BY B.G. GREGG
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Looking for a job or a new employee could soon become easier in Hamilton and Clermont counties, as a national consulting firm interviews thousands of employers and sets up an Internet database for job matching.
Ohio's Department of Human Services has hired Andersen Consulting to interview 16,600 Hamilton County employers and 1,400 Clermont County employers about their needs and create two Internet sites -- one for each county.
How it will work
Andersen Consulting expects to begin interviewing employers within two weeks and have the Internet site up by the end of July. The employers will be asked 27 questions, and the average interview will take about seven minutes.
Employer information will be updated every 12 to 18 months. Available jobs will be deleted after 30 days if they are filled during the previous month.
Potential employees who post their "resumes" -- a list of their skills and wishes -- on the site will be able to reply via the Internet directly to employers who have jobs that match.
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Businesses will be able to quickly locate applicants who match their requirements, and job-seekers will be able to post notices on the site and scan for positions that best suit their desires and skills.
The Workforce Development Project is being set up to help each county's Department of Human Services find jobs for welfare recipients, but will be available to the whole community. The free service will be paid for with Temporary Assistance to Needy Families funds, a combination of federal and state money.
"This is not just limited to the welfare population -- it is an economic development tool for the whole county," said David R. Perkins of Andersen Consulting.
Andersen Consulting will unveil its plan to the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce today. A pilot site at w3.eriss.com on the Internet was based on interviews with San Diego County employers.
Roger Ruhl, vice president of marketing for the chamber, said his organization will encourage businesses to participate in the survey. He said a recent survey found that 30 percent of local businesses said work-force development was a problem.
"That was far and away the most significant problem businesses are facing these days," he said. "This survey will be both an exhaustive and comprehensive look at both the supply and demand side of the work force in Cincinnati and clearly a significant help to businesses and job seekers.
"This will help businesses understand the workforce availabilities and shape their business plans accordingly, and it will help workers understand what skill sets are needed to make themselves competitive."
Andersen will also interview employers in Franklin and Fairfield counties. The four counties were chosen because of their innovative welfare-to-work programs, Mr. Perkins said. It is possible the same process will eventually be used in all 88 Ohio counties.
"We'd really like to see it in Butler and Warren, and even in Southeast Indiana and Northern Kentucky," said Don Thomas, director of Hamilton County's Department of Human Services.
Mr. Thomas said the comprehensive database will help welfare recipients because it will allow caseworkers to easily look for available jobs, and will also allow them to look for better jobs as the recipient gains skills.
