The Workforce Corner: A New Year, New Opportunities
It soon will be a new year, which is the perfect time to set new goals for the upcoming months.
Northwest Wisconsin Workforce Investment Board, Inc. (NWWIB) encourages local businesses to take this opportunity to further develop management skills and take advantage of all the tools available to you to build your business. Our mission to create and continue to improve an innovative and quality strategic direction for the regional workforce development system has driven us to provide readers with knowledge of available area resources for workforce development.
Last September, the Wisconsin Workforce Development Association launched its new video conference workshop initiative statewide which provides numerous workshops each week broadcast from across the state to sites in Ashland, Hayward, and Superior. NWWIB and Northwest Wisconsin Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (CEP, Inc.) provide quality workshops for jobseekers and employers. Two of the local recurring workshops focus on social media and how to develop strategies to enhance online brand and presence. One workshop concentrates on the jobseeker’s use of social media for employment opportunities and the other centers on business marketing using social media tools. Another workshop delivered by CEP, Inc. staff takes a broad perspective and teaches jobseekers how others make judgments based on appearances, profile information, a handshake, and more. This is only a sampling on the workshops available to jobseekers and employers. For a full list of offerings, visit http://www.wwdaanytime.com.
The video conferencing system is not only available for workshops. Employers can utilize the system for conducting face-to-face job interviews and meetings. The system is connected to multiple sites statewide, with the potential for connecting to national sites as well, allowing businesses to greatly reduce their travel costs. This service is available for free or at low cost, depending upon the demand of and time needed to manage requests. Additionally, the regional Business Services team can offer many services to help with your human resource and workforce development needs. For example, the On-the-Job Training program allows employers to develop their workforce while training individuals in specific needed skills and abilities. Wage reimbursement of up to 50 percent is available for new hires and employee advancement. Information about this program and other services can be found at www.nwcep.org.
Also be sure to mark your calendars for a great opportunity to gain valuable information and network locally- the 2012 Northwest Wisconsin Business Development Conference. NWWIB is proud to announce our 10th annual conference will be back in Ashland. The conference, on May 9 and 10, has an exciting line-up of topics and speakers. Workshop topics tentatively include: social media strategies for businesses, business health and wellness initiatives, employment law updates, and more. Ted Schick, from Schick Corporate Learning, will be returning along with Bradford Gingras, Chief Operating Officer of CEP, Inc. This is an excellent chance to put new tools in your tool kit and establish new connections.
This year, NWWIB will continue to deliver valuable information and resources through the Workforce Corner articles for jobseekers and employers to help bring your career or business forward. To read past articles or for more information about NWWIB, please visit our website, http://www.nwwib.com.