E-News. An Experience they will never forget... The 2017 Youth Career Expo on the Peninsula

Transcription

1 E-News Summer/Fall 2017 Greater Peninsula Workforce Development Board An Experience they will never forget... The 2017 Youth Career Expo on the Peninsula PLANTINUM SPONSOR CO-HOSTS PCFWD and VPCC would like to thank partners and supporters of the 2017 s amazing Youth Career Expo! Sentara representatives (shown above) and Bayport Credit Union representatives (shown below) were fully engaged in expedition learning demonstrations at our YCE. Economic Development Directors from the Greater Peninsula Area who are shown here with Matthew James, Pres & CEO and Mark Stefanick, Vice-Chair. (L-R: Jim Noel of York County, Michele DeWitt of Williamsburg, Dave Callis of Poquoson, Amy Jordan of James City County, Leonard Sledge of Hampton, Florence Kingston of Newport News, and Sherry Spring of Gloucester). 1

2 We VALUE our Business Partners and Consider them Champions Left to Right: Kurt Clemons, US DOL, Sherri Bowler, Corporate Recruiter, Greg Garrett Realty PCFWD; Indie Dickens, Closing Edge Title, Lisa Wornom-Zahralddin, Peninsula Council For Workforce Development AVP, Private/Public Partnerships, Lisa Taylor, Peninsula Worklink Community and Business Outreach Coordinator; Greg Garrett, Owner Greg Garrett Realty and PCFWD Executive Board member. For years, I attended and mostly paid for workforce recruitment events to secure great talent for my organization. I never knew that a business could be invited to a no-cost Rapid Response event and then could receive On-The-Job funding support for hiring affected workers. As a newer Executive Board member of the Peninsula Council for Workforce Development I am learning a lot. I urge other business leaders to get engaged with workforce development on the Peninsula and join us at the PCFWD. Greg Garrett, Owner Greg Garrett Realty and PCFWD Executive Board member. From the Chair s Perspective September was celebrated as Workforce Development Professionals Month September was Workforce Development Professionals Month. We celebrate all staff, partners, and business leaders who engage in this dynamic field. John Olson, Ed.D. The City of Hampton hosted a Workforce Development Professionals Month breakfast to recognize all local partners including Peninsula Worklink staff (shown above) and Peninsula Council for Workforce Development (right) and many more. VEDP and TNCC cosponsored this fine event. We appreciate all of our Economic Development and Workforce Development partners! 2

3 We Appreciate our Community Partners and Neighbors Engaged networking and business discussions over coffee kept this crowd awake and charged up! PCFWD donuts and energized dancing partners near the VPCC table as they sway out of our PCFWD front door. The Peninsula Council for Workforce Development partnered with Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce for our first Coffee connection June 6, 2017 and everyone had a donut and a blast. Thanks to our partners at Harvey Lindsay for the door prizes. Left to Right: Matthew James, PCFWD President & CEO, Jim Noel, Director York County Office of Economic Development, and Mark Stefanick, Director of Total Rewards at Ferguson Enterprises and PCFWD Vice-Chair. 3

4 Real Coffee Connections Happen on the Peninsula AGC s & PCFWD s Cocktail & Movie with an Auction Flaunted Rock n Roll Left to Right: Dr. Robert P. Fleishauer, Vice President & STARSS III Program Manager, Science Systems and Applications, Inc. and PCFWD Executive Board member, Mike Kuhns, President/ CEO, Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Everett Jordan, Director, Newport News Shipyard s Apprentice School and PCFWD Executive Board member, Mark Stefanick, Director of Total Rewards at Ferguson Enterprises and PCFWD Vice-Chair along with Richard Brinkley, President/CEO, Priority Staffing Services. Regional State of the Workforce and Skills Gap Analysis Report Launched at VMASC April 18, 2017 Bill Walsh, President, Walsh Electric, leads the Associated General Contractors into the 2017 Auction Hall. An AGC member assesses Rock n Roll memorabilia for a bid. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FULL REPORT Greater Peninsula Workforce Development Board The Cocktail & a Movie invitation to all AGC members. AGC auction proceeds help train youth in the trades fields. 4

5 The Council s Federal Division Receives Full Approval of WIOA Strategic Plan 5

6 PCFWD Collaborates with our Partners, Businesses, and Southside Neighbors to Host a Regional Healthcare Recruitment Event in June. Peninsula Council for Workforce Development and Peninsula Worklink were very excited about co-hosting the fourth Regional Healthcare Job Fair with Opportunity Inc. One-Stop Workforce Center, Virginia Employment Commission, Job Assistance Center, LLC and Thomas Nelson Workforce Development. We have had tremendous turnout in the past and the feedback on a trade specific event like this has been very positive from the business partners and job seekers who participated. Our Annual Free Customer Service Event Garnered Three Full Sessions in May. We would like to thank Bobbie Walker, Walker Consulting, LLC, Hampton Convention & Visitor Bureau, Newport News Hospitality Association, and Newport News Tourism Development Office for this amazing partnership and annual program that continues to grow on the Peninsula. Bobbi Walker Walker Consulting, LLC Building strong foundations for successful teams 6

