Work force organizations play a crucial role in filling the work force
services gap in specific geographic locations. With a focused expertise in the
areas of people management and an in-depth
knowledge of the local economy, these entities enable everyone in the community to
thrive.
“Work force organizations exist in many different forms across the country,” says Renee
Benton, president and CEO of Tampa Bay
WorkForce Alliance. “Our primary function
is to develop the economic vitality of the
region by helping employers recruit, retain
and train their work force.”
Smart Business learned from Benton
about how companies can benefit from collaborating with work force organizations.
How do these organizations benefit all members of the community?
Workforce organizations serve as the local
work force experts in their area. This
includes providing a range of valuable services to both employers and candidates. For
employers, these organizations work to
recruit, retain, train and re-train their work
force. Companies can also turn to these
organizations for labor market information
for the region to help businesses in producing well-researched strategic plans and projections.
For candidates, work force organizations
offer skill building and networking opportunities. This can include training in job seeking
skills, such as effective resume writing and
interviewing techniques. Also, candidates
can benefit from resources that give people
experience to make them eligible for employment in new fields.
How can employers collaborate with work
force organizations?
Employers benefit by utilizing the wide
array of resources available at work force
organizations with very little investment of
their capital or people resources. They get a
plethora of services, such as on-the-job training, employed worker program and current
labor market information.
Employers can enjoy the services of
turnkey career centers where they can conduct interviews, hold corporate meetings and
use training rooms. Businesses also can benefit from access to statewide databases, such
as the Employ Florida Marketplace database.
Information sources like these can have up to
75,000 job candidates.
The local shared services offered by work
force organizations give all companies the
ability to have top-quality work force tools,
capabilities and resources at a relatively low
cost.
When should a business contact this type of
organization?
Employers should get in touch with their
local work force resource as soon as possible
so they can start benefiting from their
resources. Once companies connect with
these organizations, they can begin to access
their services and know they have a partner
at each stage of their work force development. Whether a business is moving to a new
location or looking for qualified management
candidates, these organizations can fulfill
their needs.
Another benefit of collaborating with work
force organizations is easy access to knowledge of current work and HR laws and regulations. Work force experts can help employers stay on top of new legislation and assist
with implementing necessary changes.
Specialization in the work force area also
means these organizations can help businesses identify funding priorities and the
occupations and industries that have the
highest demand and use their resources to
address these challenges.
How can employers make the most of their
experience?
Actively participating in addressing work
force issues within their companies and their
communities can help employers to derive
the most benefit from a work force organization. This includes maintaining an open dialog and frequent exchange of information,
which leads to a thriving partnership. Taking
time to understand the available resources
and participating in training opportunities
can also help employers obtain the maximum benefit from this collaboration.
How is Florida paving the way for work force
solutions?
Florida is continually looking ahead to fill
the work force needs of the future. For
instance, after the 2004 hurricane season,
Gov. Jeb Bush allocated funds to charter the
Florida ReBuilds program. This program
trained and certified candidates in several
areas of the construction industry. After certification, candidates were placed with their
first employers. The Florida ReBuilds partnership program helped to rebuild the local
infrastructure and economy after the devastating hurricanes and trained hundreds of
candidates for the construction industry.
A second initiative from the state has been
the Employ Florida manufacturing banner
centers. This is a partnership led by
Hillsborough Community College (HCC) to
ensure the technological skills of Florida
workers are up to date as they work on more
modern devices, such as microchips, metals
and medical devices. A $500,000 grant from
Workforce Florida, Inc. helped to fund the
Employ Florida Banner Center for
Manufacturing. The program expects to train
its first 150 workers by the summer of 2008.
RENEE BENTON is president and CEO of Tampa Bay WorkForce
Alliance. Reach her at [email protected] or (813)
740-4680.