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Work Force
Virginia Workforce Network can help firms hire employees
The
best companies are the ones that can find the best
employees and then hold on to them. To make your business
thrive, you will need access to a pipeline of new workers,
as well as resources to retrain existing employees as
your business grows.
Here is a list of some of the steps you can take to
establish a solid hiring process:
• Create an established process for recruitment and
selection.
• Make the benefits package easy to understand.
• Use an appropriate employment application.
• Train managers and supervisors in interviewing techniques.
• Extend the interviewing process beyond the principals
in the firm.
• Do multiple reference checks.
• Create an employee referral program.
• Conduct a new hire orientation program, involving the
senior management and department heads.
Implementing these steps will decrease the likelihood
of making a bad hiring decision. It is especially critical
for small companies to make good hiring decisions. Each
person is vital to the team. Do not jump too soon at
a candidate who may appear strong in several, but not
all, of your key areas. It becomes increasingly critical
the smaller the organization and the more senior the
position.
STATE
NETWORKING
OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE |
Networking
is one of the most effective methods for picking
up business tips, gaining leads on potential customers
and suppliers, and learning information on local,
state and national changes that might affect business
conditions. It's also a fact that for many entrepreneurs,
informal networking does not come easy.
Fortunately, the wide variety
and frequency of business-related events held
around Virginia can help even the shyest entrepreneur
gain networking skills. Almost every event, whether
it is a class, a trade show or a presentation,
will include time for networking among the participants.
Simply being in attendance at an event that has
a specific topic or objective establishes a common
ground from which to strike up a conversation.
As an example, Gov. Timothy
M. Kaine's initiative to increase the number of
small, women and minority-owned (SWAM) businesses
that receive state contract bids and awards has
led to event planning that maximizes networking
opportunities. The Procurement Team of the Virginia
Department of Business Assistance not only offers
training seminars on "Selling to the Commonwealth," but
also includes state buyers who are available for
talking with potential new suppliers about their
products and services.
One of the best resources
for finding networking opportunities is the Virginia
Department of Business Assistance Events
Calendar. Local chambers of commerce Web sites
list events, as do Small Business Development Center
sites. Public libraries host events and flyers
for other events can be found in their community
rooms. The business section of most Virginia newspapers
will publish listings of upcoming local meetings,
seminars and other networking events.
While self-study and disciplined,
solitary work are important to the success of a
business, networking can help a businessperson
avoid mistakes, develop helpful relationships and
find new opportunities for business development. |
Recruiting resources
The Virginia Workforce Network (VWN) provides resources
that can help any size business meet its work force
needs. The network consists of more than 40 comprehensive
one-stop career centers called Virginia Workforce Centers,
plus more than 30 satellite and informational centers.
Each Virginia Workforce Center provides one-stop access
to the work force, employment and training services
of various programs and partner organizations. Centers
provide services required by federal legislation plus
other services designed to meet the needs of the local
community. Most Virginia Employment Commission (VEC)
locations have been designated as Virginia Workforce
Centers, and VEC services are provided through many
centers operated by other partner organizations and
contractors.
The VEC provides employment services
in all comprehensive Virginia Workforce Centers. Employers
can list job vacancies by phone, mail, fax, or online
at the VEC Web site. They may choose to have vacancies
reviewed directly online by job seekers or request assistance
from any VEC location in recruiting workers with specific
skill sets.
One-stop partners, such as the local Workforce Investment
Boards, Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services,
the local Department of Social Services, Adult Education
and the Area Agency on Aging, contribute to a work force
system designed to prepare job seekers to meet the needs
of Virginia businesses. Virginia's community college
system, its four-year colleges and universities, and
other trade and technical training programs are additional
sources employers can use to find employees. These resources
are accessible through the network of Virginia Workforce
Centers.
Specialized training
Retaining a good work force and upgrading work force
skills are just as important as the initial hiring
effort. Virginia offers specialized training to help
workers meet the needs of their employers.
Community colleges throughout the commonwealth have
experts who work with employees and their employers to
develop customized training programs. These programs
are reasonably priced and help ensure attractive returns
on investments.
The state's 17 local work force investment boards identify
and certify the quality of work force training available
to local employers and job seekers. The boards ensure
that the training they certify is relevant to the business
needs of the local community and review the performance
of training providers on an annual basis. Additionally,
Virginia's Department of Business Assistance can tap
several federal and state programs to assist qualifying
employers in training and retaining their work force.
Business Resource Units and Re-employment Assistance
initiatives are resources used by the VEC to expedite
the re-employment of the unemployed. Re-employment Services
Orientation workshops are provided in most VEC locations
to eligible unemployment insurance claimants. Individualized
and more in-depth re-employment services, such as skills
assessment, career counseling and retraining, are provided
in group and individual settings to help workers upgrade
their skills and knowledge to be more competitive and
competent in today's work force.
Many VEC locations are providing re-employment
and eligibility assessment interviews to claimants who
have filed claims through the Internet or by telephone.
After these services, job seekers should be more aware
of their marketable skills and better able to articulate
how their skills can benefit an employer.
Labor market information
Businesses
need accurate data to make informed hiring decisions.
Census data and current labor market information are
available to help any employer monitor economic trends
that affect hiring and other business decisions.
The VEC has launched the new version of Virginia's Electronic
Labor Market Access (VELMA). VELMA is an in-depth database
of employment and industry information designed to assist
with a wide range of needs from personal career planning
to business location planning. VELMA contains a wealth
of labor market information and was designed to provide
data for economic analysis and decision making.
VELMA is an instant resource
for employers, planners and industrial recruiters to
study economic trends and conditions. This easy-to-use
interactive Web site has an array of employment and
unemployment data, area demographics, industry and
occupational wage data, current economic indicators
and more. Data are provided, not only for the state,
but also for regions, such as metropolitan statistical
areas, counties, work force investment areas and special
wage survey districts. Along with an abundance of current
information, VELMA also contains historical and projected
data that allow for detailed studies and comparisons.
Data such as unemployment rates are updated on a regular
basis to provide users the most timely and accurate
information. To access VELMA go to the VEC Web
site and click on "Labor
Market Information."
Career Readiness Certificate
The Commonwealth recognizes the value of having a work
force that responds to the needs of employers. Work
force development is a way for all Virginians to enhance
their education, learn important work skills and earn
a better wage.
The Career Readiness Certificate (CRC) helps employers
by providing them with better-educated and better-trained
employees and a work force training system focused on
their training needs. Recognition of the partnership
between the employer and work force development is echoed
in the responsibilities of the Virginia Workforce Council,
appointed by the governor. The council assists the governor
in identifying the work force needs of the business community,
forecasting and identifying training requirements, and
creating strategies to match trained workers with available
jobs.
Virginia did not have a portable credential confirming
to employers that a worker possesses basic workplace
skills. The Career Readiness Certificate (CRC) verifies
that the certificate holder has reached an employer-recognized
level of work force literacy. To date, more than 5,200
Virginia workers have earned CRCs.
• The CRC ensures employers that
the worker has achieved a competency level in several
basic skills areas that nearly all jobs require, including
reading for information, applied math and locating information.
• All Virginians are eligible
to earn a CRC by taking basic skills assessment tests
administered in a variety of settings - One-Stop Career
Development Centers, community colleges, local departments
of Social Services and other appropriate locations.
• Several other states have created
similar certificates to assess a person's work skills,
and the program has wide acceptance in the business community.
Securing and retaining a talented work force and providing
updated skills necessary to ensure continued productivity
is a challenge for every employer. The commonwealth has
a vast pool of qualified workers and a myriad of resources
available to lessen the burden.
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