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Department of Labor and Workforce Development
 
Office of the Commissioner

Employment Security Division Wins Prestigious $25,000 National Award

Sep. 24, 2002
No. 02-52

Labor agency gets "Prism Award" for serving Alaska's businesses

The Employment Security Division (ESD) of the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development is the recipient of the prestigious "Prism Award," recognizing the agency's exceptional service to Alaska's employers in fulfilling their hiring and recruiting needs. The U.S. Department of Labor and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies made the announcement today as part of their annual National Customer Service Award Program.

The program awards top achievers who deliver innovative, first-rate service and outstanding accomplishment to customers of a state's workforce investment system.  The Prism, which brings a $25,000 prize to ESD, distinguishes government programs that uphold best practices, exemplifying understanding and meeting business needs. Alaska was selected as the winner from among 148 state workforce agency nominations.

Accepting the award in a ceremony today in Kansas City, Missouri, ESD Director Ronald E. Hull said, "We appreciate the hard work that goes hand and hand with providing excellent customer service and are pleased that our good turns for our business customers resulted in being nationally recognized with this impressive award. We are tremendously honored to be a national model helping employers with recruiting and hiring qualified workers."

ESD transformed a service delivery model to help Anchorage-area employers recruit and hire qualified workers under a program called the Business Connection, which operates from five "one-stop" job center locations in the Anchorage and Mat-Su area.  The Business Connection assists employers with on-site recruitments, including coordinating application screenings, interviewing, testing and assessment, and group employee orientations. In a month before opening a new South Anchorage store, the Business Connection recruited and screened 1,000 applicants for Fred Meyer's 300 job vacancies; 296 full and part-time positions were filled as a result. Mary Lucas, Regional Human Resource Supervisor of Fred Meyer said about her experiences using the Business Connection, "The staff made us feel very welcome and could not have been more helpful in accommodating our ever-changing needs."

The project emphasizes customized services for employers who need help finding workers, often on large-scale hires.  Success stories include a long list of Alaska's big-name businesses, such as Fred Meyer, United Airlines, Federal Express, Providence Health Systems, and Raytheon that have used the Business Connection to hire a qualified labor force. 

 ESD plans to use the award money to enhance Business Connection services and extend the successful practices throughout the state's network of Alaska Job Centers, which include 23 statewide centers, providing both online and in-person services to thousands of employers and job seekers on an annual basis.

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