Smart Workforce Solutions
Archive for the 'Recruitment' Category
The Workforce Investment Board (WIB) of Southwest Missouri announced Wednesday its plans to offer a summer employment program that prepares youth across the region for exciting careers in high-demand, high-paying sectors for the 21st century.
The Next-Generation Jobs Team, matches youth ages 16 to 24 with paid summer jobs and internships at cutting-edge employers throughout the region. As part of the program, the WIB and Career Center staff assist young people to identify career fields of interest and then make value-added placements with participating employers.
“The Four-State Region’s economy is well-diversified and ripe with opportunities for youth in the career pipeline,” noted Jasen Jones, Executive Director for the WIB. “In addition to valuable work experience, it’s our goal that youth in this program see real life examples of how their current and future studies in school are relevant in today’s workplace,” Jones added.
Next-Generation Jobs Team participants will spend the summer gaining on-the-job training and work experience, along with ongoing guidance and support from professional career counselors from the Joplin and Monett Career Centers. Wages for the young workers are funded by the U.S. Department of Labor through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
In the statewide announcements this week, Governor Nixon lauded how the program not only helps young people gain vital experience, it helps employers develop a pool of talent to meet their needs for educated and qualified workers and to “build the workforce that will lead Missouri’s economy into the future.”
Young Missourians or businesses interested in participating in the Next-Generation Jobs Team can apply by way of the website or call Kris Baldwin at 417-206-1717 Ext. 229. The program is available between May 1 and September 30, 2009. There is no fee to participate, but some eligibility requirements will apply.
The WIB is also recruiting employers that could benefit from providing internships to youth in growth-oriented, skills-driven sectors. Interested businesses may contact Gary Box at 417-206-1717 Ext. 227.
Comments (0)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)
The annual Festival of Friends in Carthage has gained a reputation of connecting different cultures and showcasing their uniquesness as well as similarity. The Carthage Multicultural Committee has opened the festival for local businesses and non-profit organizations to exhibit and connect with the participants. The festival is slated for 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 15th at Central Park in Carthage. For more information, contact Kate Massey at 417-359-8181 or send an email to cvb@ecarthage.com.
Total online job ads were 4,365,000 in April, an increase of 610,600 or 16 percent from March, according to The Conference Board Help-Wanted OnLine Data Series™ released recently. Part of the rise reflects seasonal factors including the longer reference period of mid-March to mid-April, when there were three more days than in the previous month. There were 2.9 advertised vacancies online for every 100 persons in the labor force in April. Over the year April ’06 – April ‘07, online advertised vacancies increased 24 percent for the nation as a whole.
Cingular Wireless, now the New AT&T, is proud to be a part of the Joplin area. Cingular employs over 300,000 people across the globe, providing a multitude of services. With over 66 million land line customers, over 61 million wireless customers, and a growing broadband customer base, the new customer service call center in Joplin is slated to emply more than 600 Four-State area residents. Read the rest of this entry »
The 2007 Workforce Summit of Southwest Missouri was held in Joplin on April 4th. Surveys of the event indicate that the Summit was well-received. Participants found the content timely and engaging with strategies that are relevant and useful.
A panel on Workforce Competitiveness kicked off the Summit event. The panel featured Rob O’Brian of the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, Rod Nunn from the Missouri Division of Workforce Development, and Roger Wagner from Crowder College.
Jasen Jones, Executive Director of the Workforce Investment Board, showcased new innovations for Workforce Competitivess. The presentation included a demo of the interactive Alchemy Training SISTEM, occupational planning and work readiness assessments from WorkKeys, web-based applicant screening through the Virtual Video Interview system, new talent development strategies with industry sector consortiums and cross-state partnerships underway with neighboring workforce regions in Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma.
Pictured above is Ray Uhalde, the keynote speaker for the Summit. Ray’s keynote provided a thought-provoking blueprint to rethink education’s role to prepare students to thrive in a global economy. Ray is the Director of the Workforce Strategies Group at the National Center on Education and the Economy.
