Community News

The Oswego County Human Resources Department reports that the New York State Civil Service Commission has approved an additional 49 job titles under the Hiring Emergency Limited Placement (HELP) Program.

“We are thrilled that these new titles have been added to the list,” said Oswego County Human Resources Director Julie Bell. “The HELP Program has been a tremendous aid with recruiting positions in the public health and safety fields, so we’re looking for that same success with these other titles which are also in high demand.”

Highlights on the newly approved list include senior account clerks, paralegals, employment specialists and motor vehicle clerks.

“In today’s highly competitive job market, it can be a struggle to recruit people, especially if they know they have to take a test to get – or keep – a job,” said Jessica Vanella, human resources administrator for the Oswego County Human Resources Department. “The HELP Program focuses on an employee’s experience and job performance over their test-taking ability, so we hope it will increase candidate applications.”

Oswego County was the first county in the state to receive approval to launch the HELP Program last year and, so far, it has appointed 142 people to positions across various departments.

The program temporarily eliminates the civil service testing component for certain positions; however, candidates must still meet all qualification requirements.

For the duration of the program, qualifying job titles will be classified as non-competitive and categorized as “HELP Program” positions. At the end of the program, those positions will revert to competitive status; however, an exam will not be required for anyone currently in one of them.

Interested candidates can visit Oswego County’s Civil Service Employment Portal at https://oswego-portal.mycivilservice.com/. Click “apply” for the position(s) you’re interested in and qualify for.

Applicants are advised to be thorough in explaining their experience or education and in demonstrating their qualifications. After HR staff reviews an application to ensure it meets minimum requirements, it is forwarded to the appropriate department for consideration.

For more information, contact the Oswego County Human Resources Department at 315-349-8209 or humanresources@oswegocounty.com, or go to  www.oswegocounty.com/humanresources.