S Alamo Workforce Development Board Cameron Works Central Texas

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S Alamo Workforce Development Board Cameron Works Central Texas Workforce Development Board Concho Valley Workforce Development Board Deep East Texas Workforce Development Board East Texas Workforce Development Board Golden Crescent Workforce Development Board Heart of Texas Workforce Development Board Middle Rio Grande Workforce Development Board North Central Texas WorkForce North East Texas Workforce Development Board North Texas Workforce Development Board Panhandle Workforce Development Board Permian Basin Workforce Development Board Rural Capital Area Workforce Commission South Texas Workforce Development Board Southeast Texas Workforce Development Board South Texas Workforce Development Board Texas Workforce Commission The WorkSource Upper Rio Grande @ Work West Central Texas Workforce Development Board Work Advantage for Tarrant County Work Source for Dallas County Work-Force 1 WorkForce Solutions Workforce Solutions-Brazos Valley Workforce Texoma WorkSource of the South Plains WorkSource-Greater Austin Workforce Board olution February 2005 Vol. 2, No. 1 s WorkSource of South Plains helps attract peanut plant Economic development groups, including WorkSource of the South Plains, successfully brought Peanut Corporation of America to Plainview. WorkSource continues to work with the company for its stafﬁng needs. p3 WorkSource in Austin fulﬁlls Hilton needs Apprenticeship training Deep East Texas answers enables skilled workforce call to staff company p4 p6 p7 2 Solutions S olution p3 s Lesley Layton Tarpinian Editor Lisa Givens Writer Teressa Nolin Writer Mia Shampo Writer, photographer Elicia K. Traylor Writer Helena Wright-Putnam Writer E-mail Solutions staff at solutions@twc.state.tx.us. Submissions, suggestions and address changes should be sent to: Lesley Layton Tarpinian, Editor Texas Workforce Commission Communications 101 E. 15th St., Room 665 Austin, TX 78778-0001 (512) 463-0221, phone (512) 463-2710, fax lesley.tarpinian@twc.state.tx.us The state of Texas complies with all state and federal laws relating to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Call (512) 463-2400 to obtain this publication in an alternative format. Solutions also is available via the Internet at www.texasworkforce.org under Publications. Peanut plant ﬁnds economic base in Plainview with WorkSource help Solutions 3 Workforce board helps attract new industry to South Plains, including a peanut plant Hilton Austin books WorkSource for hiring requirements p4 Training helps improve J Bar B stafﬁng p4 Apprentices meet the needs of employers, workers p6 p7 Deep East Texas answers call to staff Lufkin teleservices ﬁrm Texas Workforce Commission Diane Rath Chair and Commissioner Representing the Public Ron Lehman Commissioner Representing Employers Cover photographs courtesy of Peanut Corporation of America Ronny Congleton Commissioner Representing Labor WorkSource of the South Plains plays a key programs in Texas supported primarily from role in attracting new employers to Plainview. By membership of local businesses,” noted Grady providing human resource services, and local em- Elder, the foundation’s executive director. ployment and labor market information to Peanut Peanut Corporation is the foundation’s latest Corporation of America, the workforce board and success story. Stewart Parnell and his father, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) joined Hugh, founded the company in 1977 in Virginia. local economic development groups in luring the Later, the family-owned company managed oppeanut processing comerations in Dennison and pany to the West Texas Gorman, Texas. community. When Peanut CorporaTo set up operations tion began eyeing Plainquickly for the February view, the Plainview-Hale 2005 plant opening, PeaCounty Industrial Foundanut Corporation turned to tion crafted a ﬁnancial WorkSource of the South incentive package the Plains staff, who respondcompany couldn’t refuse. ed immediately, assisting Cash incentives include with employment opporabout $400,000 over 10 tunities in production, years. The plant is exequipment operation and pected to employ up to supervisory positions. 100 people. The Industrial Peanut Corporation of America production staff “I’ve told people, if Foundation, Hale County operates the bulk packing scale. Photo courtesy of you want to ﬁll out an and the city of Plainview Peanut Corporation of America application, go to the each are contributing WorkSource center,” said Jim Booher, Peanut Cor- $13,000 a year. Peanut Corporation also will poration southwest operations manager. “They’re beneﬁt from tax-free revenue bonds issued by the acting as a human resources department for me.” Hale County Industrial Development Board, an Plainview’s WorkSource Business and Career offshoot of the foundation. Center continues to accept and screen applicaAs part of its investment in the community, tions, answer applicant inquiries, schedule interPeanut Corporation dedicated more than $1 milviews and provide an ofﬁce where Peanut Corpolion to convert the