New Online Tools Available for Employers and Job Seekers

The new Mississippi Online Employment Services System (OESS) is a real-time, web based workforce and employment system that helps employers find qualified workers and job seekers find employment that matches their skills. Developed by nSPARC (National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center) at Mississippi State University, the OESS system is now in use throughout the state by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. Southcentral Mississippi Works, the workforce arm of CMPDD, helped support and participated in funding this system.
Employers can review the resumes of applicants that meet their specifications regarding education, experience, and skills. They can then issue an invitation to apply for open jobs to those that meet their criteria. Job seekers can review available jobs based on several criteria including location. They can also review labor market information for jobs including wages and occupational growth for various areas. The system will indicate whether they qualify and if not, what they lack as indicated in the chart below and the chart on the next page.
Additionally, the system now includes Mississippi Grad Jobs, which links students at major Mississippi Universities to employers. Students can sign up for weekly job matches (based on their majors) sent via email. This system also allows graduates looking to relocate back to Mississippi to explore available career opportunities.
Finally, another part of the system, LifeTracks, combines an expansive data warehouse of early childhood, K-12 education, post secondary education and workforce data with a flexible reporting platform that allows state agencies, legislators, and the general public to access information via a one-stop web portal. LifeTracks empowers better decision making by delivering relevant and timely information that allows stakeholders to answer critical policy questions relevant to education, workforce and economic development.