Take Advantage of the Mercer County One-Stop Career Center

Attention Mercer County businesses! Have you heard of the Mercer County One-Stop Career Center and made the mistake of thinking it is only a service for job seekers? Well, take a second look. There are resources for small businesses:

Business Resource Center (BRC) - Most small businesses are too small to have their own full-fledged human resources department. If you have issues related to the recruitment and training of your new employees, what do you do? If you have little to no budget for such things, the BRC will not only act as your human resources, but it will provide business solutions at no cost to your company.

On the Job Training (OJT) - This business incentive reimburses employers for up to 50 percent of a new employee’s wages for up to $4,000.00, for a maximum period of six months. It also factors in the complexity of the job and the employee’s current skills. Your new employees can receive custom training, which will offset training costs while providing each employee with the skills necessary to satisfy job requirements. In addition to OJT, customized training grants are available to help employers address skills gaps in their current workforce.

Direct Access to Qualified Workers – Are you frustrated with online job boards? Do you grow weary of Craig’s List? Join the club. The One-Stop Career Center allows you to post your job openings for free and reach thousands of job seekers on Jobs4Jersey.com. You can even ensure that the applicants are prequalified to meet your specifications by working directly with the One-Stop.

Recruitment and Job Fairs – Recruitment services are not limited to the website. There are services that help identify potential candidates by assisting in recruiting and screening candidates.  Using your specifications, this saves the time and money spent interviewing all interesting candidates by prequalifying candidates.

Tax Credits and Federal Bonding – Are you familiar with the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)? It is federal income tax credit incentive provided to private sector employees. In order to be eligible, you must hire from certain target groups of job seekers who face employment barriers. You get a one-time tax credit for each no hire. There is no limit to the number of new hires who can qualify you for a tax credit. Requirements are set by the IRS and the United States Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.  You can learn more about the program here.

The Federal Bonding program also aids hard-to-place job applicants. You can learn more about this program here. More importantly, you can work with the One-Stop Career Center regarding both programs.