PITTSBORO - Chatham County welcomed the opening of a JobLink Career Center in April at the Chatham County Campus of Central Carolina Community College. It has been a welcome addition for residents needing job-related help and information.

JobLink Career Centers are overseen by the North Carolina Department of Commerce and local Workforce Development Boards and offer job seekers various employment and training services such as resume counseling, job market information, career guidance, and help with job searches.

Most of the services are free.

The Chatham JobLink Center is located on the second floor of the main building at CCCC in Pittsboro.

"Some people come in and know exactly what they want to do," said Cherice Powell, who manages the center. "They're looking for jobs or looking for help with their resume, and we can help them with that. Other people come to us and may not know what they want to do. It's those people that we sit down and do a career assessment with. We talk to them about educational opportunities, training opportunities, or even - if there are issues at home that are keeping them from being employed - referrals to agencies like the Department of Social Services or Vocational Rehabilitation. We help people in a variety of ways."

Powell said the center is also be available for people who just need to fax a resume or get online and look for job opportunities. Additionally, a representative from the Chatham County Employment Security Commission is on hand at least once a week to inform JobLink users about the services that office provides.

"This isn't an unemployment office, but if someone needs to come by here to file their weekly certification, they certainly can do that," she explained.

Powell quoted author and poet Maya Angelou, who said no work can be done unless everyone works together and that's how JobLink works, she said. That was shown by the support demonstrated at the grand opening. Among those attending were Dr. Bud Marchant, president of CCCC, Dr. Karen Allen, the college's Chatham County provost, Dr. Stelfanie Williams, CCCC's vice president of economic and community development, Tony Lett, chairman of the Triangle South Workforce Development Board, and Tamme Reese, JobLink liaison with the N.C. Department of Commerce.

Williams said the center is in line with the college's overall mission.

"We prepare people for life and work, and this center will certainly help us do just that," she said.

Allen said having the JobLink Career Center in Pittsboro represented "an exciting opportunity to bring together a number of career-oriented services for the people who live in this area."

The Triangle South Workforce Development Board is funded by the federal government and administered by Central Carolina Community College for Lee, Chatham, Harnett and Sampson counties. For more information on programs available through the organization, visit www.trianglesouthworkforce.com.

To reach the Chatham County JobLink Center, call (919) 545-8054. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.