For job seekers, finding the right opportunity can take persistence, confidence and the right support. Through a longstanding collaboration with Workforce Partnership, Johnson County Library has expanded career classes and workshops in 2026, giving job seekers access to career experts.
Workforce Partnership serves Johnson, Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties by connecting employers and job seekers and strengthening the regional economy. The organization provides job-search assistance, career counseling, training grants and specialized programs for youth, adults and dislocated workers. It also supports employers through
The partnership with the Library brings those resources closer to the community. Workforce Partnership recently consolidated and moved its offices, making the Library an important source of proximity for people who may have lost a nearby location.
The collaboration has grown to include weekly programming at Central Resource Library in Overland Park, where smaller sessions allow facilitators to provide more individualized attention. Programs range from job fairs and hiring events that connect job seekers directly with employers to resume workshops and Mature Worker Roundtables for people over 55.
Roberta Rowland, Workforce Partnership’s Director of Business Services, said they have set a goal of hosting three job fairs and a wide variety of hiring events, along with weekly workshops that help job seekers strengthen their skills.
The impact is being felt. Patrons have reported finding jobs while others have received support at moments when they needed it most.
“They help you clarify your career search,” Program Specialist Katherine Fuller said. “They are able to address some of the questions and roadblocks people run into with the career search process.”
As the partnership grows, Library staff have also developed deeper connections with patrons who return for multiple sessions.
“Regularly facilitating these programs as Library staff has given me the opportunity to run through ideas that we as the Library could try and ideas that Workforce Partnership facilitators could consider as a separate organization,” Fuller said.
For Program Specialist Lisa Nason, one participant’s experience illustrates what that support can mean.
The participant had experienced several job losses and was struggling to move beyond initial interviews. When asked what she wanted from her next job, she said she simply wanted to earn enough to stay in her home.
Through thoughtful questions, the facilitator helped her identify her strengths, including her attention to detail, and recognize how those skills could benefit an employer. They also considered whether her previous jobs had been a good fit.
“By the end of the conversation, the change in her confidence was visible. She left with several promising job leads and a better understanding of what she had to offer,” Nason said. “When I followed up a few weeks later, I learned that she had gotten one of those jobs. It was a heartwarming reminder that workforce support is about more than applications and interviews. Sometimes it helps people see their own strengths again and gives them the confidence to move forward.”
That is the value of the collaboration: bringing expertise and opportunity into a place that is free and open to everyone, helping more people take the next step toward work that fits their skills and goal.
Learn more about Workforce Partnership and other resources for job seekers and employers at jocolibrary.org.