former Jimmy Dean meat plant ration can interview potential employees. into a peanut blanching and granulating facility. Plainview is a community of 22,000 with a bigThe plant will produce 256,000 pounds of shelled city economic development attitude. and cleaned peanuts daily for use in peanut but“Plainview is very progressive about recruiting ter, cakes, candy and other food products. new business,” noted Don Hill, director of PlainThe plant has been involved with the commuview’s WorkSource of the South Plains Business nity since the day Peanut Corporation established and Career Center. roots in Plainview. Its reliance on community WorkSource is a critical component in the efbusinesses contributes to the local economy. fort to assist the Plainview-Hale County Industrial “We have spent a lot of money locally with conFoundation in attracting new industry that might tractors and suppliers, and whenever possible, otherwise overlook the area. we will continue to do so,” Booher said. The foundation is an economic development The impact continues. board of business, workforce, government, edu“The Peanut Corporation of America will evencation and chamber of commerce ofﬁcials. The tually employ 100 people, so that will be a good organization has helped bring more than 5,000 economic impact,” Elder said, adding that for jobs to Hale County in less than 15 years. every three jobs created at the plant, one job is “The foundation is one of the few industrial expected to be created in the community. Texas Workforce Solutions is a partnership between the Texas Workforce Commission and the state’s 28 local workforce boards. Texas Workforce Solutions is a partnership between the Texas Workforce Commission and the state’s 28 local workforce boards. 4 WorkSource provides Hilton stafﬁng solution WorkSource - Greater Austin Area Workforce Board provided stafﬁng assistance when the Hilton Austin began hiring its workforce for the newly constructed hotel. “We’ve been very impressed with the level of support and services offered by WorkSource,” said Hilton Director of Human Resources Sam Cueva. “We would not have had as much success with recruiting had we not had assistance from WorkSource.” The WorkSource career centers accepted advance job applications from more than 3,000 job seekers. The collaboration resulted in Hilton Austin hiring 325 employees through WorkSource. The new employees secured positions in areas including front ofﬁce, housekeeping, accounting, security and the health club. The hourly rate for the new hires ranges from $7.50 to $17 per hour. When WorkInTexas.com went live, the Hilton Austin posted 110 jobs on the one-stop online recruitment system. Additionally, the WorkSource business services team and career centers provided assistance to Hilton Austin for its job fair, greeting thousands of additional job seekers and processing applications. “WorkSource was able to provide Hilton Austin with the resources it needed to conduct mass hiring,” said former WorkSource Board Chair Joene Grissom. “Since that successful initial hiring, Hilton Austin has maintained a partnership with WorkSource.” She noted Hilton Austin continues to utilize WorkSource and WorkInTexas.com for recruiting solutions. Solutions Solutions News in brief Texas leads for business climate Texas has unseated North Carolina in Site Selection Magazine’s annual ranking of states with top business climates. Texas always has performed well in the survey of corporate real estate executives who rank the top 10 states according to ease of doing business, overall business costs and related factors. Additional ranking criteria are based on states’ performance associated with recent business-expansion activity. The Texas Enterprise Fund, which is helping lure business to the state, boosted Texas’ performance in the rankings, according to the magazine. Texas placed sixth in 2003 and third in 2002. – Site Selection Magazine cial launches a major expansion over the next six years. Countrywide chose Richardson in part because the state of Texas allocated $20 million from the Texas Enterprise Fund. The state has allocated more than $200 million from the fund to bring more than 22,000 new jobs to the state and has generated more than $6 billion in capital investments, according to Governor Rick Perry’s ofﬁce. – WFAA-TV 5 (Left) Timothy Jones, a bellhop at the Hilton Austin, works with customers. (Right) The Hilton Austin used the WorkSource - Greater Austin Area Workforce Board services for its stafﬁng needs when it opened a hotel in downtown Austin. Massage therapist Joanna Saucedo works in the Hilton Austin spa. She found her job through WorkSource, which held mass-hiring events. were developed through industry funding combined with a grant from the Self-Sufﬁciency Fund. “Food safety is paramount to the health of both worker and food consumer,” said General Manager of J Bar B Foods Lyndell Bisbee, adding food safety training is critical in the age of natural and man-made challenges such as animal diseases and product recalls. Bisbee is president of the Southwest Meat Association Inc., the industry association that partnered with the six-member