Smart Workforce Solutions
Archive for the 'General News' Category
The Monett Area Missouri Employer Committee invites business owners and human resource professionals to its next seminar on Immigration.
Hal Wood, with Advisory Management Services, will present information on labor market and immigration, changes to immigration law, immigration issues with the application process, types of documentation, the “no match” letter, and new approaches and penalties from ICE for illegal hires. Read the rest of this entry »
Comments (0)Get Your Kicks on Route 66 is a vintage song that gave Joplin national recognition years ago as a popular stop along Historic Route 66. Joplin is back in the national spotlight for its business climate. A national business publication profiled Joplin as a top 25 “Choice City” among metro areas in the nation deemed most attractive for business development. Read the rest of this entry »
The Joplin Area Missouri Employer Committee invites safety managers and human resource professionals to its next seminar titled “OSHA 101.”
Mark Banden, a compliance assistance specialist with the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA, is the featured speaker. Banden will speak about working with OSHA, OSHA compliance assistance and give an introduction to safety and health management programs. Daniel Stark, program manager of the Missouri Division of Labor Standards, also will give a presentation on the Consultation Program.
The seminar will take place from 8:30 a.m. to noon on April 3 at the Missouri Career Center in Joplin. The center is located at 730 S. Wall Ave.
The non-refundable registration fee of $20.00 covers a continental breakfast and all seminar materials. Checks should be made out to Missouri Employer Committee and mailed to the Missouri Career Center by March 27.
Additional sponsors include the Missouri Career Center, Missouri Department of Economic Development’s Division of Workforce Development, and the Workforce Investment Board of Southwest Missouri.
For additional information or to request special accommodations, call Shirley Click at 417-629-3000.
Missouri Southern State University is offering a leadership skills course that begins in January. Titled “Leadership Development for Today’s Quality Organizations,” the course will take place on Thursday evenings starting Jan. 24 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Robert W. Plaster School of Business Administration at MSSU. The course ends on March 13.
The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations has updated the state’s minimum wage poster effective as of January 1 for the wage increase. Download the poster here to help keep your organization in compliance with posting requirements. Remember, don’t fall for direct mail scams to pay big bucks when these posters are available free through the Missouri Career Center!
Gov. Matt Blunt announced today that the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) has approved state tax credits for $1,828,596 over a five-year benefit period for AT&T under the Enhanced Enterprise Zone program. The credits will be utilized for a new facility located at 4001 S. Richard Joseph Blvd. The business operations at the project facility will be a customer care call center for wireless business customers.
The Milken Institute, a renowned independent economic think tank, released its study of the most expensive and least expensive states for businesses. The Show-Me state shows favorable to business with Missouri coming in as one of the states in the top least-expensive for doing business, ranking at 43 of 50 in total cost index overall.
The Carthage Chamber’s first-ever Small Business World Series is a showcase of local businesses with a baseball flavored tailgate party event on Thursday, August 30th from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. The event takes place at the historic Rock Stadium inside the Municipal Park in Carthage. The Missouri Career Center is one of the tailgate exhibits that visitors will see as they “round the bases” at the event.
“The objective for this event was to provide an opportunity for member businesses to promote goods and services to the general public in an unusual fashion at an unconventional location,” noted John Bode, President of the Carthage Chamber of Commerce. “I’d say the committee has done a great job meeting that objective.”
In addition to the unique tailgate displays, a special appearance of Louise, the Springfield Cardinals mascot is set to boost the baseball theme of the event. The Gadget Guy, aka Brad Douglas from KSN-TV, will emcee the event.
Tracy Lemmons and Deb Baugh will represent the Career Center at the event. The “tailgate booth” will feature information on services and initiatives through the center. For more information on the Small Business World Series, contact the Carthage Chamber of Commerce at 417-358-2373.
A recent study by the Urban Land Institute found that many companies are finding a shortage of affordable housing close to work is making it more difficult to hire and retain entry-and mid-level workers. It also found that younger workers and workers earning $50,000 or less were significantly more likely to move closer to work if affordable housing were available than those with higher incomes.
Of those larger (100+ employees) companies surveyed, 58% reported having lost employees at least in part to long commute times, 69% believed a long commute time increases employee stress, 63% believed it triggers negative emotion among employees, 48% said it causes more absenteeism, and 46% said it contributes to turnover. Some of the solutions to long commute times offered by employers included flextime (45%) and telecommuting (21%).
The Missouri Career Center is hosting a Hiring Fair geared to serve employees affected by the pending closure of O’Sullivan Industries. This much-anticipated event is slated for Thursday, June 28th from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Memorial Hall in Lamar.
Much of the affected workforce of more than 700 are comprised of employees with longevity and strong skillsets in advanced manufacturing operations. The company has phased in the layoffs for the majority of the staff between April and July 2007.
To date, the list of employers participating includes:
• Adecco Employment Service
• Advance Food Company
• Aegis Communications Group
• AT&T
• Barton Co. Memorial Hospital
• Buffalo Run Casino
• Dept. of Corrections - Cameron
• EFCO Corporation
• Express Personnel Service
• Hampshire Pet Products
• Heartland Behavioral Health
• La-Z-Boy Chair Company
• Leggett & Platt - Branch One
• Nevada Daily Mail/Ft. Scott Tribune
• Owens Corning
• People Link Staffing
• Prairie Pride, Inc.
• Precious Moments, Inc.
• Precision Aero Services, Inc.
• Quick Vent Windows
• Superior Industries
• Tyson Foods, Inc.
There is no charge for employers to participate, but advanced registration is a must as space is limited. To sign up, complete the registration form and fax it to the Missouri Career Center in Joplin 417-629-3011. For additional information, contract Tracy Lemmons at 417-629-3000 Ext. 237. Emails can be sent to Tracy via tracy.lemmons@ded.mo.gov.
> Download the Event Flyer (PDF)
> Download the Registration Form (PDF)