NORWICH – When people find themselves suddenly out of a job, they can feel like they are all alone, says Kevin Price, director of the Chenango-Delaware-Otsego Workforce Investment Board. Part of getting them back on their feet is letting them know that’s not the case.

That’s why Price is spearheading an effort to establish what he calls Employment Networking Groups in the local area. He envisions groups of job seekers who will provide emotional support to one another while brushing up on their skills, looking for work and ultimately finding a job.

“By no means is this a new idea,” Price said, but his vision is. While job clubs and the like have been around for decades, his concept is for an employment networking group which is self-driven, with participants determining the direction and focus.

Changing jobs or careers, whether or not it is by choice, can be a stressful proposition, Price explained. To help ease the transition, one role of the group will be support, which he described as “cheering each other on and lifting each other up.” But the groups will be much more than that, because they will also be an opportunity for job hunters to work on improving skills that are valuable in the workplace. Each group will work with a facilitator from his office and have access to the training resources available through the Workforce Center, he said.