Reviews employer protest to unemployment insurance benefit charges, researches issues and makes initial charge / non-charge decisions;
- Audits and recalculates employer tax rates based on protest determinations;
- Participates in compilation and dissemination of quarterly and annual employer accounts statements;
- Conducts fraud audits by reviewing quarterly cross match reports and automated files;
- Obtains information needed to verify overpayments;
- Calculates overpayment(s) amounts including penalties;
- Reviews, analyzes and corrects claims under a variety of special programs including military, federal, out of state or multistate claims and claims involving reduced hours, pensions, child support or shared work;
- Obtains and verifies data;
- Applies federal and / or state laws and guidelines to make monetary determinations and other disposition of claims;
- Reviews and processes special program claim appeals;
- Corresponds with employers, claimants and their representatives on variety of matters;
- Provides technical support to local offices in pertinent areas;
- Creates, updates and maintains case management files;
- Maintains records and prepares reports;
- May collect overpayments as assigned;
- Performs related duties as required.
FIELD UNIT :
- Serves as a front-line service provider for all services necessary for determination of monetary eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits;
- Reviews benefit application and secures additional data needed;
- Analyzes work history to determine appropriate benefit program;
- Assesses need for non-monetary hearing based on reason for separation or any barriers to employability;
- Makes appropriate adjustments to system wage file or refers to a field auditor as needed;
- Processes adjustments to claims, investigates and resolves held claims and exceptions;
- Provides information, referral, assessment, eligibility determinations and certification for all job service and employment and training programs;
- Determines barriers to employment;
- Assesses needs and refers client to employment counseling, training, employment planning or other support services;
- Develops job opportunities for clients whose skills do not match current listings;
- Periodically assesses continuing eligibility;
- Assists in developing work search plan;
- Customizes and conducts job search and vocational exploration workshops;
- Works with employers to seek, place and follow up on workers with appropriate skills;
- Provides services, including outreach services, to specialized client groups as assigned;
- Provides and explains information on programs, procedures, policies, laws and regulations to clients, employers and others as appropriate;
- May assist in training new or lower-level staff;
- Performs related duties as required.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY
Knowledge of
- job service, unemployment insurance and employment and training laws, regulations, policies and procedures;
- interviewing techniques and principles;
Skills
- interpersonal skills;
- oral and written communication skills;
- analytical skills;
Ability to
- make decisions;
- establish cooperative relationships with staff, employers, diverse client population and the public;
- use automated systems;
- maintain good public relations;
- understand, apply and explain relevant laws, regulations, policies, programs and procedures;
- create and maintain case management records.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE
Five (5) years of technical level experience in counseling, employment placement, veterans employment and training support services, public contact work, human service programs, community action programs, job service, unemployment insurance or employment and training functions.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED
- College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) hours equalling one-half (1 / 2) year of experience to a maximum four (4) years for a Bachelor's degree.
- For state employees two (2) years of experience as a Social Services Trainee with the target class of Labor Department Community Services Representative may be substituted for the General Experience.
- For state employees two (2) years of experience as an Employment Security Intermittent Interviewer may be substituted for the General Experience.
- Successful completion of a Connecticut Careers Trainee program approved by the Department of Administrative Services may be substituted for the General Experience.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience providing job search assistance to individuals from various backgrounds (e.g., skills, education, work history, barriers to employment such as justice involved) utilizing platforms such as CTHires, Indeed, LinkedIn, etc.
- Experience writing, editing, and proofreading résumés and cover letters
- Experience assessing individuals to develop an employment plan
- Experience coaching individuals for job interviewing
- Experience presenting to groups virtually or in-person, providing training to internal staff and speaking at community and other public events
- Experience recording client information / services and case notes in a case management system
- Experience corresponding with co-workers; supervisory staff; and customers in-person, online, email, and telephone
- Experience using virtual platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc. to participate in meetings, attend trainings, and provide virtual services
- Experience using Microsoft Outlook calendar feature to create and schedule meetings, reminders, set up folders, create contact lists / groups, and the ability to engage in email communication with staff and the general public
- Experience using Microsoft Word to create documents such as résumés, cover letters, memos, and other documents
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
Incumbents in this class assigned to veterans program positions will be required to meet the qualifications set forth in Title 38, i.
e. must be veterans, preferably disabled veterans, or other qualified, eligible persons. Any employee who bumps a Labor Department Community Service Representative in a veterans program position must meet the eligibility requirements under Title 38.
- Incumbents in this class may be required to speak a foreign language.
- Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.
