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Workforce information, services at businesses' fingertips
<br />THE LOCAL WORKFORCE CENTER OFFERS RESOURCES, SUCH AS TRAINING, AT NO COST
<br />unning a business can certainly
<br />be rewazding. But it's not always
<br />asy, either.
<br />Even firms and small companies with
<br />great products, machines, facilities and
<br />employees need outside help - at times
<br />- with a variety of issues.
<br />For example, there are times when a
<br />manufacturing company needs to find an
<br />employee proficient at operating a certain
<br />machine. Or, there might be a time when
<br />a firm needs to know [he going wage for
<br />a press operator. Or, maybe a company
<br />needs to train an employee for ahigher-
<br />leveljob, but simply can't afford to do so.
<br />The above arejust a few examples of
<br />why several companies in Elk River have
<br />taken advantage of the resources and
<br />services provided by the local office of
<br />the Minnesota WorkForce Center, located
<br />in Monticello. The private, not-tor-profit
<br />center works in conjunction with [he
<br />Minnesota Department of Employment
<br />and Economic Development (DEED).
<br />One of the partners at the Monticello
<br />WorkForce Center is Central Minnesota
<br />Jobs and Training Services (CMJTS).
<br />While CMJTS is well-known for
<br />helping local residents find and [rain for
<br />new jobs, it also provides a variety of
<br />resources and services for companies
<br />located in Sherburne and Wright counties,
<br />as well as northern Hennepin Counly.
<br />When working with businesses, CMJTS
<br />often teams with DEED's Positively
<br />Minnesota, which has an office in the
<br />Monticello WorkForce Center.
<br />"f think when companies find out about
<br />us and all of the resources we provide,
<br />they're a little surprised by all of what
<br />we can offer -and at no cost," says Tim
<br />Zipoy, Business Resource Representative
<br />for CMJTS.
<br />Those services include: providing
<br />training for new and existing employees;
<br />helping find new locations or places [o
<br />build a new facility; providing Tabor
<br />market information; lining up loans
<br />and grants from federal, state and local
<br />governments; and developing a variety
<br />of training programs for employees -
<br />sometimesinvolving several local firms.
<br />CMJTS also helps firms to comply with
<br />various employment laws and standards.
<br />obtain permits, export products, write
<br />business plans, find employees, and other
<br />services.
<br />Mr. Zipoy notes that local small
<br />businesses often find it difficult [o
<br />absorb [he financial strains of training
<br />employees, either new or current, for
<br />higher-level, higher-paying jobs.
<br />For example, if a small company decides
<br />to promote an employee from within, it
<br />typically needs to pay the employee a
<br />higher wage. In the meantime, it must
<br />hire someone to fill the position vacated
<br />by [he employee who was promoted.
<br />However, Mc Zipoy says CMJTS can
<br />provide financial assistance to cover [he
<br />cost of providing on-[he job training to
<br />an employee -new or existing.
<br />"As the labor market tightens up, it's
<br />critical for companies to retain good
<br />people," Mc Zipoy says, "and this helps
<br />them dojust that."
<br />Metal Crat Machine & Engineering,
<br />which produces parts for medical device
<br />makers, is one of quite a few Elk River
<br />companies that uses the services and
<br />resources provided by the CMJTS and
<br />the Central Minnesota WorkForce office.
<br />Rita Bernard, the company's Director of
<br />Human Resources, posts job openings on
<br />the Minnesota Job Bank Web site (www.
<br />mnworks.org), occasionally searches
<br />through resumes posted on the same
<br />Web site, checks employment trends and
<br />unemployment statistics, and gathers
<br />information about current wages.
<br />"f would say I use the Web site about
<br />three times a week," she says. "It's a
<br />good place to post a job opening and look
<br />for potential employees because it targets
<br />the kind of workers we're looking for."
<br />The company, which has 18 employees,
<br />has also taken part in employee
<br />training services provided by CM1TS.
<br />At one point, Metal Craft received
<br />reimbursements while providing on-the-
<br />jobtraining for a promoted employee.
<br />In addition, Metal Craft is working with
<br />[he WorkForce Center to have six of
<br />its machine opera[ers receive training
<br />through a local technical college. Mr.
<br />Zipoy is looking for other companies to
<br />participate in order to put together a class
<br />of between 12 and 18 employees.
<br />"Those training programs can be very
<br />industry andjob specific," Mr. Zipoy
<br />says. "There can be a program for
<br />welders, or machinists, or whatever a
<br />company, or several companies, need."
<br />Ms. Bernard says she also periodically
<br />attends half-day business workshops
<br />sponsored by the WorkForce Center.
<br />"The whole idea is to help businesses in
<br />[his area start, succeed and grow, which is
<br />good for everyone," says Mr. Zipoy.
<br />For more information on the WorkForce
<br />Center and Central Minnesota Jobs and
<br />Training Services, contact Tim Zipoy at
<br />763.271.3722, or tzipoy@cmjts.org. The
<br />WorkForce Center is located at 106 Pine
<br />St. in Monticello. ^
<br />City of Elk River Economic Development Spring 2006
<br />The Workforce Center's Robert Hoenie
<br />(lek) and Tim Zipoy work with area
<br />businesses.
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