Eighteen months ago I approached my employer about putting a radio show on the air that would help job seekers put their best foot forward during a brutal recession. After sitting on my proposal for 4 months, I was shut down and told “now is not the right time” in December 2008. Two days later, our PBS station in town announced the launch of JobQuest. I immediately contacted them to provide insight on the job search and resume advice. One year later, JobQuest has been recognized with two national awards, and I’m told more will be announced soon. They also got a nice grant from the CPB as well.
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“JobQuest” wins two national awards for Blue Ridge PBS, partners
“JobQuest,” the popular Blue Ridge PBS advice and information program for job seekers, has won two prestigious outreach awards from the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA). The awards, which were presented Jan. 14 during NETA’s annual conference in Henderson, Nev., recognize “JobQuest” for community impact and effectively coordinating community resources.
“These awards would not have been possible without the enthusiastic participation of many community partners,” said James Baum, Blue Ridge PBS President and CEO. “This is truly a statement about what can be accomplished through a collective commitment to public service.”
When the economy took a downturn in late 2008, Blue Ridge PBS joined forces with regional media colleagues and other community organizations to create the monthly broadcast- a one-hour live program.
“The bond we all shared was the desire to help the community in some way as the unemployment rates soared in our region,” said Molly Bell, marketing manager for The Roanoke Times.” ‘JobQuest’ evolved into an impressive and creative production, with interactive, multimedia resources for job seekers in a large and often under-served portion of Virginia.”
Each “JobQuest” episode features 60 job listings from across the region, along with expert insights to shorten the job hunt. After a year of broadcasts and expanding online job hunting resources, “JobQuest” can measure its success in many ways, including some individual success stories.
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So a huge thank you to the folks at Blue Ridge PBS who took the risk to launch an innovative program. I appreciate all you do! Congratulations on your success!
UPDATE–JobQuest ended up winning 2 Emmy Awards and 10 other industry awards overall.