Job hunters now have free training through video conferencing system

Since last week, Wisconsin Job Centers are using video conferencing to allow job seekers to get free training and participate at workshops being held all over the state without leaving the comfort of their communities.

This allows job seekers to have a much greater access to resources and to be able to attend workshops and training seminars without the need to travel to be physically present. Examples of workshops include interviewing skills and resume writing, though a greater variety is expected.

In the future the system might also be marketed to local businesses, which could use it for employee training and interviews for potential employees. It can also be used to offer seminars for SMBs, covering topics such as unemployment and labor law.

Last week, at the Marathon County Job Center, a dozen people participated at the first statewide videoconference, a number that is expected to grow in the future as more people are finding out about the workshops.

According to John Cokl, finance director for the North Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Board, “if there’s a good workshop going on starting in Madison, we can join in and participate in that.”

The videoconferencing system has been deployed at 33 locations all over the state and has received a state grant of $710,000 to fund 22 of the sites. The system is also connected to the BadgerNet Converged Network, which connects public spaces like schools and libraries via videoconferencing.

With the unemployment rate at 9.1% (August 2011), Wisconsin’s videoconferencing initiative is a great way to provide extra training and tools to job seekers all over the state and can be seen as an example for the rest of country.

But why stay at videoconferencing? Why not implement remote access, remote support and webinar tools allowing more ways to train and teach job seekers?

Appliances like RHUB’s TurboMeeting 6-in-1- Conferencing appliance allows video conferencing, web conferencing and audio conferencing while providing, at the same time, remote support, remote access and the possibility to launch and organize webinars, rendering virtual training much more effective.