“The Whidbey Career Center is the first office in the Northwest Workforce Development area to receive certification as a WorkSource One-Stop Career Center using the new process for certification. The new designation was granted on June 1. This is a significant accomplishment for our workforce development partnership on Whidbey, said Joe Huden, Employment and Training Coordinator for the Northwest Workforce Development Council. Anyone looking for a job or for an employee has only one stop to make. All our services are offered at no charge to the customer.The certification process consists of three essential elements, Huden noted: a self-assessment and certification application using the seven Malcolm Baldrige quality criteria; an on-site visit of local business and labor representatives who determine if all the criteria are met; and a commitment to continuous quality improvement efforts. The center serves about 400 customers per month, both job seekers and employers. Services to job seekers include job search using state of the art computer resources, help with resumes (electronic and written), and various workshops to assist in the job search. For employers, services include listing open positions, employee training and retraining, recruitment and assistance during layoffs. Many other employer services are being planned, Huden said. Making the job and job seeker connection is our primary goal. WorkSource Whidbey is a joint venture of organizations dedicated to addressing local workforce development needs. The partners include: Northwest Workforce Development Council, Cascades Job Corps, Community Service Office (DSHS), Employment Security Department, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Opportunity Council, Skagit Valley College, Island District Economic Development Council and Housing Authority of Island County. WorkSource Whidbey is located at 31975 SR 20 Suite 3 in Oak Harbor and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5p.m. For more information call 360-675-5966. “