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Thursday, March 6, 2014

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"To Be or Not To Be?"

 

 

 

4:00 - 6:00 p.m. (Eastern)
MARESA

 321 E. Ohio Street

Marquette, MI 49855

 REGISTER 

 

This workshop will explore the nuts and bolts of forming and sustaining a 501c3 tax-exempt organization and help you decide the next steps for your cause. We'll discuss the state and federal steps involved, required forms, and compliance. We'll also discuss options to explore if you decide a 501c3 classification isn't the best solution for your organization.

Additional Dates

Tuesday, March 11
4:00 - 6:00 p.m. (Eastern)
Copper Country Intermediate School District

 

Tuesday, March 25
4:00 - 6:00 p.m. (Eastern)
Island Resort and Casino 

 

Workshop Rates

$25 for GLCYD Members

$45 for Non-Members

 

Register now!

Register HERE or 

by calling 906-228-8919.

 

 

 

How to Start a Business and Succeed

          

 

In partnership with the Florence County Economic Development Corporation, Beth Kost, Rural Small Business Consultant for Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC), will deliver classes to develop and support local entrepreneurs.

 

 

How to Start a Business and Succeed

March 19th, 5:30 - 7:00 pm

 

Taking entrepreneurship to the next level

 

When starting a business, you should know the answer to some common questions: What is your business and what is the market? Who are your customers and how will you promote your products or services? What are your overall costs, etc.? Learn how to assess your business in a way that will help you craft a winning business plan. 

 

No Fee.

Light snack provided.

 

To register or ask questions, please call Wendy Gehlhoff at 715.528.3294 or email to wgehlhoff@co.florence.wi.us.

 

 

 

Responding to Federal Government Opportunities

 

You have found a government opportunity that you 

might want to bid on....

  What's next?

 

What factors should you consider before bidding?

 

How does the government evaluate offers?

 

Where do you go for help?

 

This seminar will help you find the answers to these questions and more!

 

This seminar will cover:

•  Accepting GSA SmartPay Charge Cards
•  Government Purchase Orders
•  DLA Internet Bid Board System (DIBBS)
•  Uniform Contract Format Review
•  Understanding a Solicitation
•  Responding to a Request for Proposal (RFP)

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National Association of Workforce Boards Honors Local Board Member for Making Workforce and Economy More Vibrant

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W.O. Lawton Business Leadership Award

 

A primary role of Workforce Investment Boards is to build relationships between businesses and public partners such as economic development organizations, education providers, and community and faith-based organizations. This is only possible, however, when a business steps up and makes a commitment to be a full partner in the board's endeavors. The National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) has established the W.O. Lawton Business Leadership Award to annually honor a business or business organization, on a national stage, that made the commitment of time, money, and leadership to make their community's workforce and economy more vibrant.

 

The 2014 W.O. Lawton Business Leadership Award Grand Prize Winner is Tony Retaskie, executive director, Upper Peninsula Construction Council; chair, Upper Peninsula Construction Regional Skills Alliance; and board member of Michigan Works! The Job Force Board.  

 

Retaskie's distinguished track record of success led to the grand prize honor this year.  In December 2005, Michigan Works! The Job Force Board partnered with the State of Michigan to establish a Regional Skills Alliance (RSA) for the construction industry to address workforce and economic challenges in the region.  The group was named the Upper Peninsula Construction Regional Skills Alliance. This industry-led group, comprised of trade representatives and construction industry management, has as its mission to recruit the best and brightest into the construction industry, by raising awareness among parents, students, job seekers, and educators. Tony is the chair of the RSA and provides leadership for the group's activities.  

 

The construction and industrial trades industry contributes nearly $100 million to the Upper Peninsula economy annually, providing an average hourly rate of $22.74 plus benefits to workers. The partnering organizations known as the Upper Peninsula Construction Council (UPCC) and the Upper Peninsula Construction Regional Skills Alliance (UP Construction RSA) were formed for the following reasons: 1) an estimated 40 percent of the industry's workforce in the region was set to retire in the near future; 2) academic requirements and career awareness were not fully in place in education and workforce development systems, and 3) a projected 8.4 percent growth rate through 2021 made the industry among the region's top 10 growth industries.

 

One of UP Construction RSA's efforts to raise awareness of the high-demand, high-wage career opportunities in the construction and industrial trades industries has been the Industrial Trades Career Day, an innovative approach to blend career awareness with hands-on learning for high school students throughout the region. The UP Construction RSA teamed up with Michigan Works! The Job Force Board, the Upper Peninsula Construction Council (UPCC), local educators, and union representatives to support the 2013 event. They brought together over $10,000 in sponsorships, upwards of $2,000 in donated materials, elicited countless volunteer hours, and secured the use of the local trades' equipment. The UP Construction RSA provided leadership and guidance in the overall execution of the event from conception to evaluations and next-steps.

 

Over 400 high school juniors and seniors in six school districts from Delta, Schoolcraft, and Chippewa counties participated in the Industrial Trades Career Day in 2013. Some students traveled from three hours away to participate in this unique learning experience. The UP Construction RSA has hosted three events prior to 2013 with the latest event being the most comprehensive so far. During the 2013 experience students participated in a new type of career fair that provided interaction, simulations, and real-life hands-on activities to gain first-hand knowledge of career opportunities within the trades. The career day focused on the role math plays in the everyday life of a construction worker while on the job. Throughout the day, students participated in bricklaying, concrete finishing, welding, carpentry work, electrical wiring, iron working, climbing poles, and other trades activities. The UP Construction RSA's plan for the future is to provide an Industrial Trades Career Day in all regions of the Upper Peninsula. They are currently planning the next event to take place in Houghton County, Michigan in October 2014. This will be the first event in the Western Upper Peninsula. The Industrial Trades Career Day operates under the leadership of Retaskie.

 

Tony Retaskie is a driving force within the region's workforce investment system and is always looking for innovative ways to raise awareness in students about the construction trades.  Tony's strong leadership to enhance the local workforce and economy was recognized by the NAWB who will be presenting him with the W.O. Lawton Business Leadership Award at their annual forum on March 29 - April 1, 2014, in Washington, D.C.

 

"I am honored to receive this award and thankful that it helps put some of our efforts in the UP on the map," said Retaskie.   

 

The National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) connects workforce development professionals, Workforce Investment Board members, and policymakers with the knowledge, training and tools to help make informed, smart decisions about how to invest in workforce strategies that advance the economic health of their communities through a skilled, competitive workforce. For more information on NAWB, visit www.nawb.org, and to see how this system helps keep America working, go to WorkforceInvestmentWorks.com.