7 PCFWD Engages with and Supports the Academies of Hampton Matthew James with City of Hampton s Mayor Donnie Tuck and Dr. Lynn Lambert, CNU Associate Professor Computer Science at the Academies of Hampton Designation Ceremony April 20, For more information about the Academies of Hampton: Summer Training and Enrichment Program Participants of Newport News are ON the move from TNCC to ODU at the Peninsula Workforce Development Center Success is Everywhere on the Peninsula Quote from participant: I m just a young man chasing my dreams. With the support of this organization my goals have become a reality. Mr. Saunders first came to Peninsula Worklink in August of He was struggling to find employment after completing the Job Corp program for welding. He had applied to various companies for welding positions, but was not successful. He was living with his grandparents and had very little income to support himself. He dreamed of working in maritime because of his deep passion for the open ocean. He was most interested in the Mid-Atlantic Maritime Academy. Within the first two weeks of services he had done extensive research on their ordinary seaman boot-camp and even started studying on his own. He never missed an appointment with me and was always well prepared. The instructors of the school have given me very positive feedback. Mr. Saunders never missed a class and was never late. He worked hard and was always the first to volunteer for an exercise. He also did very well during his externship. By the time, he finished, he had been offered a permanent job with the company and had two other companies making him offers. He received his 7 PCFWD continues to support this growing initiative in the City of Newport News. For more information on this amzaing program please visit: credentials on December 13, 2016 and started his new job on January 12, For the past two months, he has been working off the coast of Florida and is now making his way up to Boston. Mr. Saunders calls as often as he can, but sometimes he goes without cell phone reception for weeks at a time. He is very thankful for the assistance he received from the WIOA program. Last time we spoke he told me. For the first time in my life I am able to repay my grandparents for all of the support they have given me over the years. It feels good to be able to take care of them now.

8 Active Regional Engagement for Workforce Development Strategies The Peninsula Council For Workforce Development, Opportunity Inc. and Bay Consortium held an engaging business panel discussion and social as a follow up to recent economic development studies. This event was hosted by SEVA Rapid Response and over 30 businesses were in attendance. Curtis Wray opened this event with a historical look back at the SEVA Rapid Response partnerships and numerous businesses served. Rapid Response will be moving under the VEC in early fall Sara Dunnigan, Executive Director, Virginia Board of Workforce Development/Chief Workforce Policy Advisor in the Governor s Office, offered opening comments as well as full engagement with the attendees on the panel. Sara Dunnigan spoke to the difficulty in recruitment in today s labor market and suggested that businesses consider removing the required prior-experience on entrylevel postings to expand the candidate pool. Billie Cook, Human Resources Manager, Technical Solutions (A Division of Huntington Ingalls Industries - Nuclear & Environmental Group Newport News Industrial) moderated the business discussion with the panel and shared her passion for her years of partnership with many partners in the workforce development field. 8

9 This three Workforce Development Board event delivered true Regionalism! Curtis Wray, SEVA Rapid Response Coordinator. STEP Youth Volunteer. Steve Cook, VP Workforce Innovation, Opportunity Inc. with Matthew James, President & CEO, PCFWD. Mike Jenkins, Executive Director Bay Workforce Development Board. Peninsula Worklink American Job Center/One-Stop Proudly Partnered to Support the Middle Peninsula Career Fair & Expo in Gloucester A special thank you to our friends at the Gloucester County Public Schools, Virginia Employment Commission and Peninsula Worklink for working so hard on the planning and implementation to make this such a huge success for all involved. River Country News, LAS Publishing, LLC. 9

10 Sharing our Business Services Tools with our Partners out West PCFWD delivered the Workplace Excellence Series Training (WEST) program for our partners in Local Workforce Development (LWDA) Area I in Abingdon, VA September 7-8. These ten new Certified Facilitators (and their supervisor) will ensure that the career seekers in LWDA I all have the work readiness preparation necessary to achieve their employment goals. PCFWD also delivered the Workplace Excellence Series for the second year to several seniors at Rivermont School in Hampton.This program has now become an integrated initiative for all seniors as they focus on becoming more work-ready. Dr. Paula Spady, Principal, Rivermont School - Hampton s stated, The WEST training has been instrumental with our secondary students as they prepare for the job market. Students with disabilities have greater difficulty accessing the labor force; the WEST training has provided them with some of the skills necessary to be successful. If you would like to know more about our business-developed work-readiness (soft skills) training program please contact Lisaz@pcfwd.org or 757/ today. 10

11 Our FREE Customer Service Training, Dr. Vincent Magnini, took place on October 26, 2017 at the Mariner s Museum. We would like to thank our partners at Hampton Convention & Visitor Bureau, Newport News Hospitality Association, and the Newport News Tourism office. Looking Forward on the Peninsula The Gloucester Hard Hat Camp is scheduled for Spring 2018 at the Gloucester County High School. PCFWD is partnering with Gloucester Economic Development and Gloucester County Public Schools for this project. For more information on this amazing career awareness and career prep camp please contact Rita Bond at We would like to thank our amazing Champion partners who support this camp: Walsh Electric, Chesapeake Bank, Draper Aden, Clancy & Theys, and Home Depot. 11

12 Hall of Workforce Champions The Peninsula Council For Workforce Development would like to acknowledge the following member localities organizations and businesses as Workforce Champions: BON SECOURS HAMPTON ROADS BB&T Bryant & Stratton College Dominion Energy Old Point National Bank Stratford University SunTrust Thomas Nelson Community College 1st Advantage Federal Credit Union Coliseum Central The Commonwealth Co. Suttle Motor Co. TowneBank VersAbility Resources Greater Peninsula Workforce Development Board Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Local Workforce Development Area #14 is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Program. Auxilliary aids and services available upon request to individuals with disabilities. 12