By Charlene Dean

Pahrump is a talented community. With quite a few people looking for work, some have enlisted the help of Business and Home Services, Inc., at 1231 E. Basin Ave., No. 7.

The company, owned by Karen DiMassa, has been serving the community as an employment agency since 2005. DiMassa said she noticed a downturn in the local economy in 2006.

“I worked with the U.S. Department of Labor providing statistics information. Nye County had a problem before the federal government recognized there was an issue.”

DiMassa is doing what she can to help locals find employment. “Not only do we have construction workers, skilled laborers and flaggers in our database, we also have doctors, attorneys, certified engineers, administrative clerical workers, commercial truck drivers and others.”

DiMassa said her service isn’t seeking to place workers for just a day or two, “We like to place them with an employer for three or four months as probationary employment. A majority of the time, employers will offer them full-time employment. We are temporary to permanent hire.”

DiMassa said her company acts as the “back office” for employers. “We take care of forms, taxes and other deductions. We take care of Worker’s Compensation and other insurance, too. We also drug test everyone.”

Those seeking employees have the option of an initial screening of applicants performed by Business and Home Services. DiMassa said she will go through her resumes and applications, pick four or five people suited for the position and have the employer interview them. “It allows them to hire their choice.”

She said where she used to have a lot of employers looking for help, the economy has slowed her ability to place the qualified workers she has. “We need to be able to put them to work.”

DiMassa’s right hand, Rene Smith, said part of the problem with finding placement for potential employees is businesses trying to make a living are bringing in family members to fill the void.

DiMassa said her services are only available to Nye County. “We have people in Amargosa, Beatty and Tonopah. We aren’t going into Clark County at all.”

DiMassa served Nye County as the training coordinator for the Brownfields Job Training Program from 2009 to 2010. The training was grant funded by the Environmental Protection Agency and offered free instruction in OSHA law, asbestos and lead remediation and Hazmat training.

“We graduated 69 people from those classes,” DiMassa said. “Each of them were certified. Of the 69, 80 percent found employment and 66 percent of them retained those jobs.”

DiMassa said that particular grant closed in December 2011.

Those seeking employment need to register with Business and Home Services between noon and 1 p.m., Monday through Thursday, Smith said each applicant should bring a photo ID, resume and Social Security card.

Business hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Call 537-2400 for additional information.