The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that it will merge its Americus and Cordele career centers to form one center located in Sumter County that will serve an eight-county region. The merger will be effective June 12.

The GDOL constantly evaluates how it provides services to best meet the needs of job seekers and employers, while doing so in the most cost-effective manner. 

More and more services provided by state departments of labor nationwide are online, which is reducing the demand for fully-staffed career centers. Many of their customers are opting to use online, rather than in-person services. That is certainly the case with the GDOL, which is continuously improving its online services. 

Many other states have regionalized local career centers, or replaced them with call centers. This trend significantly reduces the expense of operating several offices within a multi-county region. The adjoining states of South Carolina and Florida have taken similar measures.

The Americus and Cordele career centers presently serve an area consisting of eight contiguous counties. Americus serves Marion, Schley, Sumter, Taylor and Webster counties, while Cordele serves Crisp, Dooly, and Macon counties. Americus is the more centralized location and will be the most accessible to residents of all eight counties. 

The Cordele Career Center will close on June 12. Its staff will be merged into the Americus Career Center, providing a larger staff to better serve the residents in the region. 

Also, the GDOL owns the building, which houses the Americus Career Center, while the Cordele Career Center is in a rented building located at 1205 South Seventh St. Merging the two centers will eliminate the expense of having to rent a building and save approximately $200,000 in operating expenses.

The Americus Career Center is located at 120 West Church St. The telephone number is (229) 931-2520. It is open to serve the public Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. 

To learn more about career opportunities, connect with us on Facebook, Youtube and Twitter, which can be conveniently accessed at www.gdol.ga.gov.