Saratoga County Announces Workpays! Public Workforce Education Campaign

BALLSTON SPA — Saratoga County Officials announced a new initiative designed to help get people back into the workforce. WorkPays! is a public education campaign that showcases the services provided by the Saratoga County Career Center and promotes the importance to returning to the workforce. 

The Federal Unemployment Insurance (UI) supplement of $300 ended on Sept. 4. Extended UI benefits, which allowed for claimants to receive benefits beyond 26-weeks have also ended. This means that only claimants in the regular 26-week UI window will continue to receive benefits. 

The Saratoga County Career Center offers many free services and resources to help those returning to the workforce. The Career Center offers free virtual workshops designed to help individuals master the job search process. Topics include Transferable Skills, Goal Setting, Resume Development, Interview Prep, and more. These workshops are ideal for anyone who may feel they need assistance approaching the job search process or who need help changing careers. To see the schedule and register, please visit https://thejoblink.org/calendar. The New York State Department of Labor has also launched the virtual Career Center at careeronestop.org, that provides resources for job-seekers.

The Career Center also offers a free, self-guided eLearning courses through Metrix, a national online training company. There are more than 5,000 courses available, and no maximum limit of courses one can take. Courses include skills development for clerical, healthcare, financial, manufacturing, and IT industries; software training for platforms such as Microsoft Excel, Adobe Photoshop, and Auto CAD, and business development courses such as leadership training, conflict resolution and more. Saratoga County residents can register for a free account at www.metrixlearning.com to take courses and earn certifications to bolster their skills and resume. 

The Career Center also provides one-on-one guidance and structured training for career planning and job seeking. Interested residents can call the Career Center at 518-884-4170. Calls are returned within the hour. Please note: The Career Center staff cannot address issues or specific questions about an individual’s UI benefit status. These questions should be directed to the NYS DOL claims center at 1-888-209-8124.

For those who are ready to begin their job search, the Career Center can connect individuals with job search resources such as the New York State Job Bank newyork.usnlx.com, which offers job listings for vacancies throughout New York State and the Job Link, thejoblink.org, which offers job listings for vacancies in Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties.