WOODSTOCK – The staff members at the McHenry County Workforce Network don't care whether you are a 16-year-old parent or a 60-year-old victim of corporate downsizing.

If you need help job hunting, researching a career change, or preparing for that crucial first interview, network employees want to help.

"We're all about work force training," said Julie Courtney, the director of the network. "We have one place for them to come."

Located at 500 Russel Court, the network offers job hunters everything from information on building a résumé to mock interviews and support organizations.

Its office was filled Wednesday night with advocates, dignitaries and client business representatives who stopped by an open house to show their support for the network's efforts.

State Sen. Pam Althoff, R-Crystal Lake, presented Courtney with a Senate Recognition Certificate in commemoration of group's 10th anniversary.

Althoff called the network "a hidden gem of McHenry County."

Mark Robinson first visited the work force network this spring. A recruiter with Advocate Good Shepherd hospital in Barrington, Robinson attended a network job fair and ended up hiring eight employees.

"It was a win-win," he said, adding that the new staff members were dedicated and hard-working employees. "It was a very successful event; something that I took back to my higher-ups."

And that, business services Representative Jim Pacholski said, is why the network is there.

"Being unemployed is probably one of the worst thing that can happen to you," he said. "But it's also the first time when you sit back and say, 'Do I want to be in this industry for the rest of my life?' "

If the answer is no, Courtney said, the network is there to help.

"It's tax dollars at work" she said. "Hopefully, a lot more people will take advantage of it when they need it."

For information on the center, call (815) 338-7100 or visit www.mchenrycountyworkforce.com.

By REGAN FOSTER

rfoster@nwherald.com