business consortium to receive the grant. He said he’s not aware of any industrywide training for technical job skills in the area of food safety, and this grant is a step toward remedying the situation. About 93,000 food workers in Texas and other food producers are beneﬁting from the training program developed through this grant. “The offered training program targets entrylevel food workers, and is available in English Vending machine maker moves to Dallas The Vendo Co., a beveragevending machine manufacturer, is relocating its headquarters and production plant to Dallas from Fresno, Calif. The company cited Texas’ lower labor costs as the reason for the move. Approximately 300 people will be hired. The company will be in a nearly 300,000-square-foot facility. — Dallas Business Journal Countrywide Financial to add 7,500 jobs Richardson’s telecom corridor and the rest of Texas will land 7,500 jobs as Countrywide Finanand Spanish. It’s a complete training delivery and training management solution available to companies twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week,” said David Armistead, executive director of the Food Training Institute, a nonproﬁt group that helps the food industry develop ﬁnancial and technical support for training development and delivery. “It’s competency-based and allows employers to track training results.” Workers interact directly with the Alchemy Training Systems software, responding to information in English or Spanish. They use a device similar to a television remote control to answer questions, and the instructor downloads results at the end of the class. Training can be performed either at the job site or workforce center. Training isn’t limited to food safety and goes beyond what is legally mandated. Life skills training helps workers achieve greater productivity by addressing issues such as job retention skills, ﬁnancial management, and balance of work and J Bar B training raises the bar for workers J Bar B Foods staff use interactive training for career advancement. J Bar B Foods is improving production and stafﬁng processes through training. The Waelder sausage-production company participated with ﬁve other companies in a $305,532 Self-Sufﬁciency Fund grant from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to provide training for 800 new or upgraded jobs, about 270 of which are at J Bar B Foods. The training, an interactive software program, was designed to improve food safety and reduce attrition among entry-level staff. It is part of a pilot program that may eventually be used statewide. The potential for the training software is not limited to food production. Some software modules focus on food safety, while other modules focus on topics such as life skills and workplace safety. These tools may soon be customized for other industries, starting with the retail sector. The interactive training software, designed by Alchemy Training Systems, measures workers’ responses to questions. The training products home responsibilities. A high turnover rate decreases productivity and increases workplace accidents, said Dan Martin, business services representative with Texas Workforce Solutions of the Golden Crescent. He added that life skills training helps employees develop the skills necessary to address these problems. J Bar B Foods, along with other companies participating in the grant, also can take advantage of a referral system service offered by three workforce centers of Texas Workforce Solutions of the Golden Crescent. J Bar B selects potential candidates, and Texas Workforce Solutions of the Golden Crescent provides applicant screening and prepares new hires. For more information, contact Texas Workforce Solutions of the Golden Crescent, 120 S. Main, Suite 110, Victoria, Texas 77902, or call (361) 5780341. Texas Workforce Solutions is a partnership between the Texas Workforce Commission and the state’s 28 local workforce boards. Texas Workforce Solutions is a partnership between the Texas Workforce Commission and the state’s 28 local workforce boards. 6 Apprentices meet workplace needs Solutions Through apprenticeship training, the Texas Ronny Congleton. “They also are promoted soonWorkforce Commission (TWC) provides funds to er and more often than trade and craft workers help employers meet the need for skilled trade who have not been trained through apprenticeand craft workers. The program lasts from three ship programs.” to ﬁve years and provides apprentices with the Prior to entering the apprenticeship program unique opportunity to work full time under the at Randall Electric in Austin, Theresa Duffey supervision of journeyworkers while receiving worked odd jobs for low wages and no beneﬁts. related classroom instruction and training. Upon At the recommendation of a master electrician completion, apprentices become certiﬁed in their friend, Duffey enrolled in Randall Electric’s apcrafts. prenticeship training in August 2000 to become Employers who hire apprentices have access a licensed electrician. She graduated four years to workers trained to industry speciﬁcations, and later at the top of her class and became a lias a