Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Labor announced the kickoff of the first phase of the “Tools for America’s Job Seekers Challenge.” The challenge will connect workers with online career resources, and offer businesses and other organizations an opportunity to showcase their best products. Providers of online job search engines, job boards and career exploration sites can learn more and submit their products at http://www.dol.gov/challenge/.
“We know there are hundreds of job search and career sites out there, and we are looking for both established providers and innovative new entrants to the market to showcase their best products by joining the challenge,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “We want to be sure that job seekers have every tool available to them as they search out promising careers in growing industries around the country.”
The competition will occur in three phases. During phase one (Dec. 3 to 18, 2009) developers are invited to submit their online job search sites, job boards, career exploration sites and other tools by visiting http://www.dol.gov/challenge. In January, we will encourage the public to rate their favorite tools.
Sites submitted must be free to users. Tools with a fee may be submitted as long as they include a demonstration period that allows the tools to be reviewed free of charge during the challenge.
I hope you’ll help us spread the word and encourage any sites that you know of to get involved. We’re on Twittter (@USDOL) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/departmentoflabor) and are using the #dolchallenge hashtag.
I would also love to hear your feedcack on the project, especially lessons learned from similar efforts.
Spreading the word. Very cool project.