WISHRM Collaboration with LAWDS Program Highlighted at Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries Annual Conference
Wisconsin Libraries are still recruiting WISHRM Volunteers!
Bob Von Der Linn, Director of Workforce Development represented WISHRM at the Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries (WAPL) Annual Conference at the Ingleside Hotel May 12 on a panel presentation about the WISHRM collaboration with the Libraries Activating Workforce Development Skills (LAWDS) program.
From Left to Right
- Bob Von Der Linn – Director of Workforce Development, WISHRM
- Elizabeth Tomev – Data and Communications Director for Libraries, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI)
- Tracy Vreeke – Director, Nicolet Federated Library System
- Danielle Zeamer – Library Service Associate, Brown County Library System
Our collaboration is off to a great start. Over 85 WISHRM members have volunteered so far, and more are volunteering every week
“Momentum is building, we feel like we’ve just scratched the surface.”
WI SHRM is now recruiting volunteers from the Wisconsin HR community to help their local library staff support workforce development efforts.
The LAWDS program is designed to support Wisconsin job seekers who may not be able to travel to a Department of Workforce Development job center, or may not be able to visit a job center during its regular business hours
WISHRM is proud to be partnering with DPI on the LAWDS program by recruiting volunteers from the Wisconsin HR community to help their local library staff support these workforce development efforts.
This collaboration provides SHRM members anywhere in Wisconsin with an opportunity to have a direct impact in their own community and demonstrate the value of SHRM.
You do not need to be a member of a local SHRM chapter to volunteer, SHRM National members with no local chapter affiliation are encouraged to participate.
WISHRM Workforce Readiness Director Bob Von Der Linn is excited about this program, “This is a not just a great opportunity for every WISHRM member to connect with their community, it’s also an opportunity to increase the visibility and demonstrate the value of WISHRM around the state.”
WISHRM members are uniquely qualified to provide the type of support that the local library staffs need. SHRM volunteers may be asked to help job-seekers with:
- Resume writing
- Mock interviews
- How to conduct an interview via zoom/teams,
- Conducting online job searches
- Computer skills training covering the creation of an email address
- How to dress for an interview
Volunteer support might take the form of:
- Scheduled “office hours” at the library
- Scheduled one-on-one, or one-on-many meetings at the library
- Scheduled virtual meetings with one or more that could be conducted from home
- Other arrangements made with the local library Director
How can SHRM Members Volunteer?
If you are interested in volunteering, or just finding out more about this opportunity, go to WISHRM.ORG. Open the Resources tab and select Local Resources. Under the Programming heading you’ll find a link to everything you’ll need to know about the LAWDS program.
For more information, contact WISHRM Workforce Readiness Director Bob Von Der Linn at rvonderlinn@gmail.com
LAWDS (Libraries Activating Workforce Development Skills) is a collaboration between the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), the Department of Workforce Development (DWD), Job Centers of Wisconsin, and Workforce Development Boards (WDB) to provide librarians across the state with continuing education opportunities enabling them to support Wisconsin job seekers who may not be able to travel to a job center or who hope to continue job search efforts outside of a Job Center.