Columbia Greene NY Workforce: Newsletter 3, July

The Columbia Greene Workforce Area has recently begun to use Prove It, a skills assessment program for job seekers. Prove It has over 900 validated tests and is now available to assist businesses with prescreening potential employees. Assessments cover a wide content area including clerical, software, industrial, healthcare, financial and technical job classifications. Please review the following link, the Prove It website and contact me to discuss how we can assist you in identifying the most qualified applicants for your positions! http://www.columbiagreeneworks.org/Online-assesment.html

In the future, hopefully by mid-September, Columbia Greene Workforce New York will also be offering job seekers E-Learning opportunities through NY Wired, Matrix Learning to remediate skill deficiencies.

Anyone earning under $16.00 can now attend any or all four training sessions, no reviews are necessary, the cost is just $10.00/person to cover the workbook, 30 Ways to Shine!

Are you looking for an effective proven way to increase the retention rates & develop workplace skills? If so, then the Employee Enhancement Program is for you! This four module workshop is designed to help workers develop soft skills necessary for success on the job. The next session will run September 4, 11, 18 & 25. Sessions run Thursday mornings from 9-12am.

Workshop topics include:

Having it All-Managing Your Job & Life
Employee Strategies for Creating On-the-Job Success
Communication at Work; Pulling Together-Being Part of Your Work Team
Business is a Service Thing- Excellent Customer Service for both Internal & External Customers

Note, if you would like to enroll an employee in the WIB Credential Program that option is still available for new workers! For employees earning over $16.00 there is a $50.00 fee per module or $175.00 for the series plus a one time book fee of $10.00.

Date: Thursday, September 25th, 2008 , 8:00 am Breakfast, 8:30-10:00 Program, Q & A’s $15.00 per person, cost includes breakfast
Location: Columbia Greene Community College, Professional Academic Center
Trainer: Michael Murphy of Carter, Conboy, Case, Blackmore, Maloney & Laird, P.C.
Sponsor:Ed Herrington, Inc. Contact: Debra Lombardo: 828-4654 x 209; Fax 828-8474 E-mail: debra.lombardo@labor.state.ny.us

Looking for a low cost, efficient marketing tool that will distribute your business logo to over 600 businesses? The Columbia Greene JSEC is seeking sponsors for many of it's 2008-2009 programs. The cost is $125 and it includes two program registrations; an opportunity to briefly address program participants and distribute corporate literature. Your logo will also be attached to the program flyer which is sent to over 600 businesses, as well as the media, Chambers of Commerce, CRHRA and many other organizations.

The Department of Labor, Division of Safety & Health offers a wide variety of safety training at no cost. Below is a schedule of an upcoming training offering that will be held in Albany. The link below is the complete course catalogue. If you have an interest in a particular topic and we can get together a group of trainees there is the possibly of holding the training session here at Columbia Greene Community College, Professional Academic Center. Recently, at the request of an employer, local training was offered and attended by over 35 trainees! Training Course Catalogue: http://www.labor.state.ny.us/workerprotection/safetyhealth/PDFs/21D/On-Site%20Training%20Catalogue.pdf

Training Topic: Preventing Workplace Violence
This course is designed to help you identify methods and strategies to address the prevention of workplace violence. A discussion will be held on what steps you need to take to help prevent workplace violence situations.

Date: August 22, 2008, 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Location:NYS Department of Labor, State Office Building Campus Building 12, Training Room A
Contact:Rosalind Compton, Compton.Rosalind@dol.gov or (518) 457-2810

The 'e-News’ convenient format will put IRS tax information at your fingertips. “Useful Links” brings you quickly to some of the most useful information on IRS.gov for large and small businesses and the self-employed. To start your FREE subscription to e-News, just go to IRS.gov at http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/content/0,,id=154826,00.html type in your e-mail address & submit.

Recruitment

Employers with a mailing address in New York State who register and log in on the national America's Job Exchange site (www.americasjobexchange.com) will be charged a $49.00 fee per job posting. Any New York State employer who wishes to avoid the fee must register on the New York State site (www.americasjobexchange.com/ny). For this purpose, if the employer is already registered on the national site - he or she must re-register on the New York State site. Please remember that all employers that register with NYSAJE are required to have an active Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) obtain through the IRS and a New York State Employer Identification Number (SEIN) obtain through NYSDOL-Registration.

The Youth Internship Support Program’s mission is to connect local employers with high school or college students to promote the quality career opportunities that exist in our community. Employers benefit by providing full or part time paid internships that focus on promoting the high skill jobs in which they have the most difficult recruiting qualified candidates. This new program will begin in the fall.

Job Central is a site that will “index” or transfer jobs that are listed on your business website to Job Central for no cost. When job seekers click on your listing they are directly connected to your corporate website. If your available positions are on line and listed individually (vs one page with a listings of all positions and with no separate link for each position) this service is for you! Register now at http://www.jobcentral.com/indexingrequest.asp

The Career Center offers Job Fairs twice a year, for the times between events we have on site recruitment options for you. If you would like the opportunity to meet with a number of job seekers, talk to us about on site recruitment. This can happen in either of two ways, if you are looking for part time/weekend help, college students may be a great solution. Your business can set up a table in front of the Student Center. This would provide you with a high traffic area to advertise positions, meet and talk with students about your available positions.

If you are looking to fill full time positions and would like to meet a group of potential employees for interviews or to provide information about your business, we recommend you place and ad in the newspaper, list your positions with the Career Center we will schedule a room for you here at Columbia Greene Community College, Workforce Career Center. In addition we will list the event on our website and the NYSDOL site, post a flyer here in the Career Center, the college and distribute to local agencies.

Top

The HR Roundtable provides a forum in which HR Managers can exchange information, answer HR questions and discuss best practices. Recent projects have included a health benefit and a retention survey; some discussion topics have included employee retention strategies and recognition programs. Come and share your expertise with this group of HR professionals.

Wednesday, September 10th 8:00-9:15am
Columbia Greene Community College, Professional Academic Center

Wednesday, July 23rd 5:00 to 7:00pm
Location: Route 9H in Kinderhook
Reservations appreciated 828-4417

Wednesday, August 13th 5:00-7:00pm
Location: Olana, Route 9G, Hudson
Reservations appreciated 828-4417

The Columbia and Greene County Chambers of Commerce will host the 4th Annual Superintendents Brunch. This special program will feature Childhood Obesity-Community Partnerships in Action and will discuss the critical importance addressing the rising prevalence of childhood obesity and encourage the implementation of programming that supports healthy lifestyle habits. The brunch will end with a time for local education and business leaders to network.

Thursday, August 21st 11:00-am-12:30 pm
Location: Columbia Greene Community College
Contact 828-4417 for further information & reservations

Wednesday, September 10th
Contact 828-4417 for further information & reservations

The Greene Jeans Gala is fun and informal (the dress code is “jeans”) and features large tents set up in the forest decorated in an autumn themes. The event is catered and includes complimentary drinks and a silent auction. The Emerald Awards will be present at the Gala.

September 18th, 2008 5:00 pm
Location: Cornell Cooperative Extension Agroforestry Resource Center, 6055 Route 23, Acra, the event will be located in the Magical Siuslaw Model Forest across the street from the ARC.
Cost is $60.00, reservations required, 943-4222

Wednesday, September 24th 5:00-7:00pm
Location:111 Main Street Philmont
Reservations appreciated 828-4417

Top

For Your Employees…

This organization assists consumers with debt management, counseling for credit, bankruptcy or for those in danger of foreclosure. Unfortunately we have seen a rise in customers with these types of issues. This organization can really help, especially in the management of credit card debt! We have had very positive response from customers that have met with counselors. http://www.credithelpny.org/ , a representative is available to meet once a monthly here at the Career Center with interested customers.

Community Action of Greene County, Inc in partnership with NYSOTDA & the Bank of Greene County are offering low interest loans of 5% for 3 years for up to $5,000 for eligible applicants residing in Greene or Columbia Counties. No down payment required, there is eligibility criteria please contact 943-9205 and ask for the Wheels for Work Program for further information.

4th Annual Golf Tournament August 22- Thunderhart at Sunny Hill, contact 943-4222 for details

Columbia County Bounty is proud to announce the first “Taste of Columbia County Bounty” taking place on Monday, July 28, 2008 from 5 pm to 9 pm at the Columbia County Fairgrounds in Chatham . This first-ever event of it's kind in Columbia County brings together more than 25 of our finest chefs, restaurants and producers and more than 35 local growers and farmers for a summer's evening of terrific fun and fare - simply a “must” for foodies of every stripe, passionate cooks, farm admirers, food activists and home gardeners! Tickets are $75 for unlimited food, wine, beer and fun and include a $25 one-year membership in Columbia County Bounty. Tickets are $50 for current Bounty members, children 1 to 6 years old are free and for children 7 to 12 years old are $25. Call Columbia County Chamber of Commerce (518) 828-4417 for tickets, or purchase tickets at the door (cash or credit cards only at the door). For further information on Columbia County Bounty see www.columbiacountybounty.com

Greene & Columbia County Chambers are once again collaborating in the largest business-to-business trade show in the area. Display your products and services to over 500+ attendees. Reserve Thursday, October 23 from 4:00-7:00pm for this event, see www.columbiachamber-ny.com for further information.

If you have comments or feel this newsletter is helpful to you please let me know!

Maureen Boutin
Business Services Representative
Columbia Greene Workforce New York
4400 Route 23
Hudson, New York 12534
518-828-4181 ext. 5510
www.columbiagreeneworks.org

Top

Return to Newsletter index for more.

If you can't find something you are looking for, please contact the Columbia-Greene Career Center for more assistance, (518) 828-4181 ext. 5510,TDD/TTY (518) 828-1399 or e-mail us .