Nevada using CARES Act money for software to help unemployed

CARSON CITY, Nev. — The Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development and the Office of Workforce Innovation are joining forces and using CARES Act funding to make the state's so-called “Emsi SkillsMatch” tool available for people trying to get back into the job market.

In a statement, GOED Director Michael Brown said software helps people “identify which employment skills they have and perhaps more importantly, help them identify which skills they need to obtain to become more employable in today’s job market.”

The software, which is not a “job board,” according to a Dec. 30 press release from GOED, is free and available at nv.emsiskills.com. It can be used to connect individuals to jobs that meet their qualifications and understand career and education opportunities.

The state used $500,000 in CARES Act funding to create the program, according to a statement from GOED Director of Communications Greg Bortolin, which includes training and promotion to workforce development groups throughout the state.

“Even before the pandemic, there was a major disconnect in the labor market: Employers, training providers and jobseekers were all speaking a different language,” Isla Young, OWINN Senior Program Development & Engagement Specialist, said in a statement. “The result is people weren’t getting the training they needed for the jobs they wanted, and employers weren’t finding the talent they needed. With hundreds of thousands of Nevada residents now out of work, solving this disconnect is even more pressing.”

According to the Dec. 30 press release, the SkillsMatch platform quickly audits a person’s experience and training and couples it with their career goals; it then identifies existing skills, training needed to fill any skill gaps, and local job opportunities to get them back on their desired career path.

Emsi is working with universities and colleges, as well as local workforce boards, to develop training to align skills being taught with those being sought.

“Skills are the best indicator of a person's ability to perform and excel in each role,” Stacey Bostwick, GOED Director of Workforce Development, said in a statement. “They are also what employers are seeking when hiring individuals. They are thus the most efficient way to get Nevada residents back to work. People are more than the title of their last job.

“This partnership will harness their host of abilities and education to connect them to either the training they need or the job they want based on their skills.”