FAIRFAX BUSINESSES: Are you finding it hard to fill positions within your company?
FIA is working with Workforce Partnership, Econ Avenue (a grass roots economic development program sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank) and WYEDC to develop a Custom Training Program for Fairfax. FIA NEEDS INPUT FROM YOUR Fairfax Businesses Human Resource Leaders/Recruiters on this Custom Training Proposal.
Custom Training Proposal for Members of the Fairfax Industrial Association
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Skilled Workers
• Today, finding skilled talent needed to fill vacancies is challenging - Unemployment is extraordinarily low, yet significant numbers of job vacancies still exist, particularly for positions that require specific skills/credentials.
• Human Resources departments and staffing firms struggle to find more workers, often resorting to poaching from other firms– creating retention problems across the industry.
• Yet there are many “underemployed” individuals working below their capacity. Some people simply “gave up” during the recession and still others have individual barriers that hinder their full participation in the workforce.
• Today, finding skilled talent needed to fill vacancies is challenging - Unemployment is extraordinarily low, yet significant numbers of job vacancies still exist, particularly for positions that require specific skills/credentials.
• Human Resources departments and staffing firms struggle to find more workers, often resorting to poaching from other firms– creating retention problems across the industry.
• Yet there are many “underemployed” individuals working below their capacity. Some people simply “gave up” during the recession and still others have individual barriers that hinder their full participation in the workforce.
Custom Training Programs to Scale
• Workforce Partnership and your companies know that individuals with the right skills will NOT simply walk through our doors
• Workforce Partnership is developing programs that actively seek out and train individuals who are underemployed, who lie on the fringes of the job market or who have some barriers to overcome - to bring “net new” workers into the job market.
• At the same time, these programs must be custom tailored to businesses’ immediate needs, yet able to serve more than just a single employer. We need custom programs at scale.
• Workforce Partnership and your companies know that individuals with the right skills will NOT simply walk through our doors
• Workforce Partnership is developing programs that actively seek out and train individuals who are underemployed, who lie on the fringes of the job market or who have some barriers to overcome - to bring “net new” workers into the job market.
• At the same time, these programs must be custom tailored to businesses’ immediate needs, yet able to serve more than just a single employer. We need custom programs at scale.
• Workforce Partnership will work with a (to be formed) Workforce Committee of the FIA to develop a short-term training program (10-12 weeks) suited to the unique needs of its membership.
• Workforce Partnership will help FIA survey the membership on vacancies, skill/competencies most needed, wages, benefits and training offered and use that information to identify jobs across the FIA membership that consistently are challenging to fill, what competencies and skills are associated with those positions.
• The Committee and Workforce Partnership will collaborate with an approved Training Provider to develop a custom training program comprised of 5-6 weeks of classroom training and 5-6 weeks of on-the-job training experience at the site of one of the FIA members. During the OJT portion of the training, job seekers would learn the specific protocols and procedures of that particular employer and would be hired by the employer if they successfully complete all aspects of the 10-12 week training program.
• For eligible job seekers, Workforce Partnership (and/or other community partners) would pay all costs associated with this classroom training component. Workforce Partnership could pay up to 50% of the job seeker wages during this on-the-job training period; employers would pay the balance.
• Workforce Partnership will help FIA survey the membership on vacancies, skill/competencies most needed, wages, benefits and training offered and use that information to identify jobs across the FIA membership that consistently are challenging to fill, what competencies and skills are associated with those positions.
• The Committee and Workforce Partnership will collaborate with an approved Training Provider to develop a custom training program comprised of 5-6 weeks of classroom training and 5-6 weeks of on-the-job training experience at the site of one of the FIA members. During the OJT portion of the training, job seekers would learn the specific protocols and procedures of that particular employer and would be hired by the employer if they successfully complete all aspects of the 10-12 week training program.
• For eligible job seekers, Workforce Partnership (and/or other community partners) would pay all costs associated with this classroom training component. Workforce Partnership could pay up to 50% of the job seeker wages during this on-the-job training period; employers would pay the balance.
Workforce Partnership will also be working with:
• Econ Avenue, a grass roots economic development program sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank, to recruit individuals for this training program. Recruitment efforts will focus on zip codes that are in close proximity to the Fairfax District.
• One or more community colleges to help develop and deliver the classroom component of the customized training.
• Wyandotte County EDC’s Workforce Solutions Committee to ensure the program is aligned with local economic and workforce data, to assist in engaging other needed community partners and to integrate the project into the Northeast Area Master Plan as necessary.
Draft Timeline for Custom Training Program Development and Rollout
May, 2018
• Feedback on Custom Training Proposal from FIA representatives
• Survey FIA membership; FIA forms Workforce Committee
• Compile survey results and summarize
• Present survey results to FIA Workforce Committee and Board
• Begin curriculum discussions (possible RFP to colleges)
• Begin planning outreach efforts with Econ Avenue
June/July, 2018
• Continue discussions on curriculum components with FIA Workforce Committee and with selected Training Provider
• Continue outreach and marketing to job seekers for program enrollment and marketing to employers for OJT placements
August/September – Job Seeker Enrollment in Training Program begins • September/October – Launch Training Program (classroom component)
• October/November – First graduates from program hired for permanent positions
May, 2018
• Feedback on Custom Training Proposal from FIA representatives
• Survey FIA membership; FIA forms Workforce Committee
• Compile survey results and summarize
• Present survey results to FIA Workforce Committee and Board
• Begin curriculum discussions (possible RFP to colleges)
• Begin planning outreach efforts with Econ Avenue
June/July, 2018
• Continue discussions on curriculum components with FIA Workforce Committee and with selected Training Provider
• Continue outreach and marketing to job seekers for program enrollment and marketing to employers for OJT placements
August/September – Job Seeker Enrollment in Training Program begins • September/October – Launch Training Program (classroom component)
• October/November – First graduates from program hired for permanent positions
Please share this page with your HR leader/Recruiter and have them email their thoughts on this proposal to Melissa Clark, FIA Executive Director to discuss further.