Pictured above, from l to r: Georgena Wilson, Regional Director; Becky Hull, Executive Director; Laurin Wheaton, Cookeville City Mayor; Cara Judycki, Business Services; George Phillips, One Stop Operator; Kristin McCloud, Title III Team Lead; Ellie Buckner, Business Services; Jeremiah Miller, Business Services; Lynda Huddleston, Adult Education and Susan Bell, Business Services.
Event showcased the new facility that offers a wide range of services to job seekers and employers
Cookeville – Community members recently celebrated the new Cookeville American Job Center (AJC) grand opening.
The event showcased the new facility that offers a wide range of services to job seekers and employers in the Upper Cumberland Region. The AJC’s new location at 620 South Jefferson Avenue, Suite 202, is easier for job seekers to access.
Having a center that is more centrally located removes a barrier that can keep many individuals from utilizing services available to them at no cost.
“The American Job Centers play a vital role in workforce services and training in the Upper Cumberland. It is exciting to now have their offices located in the heart of Cookeville at 620 S. Jefferson behind The Shoppes at Adams Place, making it easy to access their services,” said Cookeville Mayor Laurin Wheaton.
After learning the building that previously housed the AJC had been sold, stakeholders spent more than a year searching for a location that could improve the delivery of critical services to job seekers and business owners in the Upper Cumberland.
“I knew we were in for a challenge. We lost out on two other locations due to competitive pricing. But, with the help of Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter, we secured a beautiful space that is in a much more accessible location. I couldn’t be happier. I am very grateful to all the partners for their patience during the process,” said Becky Hull, the Executive Director for Workforce Connections, the entity that oversees services for job seekers and businesses in the region that serves Macon, Clay, Pickett, Smith, Jackson, Overton, Fentress, DeKalb, Putnam, White, Cumberland, Cannon, Warren, and Van Buren counties.
The Cookeville AJC is designed to provide a full range of assistance to job seekers and employers under one roof. The AJC offers training referrals, career counseling, job listings and similar employment-related services. They can also learn about programs that can help cover the cost of childcare, uniforms, transportation, and other barriers that can keep a person out of the workforce.
Customers can visit the AJC and use its resource room to start their job search.
“The services offered at an AJC can have a tremendous impact on a person searching for employment or an employer looking to find a qualified workforce,” said James Roberson, Interim Assistant Commissioner for the Workforce Services Division of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. “Providing those services at a location that makes it easier for everyone to find will be a game-changer for the Upper Cumberland Region.”
The Cookeville AJC is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
For more information visit HERE.
Photo courtesy of the State of TN.
Other stories you may want to check out:
