In a tough economy, any help in the job market is welcome, and the V.I. Department of Labor unveiled a new system that will streamline the job search process for both employers and job seekers.
The Virgin Islands Electronic Workforce System – which Labor calls VIeWS – is an online job bank that allows employers to post job vacancies, as required by law, search for potential candidates and access labor market trends.
Job seekers can search for local jobs and national job bank postings. The system can also help job seekers create a resume, access training and educational resources, utilize the virtual recruiter and view labor market information.
The new platform can be accessed via the department’s website at www.vidol.gov.
The system was unveiled Wednesday morning at the department’s Business and Employer Conference at the Buccaneer Resort on St. Croix. The session will be repeated Tuesday on St. Thomas at the Marriot Frenchman’s Reef Resort.
According to Cindy Richardson, the director of grants and special projects at Labor, VIeWS allows employers to post their job openings in one simple step.
Under the old system, an employer would have to go online, download a form, fill it out and send it in to the department via fax. With VIeWS, the forms are all available online, where they can be completed and posted from anywhere with Internet access.
And would-be employees can search a job without leaving home. Besides combing through the online employment bank, they can post their qualifications and job preferences. The system will then “spider” the job bank, looking for jobs that match the potential employees’ data.
Some employers at Wednesday’s session expressed concern about not being savvy enough on the computer to utilize VIeWS, but Richardson said it’s simple to use and that the department has staff designated to walk business owners through the system. 
There are also how-to videos available through the department website for both employers and employees, she added.
In addition to unveiling VIeWS, the department presented information on workers compensation, unemployment insurance, Occupational Health and Safety, labor relations and the hearings and appeals process.
The session was free, as will be Tuesday’s gathering on St. Thomas. Interested employers can register or obtain more information by visiting the department’s website at www.vidol.gov or sending email to either Barbara Wheatley at bwheatley@vidol.gov or Jacqueline Blyden at jblyden@vidol.gov.
