Regarding Hamish Kinnear. I want to share my sincere appreciation for Hamish Kinnear at the East ACC Career Center location. Before meeting with Hamish, my resume and profile were not getting noticed by employers at all. Hamish completely turned things around for me. He was highly responsive, gave clear directions, and helped me optimize my resume and website visibility so interested employers could actually find me. He was always available to chat whenever I had questions or needed guidance. Thanks to Hamish's support and the resources he provided, I found employment in just two months. This is incredibly quick given the current tough job market. Hamish is kind, compassionate, and an absolute asset to anyone looking for work. I highly recommend his services. read more

"Crystal is absolutely amazing! She is always the first person to greet you with a pleasant smile and is always ready to help. I have some cognitive issues with remembering things, but no matter how many times I go in there and ask the same questions, Crystal is incredibly patient and always goes above and beyond to make sure I am taken care of. Her outstanding service makes a huge difference, and I am so grateful for her help! - Lillian" read more

Ms.Jeanette Matthew's was at the front desk and knowledge all my concerns. She was extremely helpful and very professional and genuine. Thank you for all yo do! Rebecca Cruz Silvestre read more

They need more people most of the times you have to wait almost an hour to get help from someone that is craving you know my no sense no work so ever but you can take your chance if you want to special L is closer where you live or coming from read more

My experience there at the workforce was very pleasant. I was greeted by Crystal Meeks with a smile and professionalism. She made me feel comfortable as she assisted me with my government shutdown unemployment needs. She explained to me about how the process works and i felt better. She listened to me carefully and made sure all my needs were met before I left. Sending over my unemployment forms and making sure i had confirmations. I was so grateful to have her there when I came. Thank you, workforce, for hiring such knowledgeable people such as Crystal... read more

Ms. Crystal Meeks is the best! She guided me through the entire process with professionalism and care. Super knowledgeable, supportive, and brought that amazing "mom energy" the whole way through. Truly appreciated her help! read more

Naomi Morales is amazing. She called me for something totally different and ending up sending me information for a few food pantries. I thank you so much. read more

Did you go to that Workforce Solutions orientation? What is it? An employment agency? I got a one pager in the mail that said... "According to our records, you recently filed for UI Benefits. ... To assist with your job search requirements and efforts, we have made an appointment for you with staff members of your local workforce center. You are scheduled to attend a Workforce Center Orientation:...*time/directions* The orientation will last approx 90 minutes. DO NOT BE LATE. If you have any questions or previously attended...*contact information*...*end*" I got there late and the associate at the front desk was well, odd... I said "Hi I got this in the mail and I'm not sure what it is..." She said looking pretty disappointed, "Orientation? It's closed now. You need to come back next Friday." (Good icebreaker) Well gee the mailer doesn't say orientation is every Friday... So I said "Ok...I don't know if you've heard this before but this mailer doesn't really indicate you have any association with the Workforce Commission." "You need to come back next Friday for orientation." I said a bit shaken, "That doesn't really have anything to do with it... This mailer just looks like you're soliciting something. It doesn't look like your offering a service for unemployment." "We usually don't. You need to come back next Friday." What does that mean? Broken record? That's not helpful. Why would that make me want to come back? At least give me some information or a pamphlet or something...If that's any indication of how you run your business...Yeah I don't think so...thanks. I thought it legitimate because it's linked on the Workforce website. :-? *UPDATE* After calling the downtown Workforce Commission I've found out they are the job placement agency. Neat. And there is another location here http://maps.google.com/maps/place?cid=2302173518407069403&q=&hl=en&ved=0CE4QxgcwAA&sa=X&ei=WDZTTMXtJ5uozQTVrNBR I'll try that if I go. read more

While receiving unemployment, I received a notification that I had to attend an orientation at the North office. In that meeting where 120 people sat, a pixie appeared to advise us that, "All unemployment would end Dec 30th. Hurry up and get a minimum wage because low pay's better than no pay. I know how little people are doing looking for work. Have you lost weight, learned a foreign language or done anything useful since you've been unemployed? Did you finish your degree at least?" In just a few sentences, she had transformed the room from curious to furious. She then went over different things Workforce Solutions does to help the unemployed referring us to a handout. This is when I stopped listening to her. Her handout mentioned WIA which is a program that helps people get additional training free and provided a time for the next orientation. There they tell you to take 3 more classes before you are eligible to set up an appointment to talk to a WIA person to see if you even qualify. During the three classes, my self-esteem went from a 7 out of 10 to being maybe a 3. It seemed in every class the instructors found a way to break you down. (Ever see those programs where the new recruits are totally ripped apart so they could be rebuilt into killers? This felt like that.) I felt less and less worthy of any job above minimum wage but I was determined to follow the process to talk to someone with WIA. When I called to set up that appointment, the East WIA person's next available appointment was more than 2 weeks out. First, their front desk person barked at me asking me if I was with "blah blah blah" seemingly irritated when I had no idea what she was talking about. Then she mentioned lots of other acronyms that I now know are different social service programs. I provided my contacts name and appointment time and she proceeded to lecture me about how bad it was to arrive late, how important their time is, how if I can't take their service seriously I don't need to be there, etc. Ummm I was 15 minutes early for my appointment and hadn't even really received any service yet. Then I sat and waited ten minutes past my appointment time because the person my appointment was with was busy. The contact I met (not the person I had scheduled with anyway) was disinterested and listened to me with half an ear open. I asked many more questions and received half answers. I sent clarifying emails afterwards and received no responses. After all that work, I left that location without information I needed, with more work to do on my own, and feeling like I didn't deserve a jail cell or a cardboard box but should just give up and kill myself. Needless to say, I don't recommend this location. I've since been to another and found people who were (dare I say) "Friendly". But be warned, each person has their one thing they are in charge of and if you need to talk about some other subject or multiple things you will likely be asked to schedule an appointment with that other person and come back on a different day. Also if you are considering paying for a career consultant ASK me about my experience with mine. I could have gotten the same level of service through Workforce Solutions for FREE even if it took a few extra hours. read more

The VA rep here was Excellent! He answered all my questions and even simplified everything we talked about. He was ready to help me in anyway he could. He was energetic and excited. Any vet who is looking for a job go see him. I don't know if we can say names on here but I will just say his first name. His name is Neil. He knows what he is talking about. He will help you build a good portfolio. He will also point you in the right direction for things he can't answer. read more

It's literally out in the middle of no where wiith a single bus route. And if you actually have to rely upon the City's public transit system to get to it, you need to clear everything else off your calendar. This is not just a stop in center. Noo. But (and perhaps) because of it, the people here are overall nice. The other thing is that it's actually hooked into a college. And they've had a partnership for some time. So even though there are people getting GEDs--and a public housing project immediately across the street, the complex also educates people well past high school. This place wants people to like looking for jobs with them. Yes they have to implement some rules according to the 'home office'. They still do not want to harass or offend people in the process. It almost felt good being here. I was not bothered unless I actually asked for help. This is a very respectful and civilized way to run any organization. Treat people like we are intelligent. I know they can't do anything about the bus route, but I am impressed. read more