Workforce Innovations: Partner Ð ProMatch

CONNECT! Partner

ProMatch: Employment Resource for Silicon Valley Professionals

ProMatch, the Silicon Valley chapter of Experience Unlimited, is an excellent resource to the businesses of Santa Clara County through its pool of skilled, knowledgeable, and experienced individuals ready for hire. This program of the California Employment Development Department (EDD) in collaboration with NOVA, provides Silicon Valley professionals with no-cost employment services, including networking and skills upgrades.

With minimal staff support, ProMatch and its membership of over one hundred professionals is nearly completely volunteer run. Members from such fields as finance, health services, human resources, legal, marketing, business management, science, and technology contribute to the organization by performing such varied functions as staffing the front desk, leading the monthly meetings, and facilitating workshops for other members.

Alumni of the program stay in touch through Friends of ProMatch, a Yahoo! group with nearly 2,000 members, or through their success teams, who provide ongoing mentoring that continues even once a member has become re-employed.

Networking is a key benefit to ProMatch members in that the pool of both current and former members maintains contact with the group and shares information relating to employment opportunities and job resources.

When members succeed in becoming re-employed, they have the opportunity to continue to support the group's efforts by providing information as alumni or by utilizing the group as a pool of potential job candidates. Pat Peasley, ProMatch staff member, summarized the benefits of the program: "ProMatch alumni, because they know the people and the program, come back to look for prospective employees for their own companies." (See accompanying article: ProMatch alumnus, now a corporate recruiter, lauds ProMatch program.)

One additional concern of professionals in transition is maintaining and enhancing skill sets, particularly "soft" or interpersonal skills – invaluable assets in today's workplace. ProMatch provides opportunities for members to develop new skills through their participation in member-led workshops and through their volunteer contributions to the organization itself. The Facilitation Workshop, for example, includes opportunities for leadership and the development of productive work teams through skill-building exercises. Other workshops help members practice interviewing skills and update their résumés.

Employers may contact ProMatch with current job opportunities either by fax or phone. Job openings are announced to members and posted on the organization's "Hot Jobs" board, immediately available to ProMatch's pool of job-ready professionals. Employers may also work with ProMatch staff to search the organization's database of member profiles to locate experienced and talented candidates.

For further information, please direct queries to promatch@promatch.org, by phone at 408-736-2391, or by fax at 408-737-1247. ProMatch is available online at www.promatch.org.