Helping Hand for Hiring Gains New Name, Home
Published Apr 16, 2006
The Jefferson County Workforce Center, formerly known as the Tri-County Workforce Center, helps businesses with work-related issues ranging from hiring and training to retention.
Mary Russell says change is good, and change is the name of the game at the Tri-County Workforce Center.
On July 1, 2006, Tri-County Workforce Center became Jefferson County Workforce Center, and the director of the employment assistance agency points out that the center will also move to a new location – in the Laramie Building at the Jefferson County Complex in Golden.
“The move will actually occur in early September [2006], but our new name is already in place,” Russell says. “We are still serving the tri-county region of Jefferson, Gilpin and Clear Creek counties and continue to work closely with the Jefferson Economic Council and Red Rocks Community College to create increased economic vitality within this community.”
The mission of Jefferson County Workforce Center is to help businesses solve workforce-related issues in the areas of hiring, retention, training and expansion.
“Besides businesses, we assist people who are in some kind of career transition, whether they are laid off, looking for a better job or want an all-new career,” Russell says. “We train business workforces as well as individuals to become more productive and profitable.”
One example is at Exempla Lutheran Medical Center. Over the past three years, the center has assisted the hospital in meeting its need for an increased number of nurses.
“We have secured grants, usually through the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, to provide training in a variety of nursing areas,” Russell says. “In one instance, we secured the funding for RNs at Exempla to get their master’s degrees so they could then become teachers to other nurses within the hospital itself.”
The center has also provided recent training for large companies in the hospitality and casino industries and information technology sector.
“For example, we work closely with Lafarge, which is one of the world’s leaders of building materials,” Russell says. “No job seeker can get an interview at Lafarge until they have gone through a pre-screening process at Jefferson County Workforce Center. We make sure an applicant has at least the minimum requirements needed to get a job with that company. Our process saves Lafarge hours and hours of time in screening applicants.”
Russell points out that while the center deals with several large companies to help solve their workforce issues, most of the center’s interactions occur with small-business owners.
“About 97 percent of the businesses in Jefferson County are small businesses, which is the case all over the United States,” she says. “That’s why we have put together a portfolio to help small-business owners with information such as how to work with generations of employees within the same workplace, and also what employers should do during the first 30, 60 and 90 days of a person’s employment. We are here to help with any workforce situation that should arise – big or small.”
Story by Kevin Litwin
Photo by Antony Boshier
Current Weather Conditions In Golden, CO (80401)
Clear and Windy, and 34 ° F. For more details?
Click here...
