Regions 3 & 4 News
Iowa Workforce Development has
developed a
Business Directory listing for our business customers that allows business websites
to link directly to the IWD website and in turn, give thousands of
customers access and exposure to business information! If you have any questions, please feel
free to contact your local Iowa Workforce Development Office.
IWD offices in Algona, Spencer, and
Orange City are open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday
through Friday. You may call Algona at (515) 295-7219 or Fax (515)
295-6916,
Spencer at (712) 262-1971 or Fax (712) 262-1963, or
Orange City
at (712) 707-9870 or Fax: (712) 707-9872.
The Estherville Iowa
Workforce Development office is open Mondays and Thursdays only
from 8 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. IWD'S Estherville office is located at
620 First Avenue South. The phone number is (712) 362-7327, and the fax
number is (712) 362-7742.
IWD and Iowa State University Extension
began sharing office space in Emmetsburg in 2003, the first collocation
between the two agencies in Iowa. Located in the former Carnegie Library at
2008 10th Street, IWD services will continue to be available to area
residents from 9 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. on Tuesdays and Fridays. The phone
number is (712)- 852-3412 and the fax number is
(712) 852-3175.
Two additional ways to file claims for unemployment insurance
are available. Customers using Iowa Workforce Development computers can use the new "Intranet" application in
our offices. Just tell a staff member that you have keyboarding skills and would like to enter your own claim for benefits. A new "Internet" application
is available on any personal computer with an Internet connection, 24
hours a day, seven days a week.
Access Points
Iowa law requires Iowa Workforce
Development products and services be accessible to residents in all 99
counties of Iowa. In Dickinson, Lyon and Osceola counties, access is
provided through Iowa State University
Extension. In O'Brien County this access is provided through
Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon. These sites provide customers access
to job listings, word processing and spreadsheet programs with Microsoft
Office and résumé making software, as well as the Internet and all IWD
web-based applications. Customers are able to register for IWD
services, search for jobs, and file for Unemployment Insurance benefits
from these locations. IWD pamphlets and brochures are also
available. There is no charge for any of these services.
The Dickinson County ISU Extension
office is located at 1600 15th Street, Spirit Lake, Iowa. Office Hours
are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday. The Osceola County Extension office
in Sibley is located at 839 Third Ave. Office hours are 8 A.M. to
5:30 P.M. Monday through Thursday, and 8 A.M. to 2 P.M. on Fridays.
The Lyon County Extension office in Rock Rapids is at 710 N 2nd Avenue
East, Suite 103. That office is open Monday through Friday from 8
A.M. to 4:30 P.M. The access in Sheldon is located at Northwest
Iowa Community College, 603 West Park Street, Building A. PC users should be at least 14 years of age, and
should not be accompanied by small children. Use is on a
first-come, first-serve basis, but availability may be limited on
occasion due to space or staff needs.
For more information, call your
nearest Iowa Workforce Development Office.
Answers to your Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the questions that have
been asked most frequently of Iowa Workforce Development staff are now
available online. Questions are listed in over 20 different
topics. Just click here.
If you don't find the answer to your question, "Ask
the Expert".
Office
Proficiency Assessment & Certification Available to Employers
Iowa Workforce Development is
offering the Office Proficiency Assessment & Certification
(OPAC)
System to assist area businesses in screening job applicants. The
OPAC System is a suite of PC-based tests that measure abilities in
specific applications using a "live software" approach,
including MS Word®, MS Excel®, MS PowerPoint, MS Access®, Lotus 1-2-3,
and WordPerfect®. It also offers general clerical tests, such a
keyboarding, 10-key, data entry, filing and proofreading. In
addition, OPAC includes financial tests for bank reconciliation, deposits,
petty cash, and basic math skills.
Best of all the OPAC System is provided
at no charge to area businesses. If your company is interested in
using the OPAC System to assess job applicant's skills, please call your
local Iowa Workforce Development office.
Lakes Area Employers'
Council meetings & seminars:
-
The
Lakes Area Employers’ Council will be meeting on Friday, July 17, 2009
at the Iowa Lakes Community
College, 1900 N. Grand Ave. Spencer, Iowa. The program
will be from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
on
“Unemployment Insurance - What Every Employer Needs to Know”. by
featured
speaker Dan Anderson, Chief Administrative Law Judge with Iowa Workforce
Development.
-
The Lakes Area Employers' Council will be meeting on Wednesday, August
26 from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
at Iowa Lakes Community College in Spencer. This session entitled
"Independent
Contractor or Employee: Get Your Classification Right!"
will focus on how to determine whether a worker is an “independent
contractor” or an “employee.” Iowa Workforce Development Attorney
Barbara Tapscott will present this hour long session using “real life”
examples.
For more information or to pre-register, call Bob Becker at (712) 262-1971 x 126 or e-mail him at
Robert.Becker@iwd.iowa.gov
Kossuth
County Employers' Council meetings & seminars:
-
The
Kossuth County Area Employers’ Council will be meeting on Friday, July
17, 2009 at the Family Table
Restaurant, 1320 Hwy 169 N. Algona, Iowa. The program
is from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and is entitled
“Unemployment
Insurance - What Every Employer Needs to Know” by
featured
speaker Dan Anderson, Chief Administrative Law Judge with Iowa Workforce
Development.
-
The Kossuth County Area Employers' Council will be meeting on Wednesday,
August 26 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00
a.m. at Iowa Lakes Community College in Algona. This session entitled "Independent
Contractor or Employee: Get Your Classification Right!"
will focus on how to determine whether a worker is an “independent
contractor” or an “employee.” Iowa Workforce Development Attorney
Barbara Tapscott will present this hour long session using “real life”
examples.
All businesses and
employers are invited to attend. Schedule is subject to change. Please
pre-register for all meetings with Paula Seely, 515-295-4602, or e-mail at
seelyp@mercyhealth.com
Upper Northwest Iowa Employers' Council
(ECI) Meetings:
- Upper Northwest Iowa Employers' Council will be meeting on
Wednesday, May 20 with location to be determined. Harbor Group
will be reviewing personality assessments.
For more information about Upper Northwest Iowa Employers' Council, contact Ann Conner at (712) 707-9870.
