John Dorrer is Director of the Center for Workforce Research & Information, for the State of Maine, Department of Labor. He is a champion of O*NET. Spotlight caught up with John and learned about the accomplishments he and his group have achieved in Maine:

• Attracting business to the state: “We ask potential employers to provide detailed descriptions of the KSAs (Knowledge Sets, Skill Sets, and Abilities) that workers at their businesses will need to do each job. We then use O*NET, searching for the codes of the occupations that are the closest match to those descriptions of KSAs. Then we can search our state’s employment database and stats and see where the employees in our state have these KSAs. We can recommend that the prospective employer locate the business in those locations. We make a well-founded case for the employer locating in specific places, AND inform them of how many workers in the area are prepared. We also can point out possible skills gaps, and propose how we might fill gaps, in cooperative efforts with the education and business communities.
  
  This is a powerful and highly successful use of O*NET.
  
  
• Helping displaced workers find employment: When an employer plans to close down or move operations, the Center for Workforce Research & Information is onsite, helping employees assess their skills, do gap analyses, develop plans for acquiring needed assets, and transition to new work.
  
  The Maine Career Center’s locations throughout the state encourage clients to use O*NET several ways. Their home page has a direct link to O*NET Online. Of course displaced workers can use that route 24/7. The more commonly used introduction to O*NET occurs during counseling sessions. And frequently-offered workshops train clients how to use O*NET in every effort from understanding their KSAs, to crafting their resumes and preparing for interviews. Spotlight noted seven distinctive such workshops scheduled.
  
  
• Helping small businesses that don’t have formal job descriptions or formal training and development programs: The Center shows businesses how O*NET is an excellent tool for accomplishing these important processes. When businesses see what they require of workers in each role, they can assess what their workers have, see any gaps, and then plan and execute programs to fill gaps.
  
  Success in this application is breeding success, as more businesses see the process work for their fellow business community members.

John’s examples of using O*NET data are instructive. There is the boat builder that has been crafting boats for generations, but needed to move to a new site because its location no longer had a workforce with the required skills and knowledge sets. “The industry was adopting new technologies,” explained John. “The company was looking to expand their operation, but simply could not find skilled workers in their area. We were able to identify alternative locations in Maine that might be suitable. We helped the firm and identified a list of occupations with required KSAs similar to the KSAs needed in boat building.

“To develop that list, we converted the firm’s jobs to the appropriate SOC. Then we used the O*NET Skills Analyzer to learn the names of occupations with similar skill sets. Our LMI occupational data showed us where in the state there is a labor market with people who have these kinds of skills—related skill sets. We could say, ‘Here, here, and here are locations with concentrations of workers who have similar skill sets. They might be working in occupations with lower wages. If you locate in one of these locations, you should be able to attract workers with related skills. “The company did relocate to one of those areas. We will be checking in on them, monitoring how recruiting is going, and learning if there are other ways we can help.”

There is the case of the Brunswick Naval Air Station. When it closes, 500 civilian workers will lose their jobs. But they needn’t become unemployed. “We looked at everyone’s job description and coded each with the appropriate occupation code,” John describes. “We put their job descriptions through an O*NET analysis. We then could show how each job’s skills related to occupations that are growing outside the base. “That process led us to write a report specifying the skills that workers must bring to the current labor market. Each person can do a skills gap analysis and develop needed skills. We are involved in providing workshops that enable each person to make good choices about what skills to develop. We can point out where one goes to acquire those skills, which courses people can take to prepare for future work.”

The Center’s ideas about how to use O*NET data to help employers and individual workers are validated by success stories. It is exciting to see smart work reap rewards.

John is highly engaged in life beyond the Center, too. Brunswick, Maine, and the Bowdoin college area, much of Maine, really, is his playground. “I do enjoy swimming, hiking, exploring Mt. Washington, going to the excellent art museum here,” he shares. John Dorrer is an open and enthusiastic fellow, which led Spotlight to ask him to share a tidbit of information about himself—something that might surprise his colleagues. Happy to play along, John revealed, “I am an immigrant! I grew up in a village of about 90 people, in Bavaria; came here in 1959. I’m going back to Germany for a visit soon.” This revelation IS a surprise. For sure, the folks at work can’t detect an old country accent. However, the folks “back home” might be impressed with John’s Maine accent.