County corrections officer hiring process tweaked

Nov. 23—Niagara County is taking part in a state pilot program that bypasses the civil service exam for corrections officer candidates. The program will score candidates on baseline criteria including training and experience.

Interested candidates have until Nov. 29 to complete an application, and then have until Jan. 15 to complete an extensive online questionnaire covering training, experience, special skills and the like.

"We see significant benefits to this pilot program as we believe it focuses more on individual qualifications and experience, which will lead to a stronger pool of applicants," said Mal Needler, Niagara County personnel officer. "The state is looking to cast a wide net and gives points for a varied range of experience. We also hope this new process will expand the candidate pool since we know there are interested candidates who have been discouraged from applying by their reluctance to take the written test."

Applications will be graded by New York State to create a hiring list. Candidates must still pass a physical agility test and will be allowed a second chance to pass if needed.

For more information, or to apply, go to: https://niagara-portal.mycivilservice.com/exams.