“Career center on wheels” brings opportunity to NECD residents

The “career center on wheels” sits on South Driver Street near other local businesses. (Staff photo by Christina Herring)


Every Wednesday in September and October, a big truck with a NC Joblinks logo sits next to Angier Avenue Baptist Church. Some people in formal attire, some not, go inside the truck for a short while. Inside the truck lies new opportunities for Northeast Central Durham residents.

The “career center on wheels” sits on South Driver Street near other local businesses. (Staff photo by Christina Herring)

The friendly face of Steve Fingers greets NECD residents to the van. (Staff photo by Christina Herring)

Thanks to the NCWorks, in addition to other organizations, jobseekers have been able to apply for jobs inside and use computers in the mobile unit that may not be available to them otherwise.

The Northeast Central Durham community has a poverty rate of over 60 percent, with an average annual income of $10,005 per person. Mayor Bill Bell has made it his mission to bring about change in NECD by introducing his Poverty Reduction Initiative in early 2014. He established six task forces – education, finance, health, housing, jobs, and public safety. The NCWorks mobile unit is an extension of the Initiative.

Through the support and funding of the N.C. Division of Workforce Solutions, the Durham Workforce Development Board, the City of Durham Office of Economic and Workforce Development, and the NCWorks Career Centers, the “career center on wheels” has given residents an opportunity to search for jobs, apply for jobs, and register to use the NCWorks website, according to Tanya Spaulding-Smeltz, Business Services Manager with NCWorks Career Center in Durham.

The operator of the truck, Steve Fingers, thinks that having the truck around makes it easier for residents to make their resumes and search for jobs.

“It’s important to this area and to this government because Mayor Bell, he wants to make sure everyone has access to jobs or information about jobs,” Fingers said.

“Some people in this area don’t have computers,” Fingers said. We live in an age where the kids are always on their smart phones, but the only thing they’re doing is checking their Facebook, Twitter, or things that are not conducive to what they need to do.”

The individuals that come by the truck are met by Fingers, who then directs them to consultants that will answer all of their questions. They will set up or update their NCWorks online profile, and they can help them find a job, and help them apply for new jobs

According to their website, the Economic and Workforce Development “helps ensure that Durham has a strong and diverse economy by helping increase Durham’s commercial tax base, promoting long-term economic growth through the revitalization of downtown, urban and targeted suburban areas, and providing technical and targeted financial assistance for business.”

The NCWorks Career Center assists area businesses with recruiting, retention, and training, and assists local residents with employment search and career readiness.

In addition to the mobile unit, NCWorks has two center locations: at 1105 S Briggs Avenue Durham, NC 27703, and at Northgate Mall at 1058 W Club Boulevard, Suite 848, Durham, NC 27701.

The truck was on the 300 block of South Driver Street every Wednesday of September and the first three Wednesdays of October from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, visit NCWorks Online or contact Tanya Spaulding-Smeltz, Business Services Manager with NCWorks Career Center in Durham, at (919) 560-6880.

Tonya Joyner, Employment Consultant, helps Seiara Mitchell update her NC Works profile. (Staff photo by Christina Herring)

Tonya Joyner, Employment Consultant, helps Seiara Mitchell update her NC Works profile. (Staff photo by Christina Herring)