Business Services Newsletter - Your Local HR Resource

September 2009

Welcome Racine County Employers!

Welcome to the Racine County Business Services newsletter - your local source for current information and events related to human resources and training. We have been busy planning a terrific line-up of events for the Fall to educate you and connect you with qualified candidates for your job openings. We can also assist if you are considering lay-offs.

Our full service center is here to serve you in the employer group and countless jobseekers. Most of our services are available at no cost. If we are unable to meet a specific need, we may refer you to our network of partners who may have the service you need.

We are looking ahead to a brighter 2010 and are in the process of planning our Employer Workshops for the year. If there are any human resources related topics that you would like to see presented, please contact Jane Kurylo at 262-638-6603.

We also encourage you to visit our website and click on the Employer tab. There are many resources available locally and links to a variety of additional helpful websites.

Job Connections Job Fair

Are you looking to begin recruiting again? If so, join us along with The Journal Times as we host the Job Connections Job Fair on October 27, 2009 at Festival Hall from 12:00pm to 4:00pm. Don't miss this opportunity to join other leading Racine, Kenosha and Milwaukee-area companies in recruiting top potential employees to fill your full or part-time, temporary or permanent office, sales, manufacturing, technical, professional and other positions. If you are interested in participating, please click here for more details.

Mobility Manager

Racine County has a new Mobility Manager, Chris Reuwer, based at the Workforce Development Center, who will serve as a resource for transportation related issues for employers and employees alike. Chris is responsible for identifying unmet transportation needs, coordinating and promoting existing services, and working to create additional mobility options. Feel free to call on him for information on employer transportation benefits, to talk about specific workforce transportation problems you may be facing, or to present any ideas you may have for improving the way Racine County employees get to work and back. Chris can be reached at 262-638-6631 or chris.reuwer@goracine.org.

Smart Restart Training Program

The Racine County Workforce Development Center continues to collaborate on training employees for Racine County employers. There are 5 different training programs currently being offered to job seekers FREE of charge! The programs are: Office Assistant, Machine Repair, Medical Receptionist, Telecommunications and Logistics. These intensive programs simulate the work environment and prepare the graduate to either continue their education or start working. Participants will have the opportunity to earn certificates in each program. For further information about these programs please contact your business consultant.

The Inaugural Industrial Machine Repair Boot Camp graduates 13 students!

Gateway Technical College in collaboration with the Racine County Workforce Development Center, Kenosha Job Center and Walworth Job Center developed the Industrial Machine Repair Boot Camp to respond to the needs of area employers for skilled industrial maintenance workers. On July 31st a completion ceremony was held for the students. In addition to receiving the completion certificate all thirteen students earned the MSSC safety certification!

Department of Workforce Development Secretary, Roberta Gassman, attended the ceremony to congratulate the students. She spoke of how the program is a key for how our state will come out of these challenging times by providing a skilled workforce which will keep our state competitive.

The boot camp was a 19 week program. The curriculum included blueprint reading/schematics, intro to pneumatics/hydraulics, mechanical skills, applied math, machining, installation, electricity, power transmission and intro to industrial controls. If you would like more information on the program or would like a resume booklet of the graduates, please contact your Business Consultant.

$2 Million Job Training Hiring Initiative

Department of Workforce Development Secretary Roberta Gassman announced a $2 million On-the-Job Training Hiring Initiative, funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), to pay 50% of the wages plus fringe benefits for up to 90 days when employers hire people with disabilities. If you are interested in learning more about the OJT initiative, or if you are seeking direct employee referrals, please contact Patti Johnson, Director of DVR, at 262-638-7201 or email, PatriciaL1.Johnson@dwd.wisconsin.gov.

2 Month YMCA Family Membership

The YMCA would like to help your laid-off/downsized employees in this tough economy by offering them a 2 month free family membership. This generous offer is being made to help them stay fit, reduce stress and have something fun to do with their families. At the time of a downsizing event you will need to provide the "Y" with the names of the employees who are affected. They will be permitted to take advantage of the offer only if their employer has provided their name. If you have questions please contact Jen at 262-634-1994.

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