“Whidbey Career Center, a new resource for businesses and job seekers in Island County, will hold an open house and tour of their facility on Thursday, Nov. 9, from 2-5 p.m. at 31975 SR 20, #3, Oak Harbor. The public is invited, including elected officials, business people, educators and job seekers. The Career Center provides instruction in areas of job search including skill identification, electronic resume writing and posting, career exploration and current labor market information. Businesses have access to electronic resume banks, computer job matching services, and information on wages and business trends. Businesses can also take advantage of retraining resources and/or receive personal assistance with employee recruitment and layoffs. Washington’s largest employment Web site, Go2Worksource.com, is available 24 hours a day to access job matching and other employment resources. Services are provided at no charge.The Whidbey Career Center is a joint venture of organizations dedicated to addressing local workforce development needs. The partners include the Northwest Workforce Development Council, Cascades Job Corps, Community Services Office (DSHS), Employment Security Department, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Opportunities Industrialization Center, Bellingham Technical College and Skagit Valley College.The Workforce Development Council, in cooperation with our local elected officials, is as committed as ever to promoting customer-focused quality services, said Colonel Betz, chair of the Northwest Workforce Development Council. Our public/private collaboration has vigorously continued the focus on an integrated workforce preparation system in our community. “