Copies of the presentation slides are available for download as a PDF. Click here to download the presentation by Jasen Jones on New Tools for Workforce Competitiveness. Click here to download Ray Uhalde’s keynote presentation, Tough Chocies or Tough Times on the New Commission for American Skills in the Workplace. Both documents contain slides from the presentations converted to PDF files. Podcasts of audio presentations from the Summit will be posted soon in our Podcast section of WorkforceZone.com.
Career Morning events held twice annually at the Missouri Career Center in Joplin are taking on a new look and feel for Spring 2007. Career Center officials are planning a three-day Career Fair Extravaganza with each morning showcasing a specific business sector. The new focus helps employers zero in on applicants looking for opportunities in a specific sector, rather than merely getting a job in general.
The Career Fair events are set for 9 a.m. to Noon May 9th, 10th, and 11th at the Center, located at the corner of 8th and Wall Streets near Memorial Hall in Downtown Joplin. Wednesday, May 9th the focus is on Healthcare. Manufacturing careers comprise the event for Thursday, the 10th. On Friday, May 11th, the event highlights job opportunities in the Transportation and Logistics sectors for Southwest Missouri.
Booth tables are available for businesses to meet with prospective applicants throughout the event. There is no charge to participate, but interested employers should pre-register with John McLean at the Missouri Career Center by calling (417) 629-3000 or through email to john.mclean@ded.mo.gov. The Career Fair Extravaganza events are co-sponsored by the Missouri Employer Committee and the Missouri Career Center in Joplin, the Missouri Department of Economic Development’s Division of Workforce Development, the Workforce Investment Board of Southwest Missouri.
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 4th
Continental Catering Center
2728 N. Rangeline Road [Map]
Joplin, MO
The future of Southwest Missouri’s economic prosperity is in its workforce. The Workforce Summit of Southwest Missouri, is a half-day conference officially set for April 4th, to debut trends and workforce improvement solutions for business executives and community leaders.
The theme for this year’s event centers on Workforce Innovation as a Competitive Asset. The event is sponsored by the Workforce Investment Board (WIB) of Southwest Missouri and showcases the potential for the region to thrive economically as businesses and communities team up to enhance the skill and productivity of the workforce.
The WIB has tapped Ray Uhalde to provide a thought-provoking keynote address on a blueprint to rethink education’s role to prepare students to thrive in a global economy. As Director of the Workforce Strategies Group at the National Center on Education and the Economy, Mr. Uhalde brings employment and training insights from his 15 years as a senior executive with the U.S. Department of Labor and his role in developing the current framework for the one-stop career center system.
The event is planned for 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4th at the Continental Catering Center (located behind Granny Shaffer’s Restaurant), 2728 N. Rangeline Road, between Joplin and Webb City. More information will be released here at www.workforcezone.com.
Virtual Video Interview (VVI) system cuts costs and saves time in your recruiting efforts! Join us at the Missouri Career Center for an Open House demonstration.
The Missouri Career Center takes job interviews to a new level
The VVI system was developed to match qualified workers with job openings through a simulated face-to-face video interview with a prospective employer. Job seekers are provided a structured interview through questions prompted by the computer and responses are captured for viewing by employers. This gives the employers the ability to virtually screen candidates on demand and eliminates the need for a first interview.
Better Quality
The VVI system allows employers to review and follow up with the candidates. Further, employers are able to ascertain the jobseeker’s knowledge, skills, and abilities and are able to determine if the candidate is a good fit organizationally prior to granting a face-to-face interview. Thus, the candidate pool for prospective employers and the quality of candidates will increase as the employer can review interactive digital media rather than relying on a printed resume.
The 411 on VVI Open House Events:
Friday, February 16th
10:00 a.m. to Noon
Missouri Career Center
511 S. Kyler
Monett, MO
2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Missouri Career Center
730 S. Wall
Joplin, MO
RSVP to Tracy Lemmons at 417-629-3000 Ext 237 or send an email to tracy.lemmons@ded.mo.gov.