Contrary to the assumptions made in the Sun Journal editorial (Sept. 18) regarding the job fair at the Lewiston CareerCenter on Sept. 17, the Lewiston CareerCenter does offer return bus passes for anyone using the CareerCenter for job search or training activities. If someone was at the fair, and used the bus to get to the center, he or she could have asked the front desk staff for a free return pass.

People who are receiving General Assistance from Lewiston and Auburn are required to attend work-search workshops at the Lewiston CareerCenter to maintain their General Assistance eligibility. Those individuals should be familiar with the services that the CareerCenter provides, including the free bus pass, and the events, such as job fairs, that the CareerCenter sponsors.

People who are attending workshops also have the opportunity to network and carpool. The Lewiston CareerCenter sponsors several networking groups and encourages job seekers to build relationships with other people in similar circumstances in order to provide mutual support and encouragement.

If someone is not able to get to the CareerCenter for job search, this poses a challenge in getting to interviews and work as well. Often, employers who are outside of the downtown area are reluctant to hire someone without adequate transportation.

To ensure that the CareerCenter is reaching out to the widest possible audience, it works with agencies that serve job seekers with barriers to employment, offering additional resources for those job seekers. For example, the CareerCenter staff run job search and resume workshops at the Auburn Public Library; they communicate regularly with the adult educations and General Assistance offices; they regularly offer WorkReady trainings through the adult education programs and they work with DHHS to coordinate services and job search activities.

All job seekers and businesses are encouraged to visit any of the Department of Labor’s 12 CareerCenters to connect people with training resources and business services.

Julie D. Rabinowitz, Augusta

Director of Communication,

Maine Department of Labor