result they experience signiﬁcantly lower censed electrician with full beneﬁts. Her tuition turnover. In addition, emphasis on safety in apwas fully reimbursed. prenticeship training results “Through the apprenticein lower worker compensaship program, I feel that tion costs. my employer cares for me Texas offers more than because of the investment 300 apprenticeship promade for me,” says Duffey. grams, including machinists, “In return for that investcarpenters, plumbers, elecment, I work hard for Randall tricians, operating engineers, Electric, and I intend to take sheet-metal workers and more classes to enhance my bricklayers. All programs skills to be an even better must be registered with the electrician. In the future, U.S. Department of Labor I also plan to teach in the Bureau of Apprenticeship electrical trade.” and Training. “Nearly all of the employIn Fiscal Year (FY) 2004, ees at Randall Electric are TWC funded 87 apprenticeapprentices or journeyworkApprenticeship programs are available for ship programs and occupaers,” says owner Randy tions, which supported 3,333 training as machinists, plumbers, electriPomikahl. “That kind of speapprentices. For FY 05, TWC cians and more. Photo illustration cialized training assures me funding is supporting 3,345 apprentices. TWC is that I have skilled, dependable and responsible committed to apprenticeship training. employees. As a business owner and employer, Randy Jennings, executive director of CenTex that’s peace of mind.” Independent Electrical Contractors, promotes Jesus Hernandez Jr. entered apprenticeship and recruits for CenTex’s apprenticeship training. training in plumbing at Associated Builders and “I put very strong emphasis on the many Contractors in 1997. After graduating in 2000, he beneﬁts of enrolling in CenTex’s apprenticeship began working as a licensed plumber for TDIndusprogram as a way of building a solid and stable tries (TDI) in San Antonio. Three years later, he career,” said Jennings. was promoted to plumbing foreman. Wages for apprentices vary depending on the “I see a signiﬁcant difference in the skill level occupation. In the electrical trade, a ﬁrst-year apand job performance of an individual who has prentice can earn about $10 an hour with benebeen trained through an apprenticeship program ﬁts, 50 percent of a journeyworker’s salary. By the and someone who has received training elsefourth year, earnings can reach $18 an hour, plus where,” he said. full beneﬁts. As job skills increase, so do salaries. “Statistics show that apprenticeship program To learn about Apprenticship Training, visit graduates earn high wages and have stable work http://www.texasworkforce.org/svcs/apprentice. records,” said Commissioner Representing Labor html#apprenticeship. Deep East Texas answers call to staff new Lufkin teleservices company When Effective Teleservices centers in rural areas,” said Inc. (ETI) opened its call center Edwards. “We know we are head in Lufkin in March 2004, the and shoulders above the comAngelina County Workforce Cen- petition. We attract a highter staff answered the urgent quality workforce by taking adcall from ETI for help in ﬁlling vantage of talent in rural areas, its 350 job openings. Facing a plus we offer excellent employee two-month ETI hiring goal, the beneﬁts.” Lufkin Workforce Center immeThe innovative diately planned and helped staff employee benea job fair at Angelina College. ﬁts count a lot to“The people at the Angelina ward controlling County center and workforce the turnover rate, according to centers in the surrounding area Edwards. In addition to employreally do a great job,” said ETI ee health and dental beneﬁts, Director of Human Resources ETI provides tuition reimburseCindy Edwards. “They quickly ment and child-care reimburselearned the skill ment. All make sets of the appliETI a great place cants we’re lookto work. ing for.” “ETI is one of The Angelina those companies County Workforce you really want to Center sent letters see come to your to potential aparea,” said Workplicants and held Force Solutions three job fairs. Deep East Texas Fifty-three of the Executive Director 100 applicants at Charlene Meadthe ﬁrst fair were ows. “It’s an excelplaced and started lent employer.” training. After two With the help additional job of a $10,000 Work fairs, ETI had met Skills EnhanceThe Lufkin Workforce Center its initial stafﬁng ment Fund grant assisted Effective Teleserneeds. from WorkForce vices with stafﬁng its call ETI’s main Solutions Deep center. Photo Illustration location is in East Texas, ETI Nacogdoches in the WorkForce now offers all its Lufkin-based Solutions Deep East Texas area. employees the option of taking The teleservices company has a Microsoft Ofﬁce Suite classes to long-standing relationship with enhance their abilities to move the workforce board. When ETI into other positions. ofﬁcials looked to expand, the “We look within our organearby community of Lufkin nization to cultivate leaders,” was a natural place for another said Edwards. “More than 20 large call center. of our Lufkin employees are in “We choose to locate our management roles, and learn- Solutions 7 ing