Sept. 27, 2017
The public is invited to attend the grand opening of Teleworks USA’s Lawrence County Teleworks Hub, located at 180 Bulldog Lane in Louisa, beginning at 12 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 6.
Located within the Lawrence County Community Center, the Hub space in Louisa boasts 30 fully equipped terminals for Teleworks USA’s customer service and digital literacy workshops, along with a limited number of workstations that will allow teleworkers temporary workspace as they transition to a work-from-home setting.
“The Lawrence County Hub is our eighth in Eastern Kentucky, and we couldn’t be more happy to be here,” said Betty Hays, Teleworks USA’s operations manager. “There are hundreds of job openings out there for teleworkers from a variety of employers, from customer service to more advanced positions. We want to connect as many people as possible with these opportunities.”
The Hub’s grand opening on Oct. 6 will provide the public an opportunity to view the facility up close and see how Teleworks USA works not only to prepare people for legitimate telework jobs, but to also obtain positions with well-known companies from across the country, including U-Haul, Concentrix, and Sutherland.
An initiative of the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP), Teleworks USA identifies and develops legitimate remote-work, distance learning opportunities, and helps to prepare people for the jobs in the digital economy, working with them on creating résumés and developing superior interviewing skills, then applying for and obtaining legitimate work-from-home positions through its website, www.teleworksusa.com.
“Since 2015, Teleworks USA’s system of Teleworks Hubs has helped connect nearly 1,100 people with new jobs right here in Eastern Kentucky,” said Michael Cornett, EKCEP director of agency expansion and Teleworks USA.
These jobs, Cornett added, account for an estimated $23 million economic impact in annual wages to teleworkers in Hub communities in Harlan, Jackson, Lee, Leslie, Perry, Pike, and Owsley counties.
“These are new wages coming into our region that provide a real boost to our economy,” he said. “We know this model works for people seeking telework jobs, and we think this new Hub in Lawrence County can have a similar effect to what were seeing in other counties.”
The Lawrence County Teleworks Hub was made possible through partnerships between EKCEP, Teleworks USA, the Lawrence County Fiscal Court, and the Northeast Kentucky Community Action Agency, along with grants from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development and Kentucky Power.
Additional contributions have been made from a host of local businesses and organizations, including: Lycom Communications, Foothills Communications, Louisa Rotary Club, Sullivan University, State Farm Insurance, Walmart, Inez Deposit Bank, Quality Metal New Energy Resources, and Best Western.
“We are pleased to bring this opportunity to Lawrence County,” said Judge-Executive John Osborne. “It is proven to create jobs, and a lot of people can benefit from it. We thank everyone who helped make this possible.”
“Using broadband technology to create jobs is not new, but it’s new to this region,” added Catrina Vargo, economic development coordinator for the Lawrence County Fiscal Court. “This is a fantastic opportunity for so many different people – retirees, those laid off, college students, veterans, people with mobility or transportation issues, just about anyone who wants to work. We look forward to the success of the Hub, the people who gain employment, and the positive economic impact that will be created in our area.”
While Teleworks USA staff will facilitate the workshops and provide on-the-ground support for prospective teleworkers, this Hub would not have become a reality without the support received from these local partners, Cornett said.
“As with our other Hubs, we are extremely grateful to have the support of the fiscal court and other partners who have made commitments to bring new jobs to Lawrence County,” Cornett said.
Teleworks USA staff will be on hand during the grand opening on Oct. 6 to accommodate anyone interested in learning more about or signing up for the initiative’s workshops and job-matching services, which are free of charge.
The Lawrence County Telework Hub will host new workshops every other month, with the next session set to begin in November. Prospective teleworkers who complete the workshops will receive four separate certifications, assistance with their résumés and interviewing skills, as well as anything else needed to land a gainful work-from-home or work-from-Hub job with one of the many national companies that work with Teleworks USA.
Seating for the workshops is limited, so interested jobseekers in Lawrence and surrounding counties should contact Bridget James with the Northeast Kentucky Community Action Agency at bridget.james@nkcaa.net or call her at (606) 638-4949.
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EKCEP, a nonprofit workforce development agency headquartered in Hazard, Ky., serves 23 Appalachian coalfield counties. The agency provides an array of workforce development services and also administers the Hiring Our Miners Everyday (H.O.M.E.) program, which provides career services to laid-off miners and their spouses. Find out more at www.jobsight.org and www.facebook.com/ekcep.
