When a person is out of work, they often go to the Division of Workforce Services for help finding employment. But for those at DWS, finding a position for someone is just one of the many services they can offer people in the community.

In a presentation to the Business Expansion and Retention general membership on March 19, Zach Whitehall, the divisions manager in eastern Utah, those many types of services were introduced.

“DWS has multiple divisions within it that many people don’t realize exist,” said Whitehall. “There is also some lack of understanding within some of the services that are provided as well.,”

He said that the division had some major changes take place in 1996 when other services were merged into the original agency to make it a one stop shop for not only people seeking employment but for employers as well. He pointed out that the cornerstones of DWS are operational excellence, exceptional customer service, creating a good culture for employees and continued work on community connections.

Whitehall then went over the various divisions in the agency.

Eligibility services. He said this division works on benefits eligibility  and those employees make sure clients get the right benefits. Benefits available include supplemental nutrition programs/ food stamps, financial assistance for various groups, an emergency assistance program, medical assistance, and child care help.

Unemployment insurance. Whitehall said the fund for unemployment insurance is high right now because so many people in the state are employed. Presently there is a little less than $1 million in the fund.

“People don’t realize that they don’t pay for unemployment insurance, but their employer does,” Whitehall told the group.

Child care and refugee services. Whitehall said that the division helps refugees to settle in when they move to the state. They also work with many kinds of issues to help those who come to Utah, which is often a very different culture for them to deal with from what they are used to.

Workforce development. Whitehall said this division helps with training and retraining employees. It is also helping people to get certifications or recertifications in various fields. He said that presently there is also a lot of career changing training going especially in areas like eastern Utah where the energy downturn has affected many people.

“In the last year and a half the division has helped to train 50 people that previously had been involved in coal mining,” said Whitehall. “They were retrained to run heavy equipment for construction.”

The division also aides people in financial assistance and job finding.

Workforce Research and development. Whitehall said this part of DWS provides information on employment figures around the state and provides economic data and analysis. They also provide county economic snapshots and do the Local Insights newsletter quarterly for the eight different regions of the state. He also said that the division helps employers a great deal by providing information about many kinds of things such as dealing with the filing and reporting of unemployment insurance, a handbook on employment rules and regulations, working as a Utah Patriot Partner and they can also help with bonding employees for companies. They also supply posters that employers must by law post for employees. They also provide presentations for employees that could be or are going to be laid off.

In an ending statement Whitehall said further merging in state agencies will affect DWS starting this fall. At that time the Utah State Office of Rehabilitation will become part of the division.