computer skills will allow employees to move up more quickly. With the enhancement grant from Workforce Solutions, any of our employees can take computer classes.” Workforce Solutions Deep East Texas Business Services Manager Peggy Muckelroy said that the grants are available to support business expansion or employee skills. They allow for training at no cost to the employee. Businesses in the Deep East Texas area with fewer than 50 employees are eligible for grants of up to $5,000. Those with more than 50 employees may receive grants of up to $10,000. In addition to receiving the grant from the center, ETI continues to ﬁll job openings at a rate of 20 to 40 hires a month. It also works with center clients with special needs. “We enjoy a very good relationship with the Angelina County Workforce Center,” said Edwards. “The staff has been so helpful and just done everything possible to help us with workforce recruitment and development.” For more information on grants offered by WorkForce Solutions Deep East Texas, click on the Work Skills Enhancement Funds featured link at www.detwork.org or contact Chris Gaston, procurement/contract manager, WorkForce Solutions Deep East Texas, 1318 S. John Redditt, Suite C, Lufkin, Texas 75904. She can be reached by phone at (936) 639-8898. Texas Workforce Solutions is a partnership between the Texas Workforce Commission and the state’s 28 local workforce boards. Texas Workforce Solutions is a partnership between the Texas Workforce Commission and the state’s 28 local workforce boards. 8 Solutions Dedicated to helping Texas employers and job seekers succeed, Texas Workforce Solutions is part of a statewide partnership that provides local services on a regional level through 28 local workforce boards. This system gives our customers further access to local and statewide services in a single location at any one of 286 local Texas Workforce Centers and satellite ofﬁces across the state. Texas Workforce Solutions offers Texans an array of services, including job matching, recruiting, retention, training and retraining, and outplacement services, as well as valuable information on employment laws and labor market statistics. The valuable services of a Texas Workforce Center may include: • Screening, testing and referring qualiﬁed candidates to meet employment needs • Coordinating interviews and testing, as well as providing meeting space for interviews • Brokering pre-employment services, such as drug and alcohol testing, background checks etc. • Providing information and technical assistance on federal and state rules affecting employment (payday, new hire reporting, unemployment tax and reducing unemployment tax chargeback) • Explaining information on tax code provisions that favor employment and training (e.g., wage subsidies, tax credits and tax-free education assistance not related to jobs) • Continuing an ongoing relationship to assist with human resources needs so businesses remain competitive and proﬁtable in the marketplace Local workforce boards Alamo (Alamo WorkSource) (210) 272-3260 www.alamoworkforce.org Brazos Valley (Workforce Solutions-Brazos Valley) (979) 595-2800 www.bvjobs.org Cameron County (Cameron Works) (956) 548-6700 www.cameronworks.org Capital Area (WorkSource – Greater Austin Area Workforce Board) (512) 597-7100 www.worksourceaustin.com Central Texas (Central Texas Workforce System) (254) 939-3771 www.workforcelink.com Coastal Bend (Work-Force 1) (361) 225-1098 www.work-force1.com Concho Valley (325) 655-2005 www.cvworkforce.org Dallas County (WorkSource for Dallas County) (214) 290-1000 www.worksource.org Deep East Texas Workforce Solutions Deep East Texas (936) 639-8898 www.detwork.org East Texas (903) 984-8641 www.easttexasworkforce.org Golden Crescent (Texas Workforce Solutions of the Golden Crescent) (361) 576-5872 www.gcworkforce.org Gulf Coast (The WorkSource – Gulf Coast Workforce Board) (713) 627-3200 www.theworksource.org Heart of Texas (Heart of Texas Workforce) (254) 756-7844 www.hotworkforce.com Lower Rio Grande Valley (WorkFORCE Solutions) (956) 928-5000 www.wfsolutions.com Middle Rio Grande (830) 591-0141 www.mrgwb.org North Central Texas (North Central Texas WorkForce) (817) 695-9176 www.dfwjobs.com North East Texas (903) 794-9490 www.netxworkforce.org North Texas (Workforce Resource) (940) 767-1432 www.workforceresource.org Panhandle (806) 372-3381 www.prpc.cog.tx.us Permian Basin (432) 563-5239 www.pbwdb.org Rural Capital Area (Rural Capital Area WorkForce) (512) 244-7966 www.ruralcapitalworkforce.com Southeast Texas (409) 719-4750 www.setworks.org South Plains (WorkSource of the South Plains) (806) 744-1987 www.worksourceonline.net South Texas (956) 722-3973 www.southtexasworkforce.org Tarrant County (Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County) (817) 413-4400 www.workforcesolutions.net Texoma (Workforce Texoma) (903) 957-7408 www.workforcetexoma.com Upper Rio Grande (Upper Rio Grande @ Work) (915) 772-2002 www.urgwdb.org West Central Texas (325) 795-4200 www.workforcesystem.org Texas Workforce Solutions is a partnership between the Texas Workforce Commission and the state’s 28 local workforce boards.