National Career Readiness Tests

Individuals can earn the NCRC by taking three tests. In the library, search catalog.wccls.org for 3 titles.

• Locating Information
• Reading for Information
• Applied Mathematics

New Business Prospecting

New Businesses are a lucrative list. Salespeople, job hunters, and investors like to follow trends in employment numbers, market size, and other factors related to new businesses coming out. To get information on new businesses in the whole of the USA, the Washington County Library provides you with Reference USA. There is a feature in Reference USA that allows you to isolate new businesses.


To get information on new businesses in Oregon, you can find that in www.qualityinfo.org/olmisj/ats and dropdown and select one of these actions: Expanding firm, Reduction in Employment, New Firm, Closure, Rehire, Hiring Freeze, Labor dispute, Sale/Merger/Acquisition, Relocation, Future Impact, Education/Training, Stimulus, Other,



 

Looking for employment?

If you are looking for a new job or wishing to change jobs memorize one website,http://www.employment.oregon.gov/ . This is the State of Oregon's employment website.

This site offers quality information to assist Oregonians find work or improve their employment prospects. Information includes help on benefits, taxes, education, childcare, links to jobs and so much more.

This site has great resources and links to job fairs and events.

If you are a Veteran, there is a site dedicated to assisting Veterans.

The website is also available in Spanish. 

Oregon Job Hunters-Trying to prepare for the NCRC?

If you have seen Worksource Oregon's website or visited any of their facilities lately, you might have noticed that there is a new readiness test. It is called the NCRC, the National Career Readiness Certificate, and it measures key workplace skills. So, how do you prepare for it?
There are a couple of options for prepping for the NCRC assessments. Through the WorkSource Oregon Centers, an individual can take what is called the Initial Skills Review. This gives an indication of how the individuals will do on the assessments for the NCRC. After completing the ISR, individuals can access the WIN Courseware. This is online, self-paced courseware that help prepare the individual for the NCRC assessments. The courseware can be accessed from outside of the WorkSource Centers after an individuals has logged in once. Staff at the WorkSource Center can also provide PDF versions of the courseware if requested.

Individuals can also access online practice tests through ACT, the company who created the NCRC. These cost $5.00 each. Here is link to that resource: http://www.act.org/workkeys/practice .

When the program was in the pilot phase of implementation, there were some workbooks purchased in 2008-2009 by one of the pilot sites, but at this point, there are no free booklets at the WorkSource Oregon locations, or libraries. But the Beaverton City Library has always been a good place to find general materials on brushing up on your math, reading comprehension, writing, and research skills.

For students or anyone who is interested in exploring careers, the Oregon Career Information System is one of the most helpful resources I have ever used. Although the database focuses on Oregon schools and programs of study, the user can expand their search to includes schools throughout the United States. It's a highly interactive site and what I have found is that the more you use it, the more you find with each new search. One of the most valuable aspects of the database is that it covers not only the two and four year schools, but also those institutions that offer short-term study programs or certificates for various occupations. Included in the detailed information:

• Overviews of individual occupations with details on specific work activities, common work activities, working conditions, physical demands, skills and abilities, knowledge, interests, preparation, helpful high school courses, hiring practices, wages, employment and outlook, advancement, and further resources. It then allows you to search schools that offer programs of study in that occupation.



• The program section addresses program admission, graduate admissions, typical course work, things to know, and other resources. The schools offering those programs are listed by geographical region in Oregon (or you can choose an out-of-state location) and then give detailed information about the school, student body, costs, financial aid, admissions, academics, student life, housing, student services, and career services. Website links are also given.



• If you aren't sure about a particular job title but are interested in a specific field of work like health care or business, the clusters index lists appropriate occupations within a variety of fields.



• The financial aid section is extremely useful in that it allows you to narrow your search to certain types of financial help like scholarships, grants and loans. The scholarship list is very detailed and there is a section specifically for Oregon residents.


• The exploration tools section is helpful in that it lets the user sort through various areas such as occupation, undergraduate or graduate schools, financial aid and one of the most interesting tools, the Reality Check which gives a very realistic picture of how much money you will need to live and which occupation will may for those needs.

Check it out!

Felons and Ex-Offenders - Job Hunting Resources

More than 5,000 sentenced prisoners are released from state or federal jurisdiction in Oregon correctional facilities each year, in figures from 2008-to present according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin. People who have done time and now have legal histories have an uphill battle if they search for work. Often they fall through the cracks and end up in the same kinds of troubles as before.

A man was searching for felony friendly job listings at the library and I had no good leads and decided to give him a referral to Worksource Oregon which did publish a list of felony friendly employers, but it was not online.

