Northern Essex Community College has been selected by the Merrimack Valley Workforce Investment Board to assume management and operational responsibilities for the ValleyWorks One-Stop Career Center, one of 16 regional employment centers across Massachusetts.

The center has locations in Haverhill and Lawrence and serves over 10,000 job seekers and 700 employers each year, providing employment and training services for youth, unemployed and under-employed adults, and laid-off workers, as well as recruitment and incumbent worker training for local companies.  Funding for the center, currently $2 million per year, is provided by the U.S. Department of Labor, through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which provides resources to states and local workforce investment boards.

George Moriarty, NECC’s executive director of workforce development and corporate relations

The centers will be managed by NECC’s Center for Corporate and Community Education, led by George Moriarty.  He has previous experience with Career Centers and with the state’s Office of Labor and Workforce Development. Moriarty is uniquely positioned to build on the organizational strengths of the college and the center in order to better serve residents of the Merrimack Valley.

The approximately 26 staff currently employed by ValleyWorks will continue in their positions.  As part of the management contract, Northern Essex will open a satellite location in downtown Haverhill as well as continuing to provide a full-service center at the existing 255 Essex St, Lawrence location. ValleyWorks will maintain its satellite location on Northern Essex’s Haverhill Campus until the downtown Haverhill location is operational.

ValleyWorks serves 15 cities and towns across the region:  Lawrence, Methuen, Andover, North Andover, Haverhill, Georgetown, Merrimack, Amesbury, Newbury, Newburyport, Salisbury, West Newbury, Rowley, Boxford, and Groveland.

This new partnership will more closely connect career center clients with the academic programs that Northern Essex offers and bring new resources which will help NECC with its career development initiatives.

For additional information, contact Moriarty at gmoriarty@necc.mass.edu or call 978-556-3061.