Narrative: a. 1.

Employment Service Professional Staff Development: Maine will develop and maintain Employment Service staff knowledge and skills through program—specific training activities. To ensure staff is able to provide high quality services to job seekers and employers, regular informational and training sessions will be delivered both in—person and using distance learning technology. Sessions will be delivered yearly at minimum, and as frequently as quarterly depending on the program and staff needs. A yearly assessment of skill development needs will be done to identify future training sessions on topics such as interviewing, use of social media as a job search tool, resume styles, assessment tools, career—development, packaging ser—vices for job seekers and employers, and presentation skills. Population—driven training such as deaf culture, approaches to best serve those with mental illness, assisting those with criminal records, etc. will be identified and delivered to assist staff in providing the best possible service to all customers. These training activities will enable staff to assist job seekers with knowing and improving their skills and finding the best career path/job option available as well as assisting businesses in finding and/or developing a skilled workforce.