I gathered these resources however in the process:

List of Felony Friendly Employers Dated March 2011

Professionals? We have books for you at the Beaverton City Library

Most people think that public libraries carry mostly popular materials and materials for the young. And they do! But we also support a community that includes educated professionals, businesspeople, and entrepreneurs. Here are a few of the selections we have this year for you:



Banking

Banking and Financial Institutions: A Guide for Directors, Investors, and Counterparties



Legal / Paralegal



Paralegal practice & procedure : a practical guide for the legal assistant

Practical aviation law



Wills, trusts, and probate law for paralegals







Operations

An introduction to emergency exercise design and evaluation



Management

Fundamentals of organizational communication : knowledge, sensitivity, skills, values
Green Supply Chain Management: Product Life Cycle Approach
Management Communication







Manufacturing

Contemporary logistics

Mastering purchasing management for inbound supply chains

Psychology

Handbook of pediatric psychology



Project Management

Microsoft Project 2010 inside out



Sales

Key account management : the definitive guide



Teaching

Approaches to behavior and classroom management : integrating discipline and care


Warehousing

Warehouse Management
A supply chain logistics program for warehouse management

Learning Express Database

As a resident of Oregon you have 24/7 access to Learing Express. Learning Express is a database that can be accessed through http://www.wccls.org/ under Online Resources- careers.
"Whatever your goal, LearningExpress Library's resources will help you succeed. Each of our Learning Centers offers the practice tests, exercises, skill-building courses, eBooks, and information you need to achieve the results you want—at school, at work, or in life. Looking to land a job? You'll find an entire Learning Center dedicated to helping you get the one that's right for you." ~Learning Express website.

The biggest secret is that there are downloadable exam ebooks. The list of available titles include:

• 501 Algebra Questions



• Pre-GED Language Arts Writing



• GED Math



• Air Traffic Control Test Prep

Log on today and get started!

Oregon Career Information System

For students or anyone who is interested in exploring careers, the Oregon Career Information System is one of the most helpful resources I have ever used. Although the database focuses on Oregon schools and programs of study, the user can expand their search to includes schools throughout the United States. It's a highly interactive site and what I have found is that the more you use it, the more you find with each new search. One of the most valuable aspects of the database is that it covers not only the two and four year schools, but also those institutions that offer short-term study programs or certificates for various occupations. Included in the detailed information:

• Overviews of individual occupations with details on specific work activities, common work activities, working conditions, physical demands, skills and abilities, knowledge, interests, preparation, helpful high school courses, hiring practices, wages, employment and outlook, advancement, and further resources. It then allows you to search schools that offer programs of study in that occupation.



• The program section addresses program admission, graduate admissions, typical course work, things to know, and other resources. The schools offering those programs are listed by geographical region in Oregon (or you can choose an out-of-state location) and then give detailed information about the school, student body, costs, financial aid, admissions, academics, student life, housing, student services, and career services. Website links are also given.



• If you aren't sure about a particular job title but are interested in a specific field of work like health care or business, the clusters index lists appropriate occupations within a variety of fields.



• The financial aid section is extremely useful in that it allows you to narrow your search to certain types of financial help like scholarships, grants and loans. The scholarship list is very detailed and there is a section specifically for Oregon residents.


• The exploration tools section is helpful in that it lets the user sort through various areas such as occupation, undergraduate or graduate schools, financial aid and one of the most interesting tools, the Reality Check which gives a very realistic picture of how much money you will need to live and which occupation will may for those needs.

Check it out!

ReliefWeb

ReliefWeb was launched in October 1996 and is administered by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). This site contains reliable and timely information regarding humanitarian emergencies throughout the world. It is highly interactive in that it allows the user to see in-depth profiles, updates and reports on individual countries and disasters. For example, the latest information regarding relief efforts in Japan were listed and as I was creating this blog, several updates to the site were made. Jobs and training opportunities are also listed, letting the user focus on a particular country, type of job, organizational source, etc. This is an incredible resource for anyone interested in humanitarian efforts throughout the world.

Unemployed?

If you are looking for a new job or wishing to change jobs memorize one website, http://www.employment.oregon.gov/ . This is the State of Oregon's employment website.

This site offers quality information to assist Oregonians find work or improve their employment prospects. Information includes help on benefits, taxes, education, childcare, links to jobs and so much more.

This site has great resources and links to job fairs and events.

If you are a Veteran, there is a site dedicated to assisting Veterans.

The website is also available in Spanish.

Federal Jobs

Did you know...

That the library subscribes to the bi-weekly publication, Federal Jobs Digest.

Federal Jobs Digest lists Federal job vacancies nationwide. Each listing provides the job grade level, salary, agency, closing date and URL to apply for the position.

There are also a few articles in each issue. The October 1st issue answers the question, "How long do I have to wait for an interview" and explains the recruitment process.

Happy Job Hunting~!

Indeed (Job Website)

Although there are many job searching websites available, one of the easiest I have found to use is Indeed. This site searches thousands of company websites, job boards, newspapers and associations and makes searching these sources an absolute breeze. All you do is list the job title, keyword or company name and a location (if you want), and the site will list the jobs available with direct links to the original job posting giving you all the information you need in order to apply for the position. If you don't have a specific job title in mind, you can browse their listings of job categories or search listing by specific geographic locations. Also included in the site are salary charts and job trends. Check it out!

Do you have the AAMA exam preparation book? No, but we do have Learning Express!

Hello!
I would like to bring your attention to the database called Learning Express Library.
The question is a familiar one, they need a test preparation exam book... Just one problem. Some of the text exam prep books cost upwards of $100 and it's rare for us to have many of them, if at all.
Learning Express Library contains Certified Medical Assistant, Dental and Nursing, Post Office Exams, preparation for GED, SAT, and many many many more.

Once you click on Learning Express, you will need to enter a valid library card. Then you will need to do a search in the top left hand corner, such as medical assistant

Then you will see a list of tests. You click on the test you want and then choose, to the far right, log on with the green plus..

Then you will need to register, simple registration, no fee...

Then it saves it to your area and you can take the test. Some tests are timed. You may also retake the test. You can see the answers and the reasons why, as well.

Good luck and happy studying!