Workforce Center, Businesses Team Up To Train Employees
Published Nov 19, 2008
The Adams County Workforce & Business Center in Westminster partners with companies and schools on training programs.
For businesses wanting a skilled workforce and for communities wanting to help residents sharpen their skills, a workforce center is just the right ticket.
“We’re an excellent resource to match the needs of employers who depend on the talent living in their own community,” says Chris Kline, administrator of the Adams County Workforce Investment Board, which oversees the county’s Workforce & Business Center.
The center has forged strong ties with the local business community to meet the needs of employers and employees. For example, employers having difficulty filling job openings might ask the center to help with prescreening to find applicants with the desired skills.
“We see the gamut of entry-level job seekers to highly skilled and experienced workers with advanced education and training,” Kline says. “Often, high-level workers have suffered layoffs due to plant closures or company relocations and are looking for new employment that will allow them to stay in Colorado.”
Multiple Partnerships
Kline says partnerships such as one with the Metro North Chamber of Commerce help his staff meet local employers and market the Workforce & Business Center’s services.
The center also works extensively with area schools. “Our partnerships with secondary schools in Adams County are an integral part of the success of our annual Youth Career Fair,” he says. “Our partnerships with colleges and universities help us make available the cutting-edge training necessary for workers to compete in today’s job market.”
With the continued growth of Adams County, helping develop a skilled workforce is an ongoing priority, Kline adds. “By ensuring that we have access to trained applicants who are ready to work, employers can see Adams County is the ideal and economical choice to locate or expand their business.”
The Westminster-based business center’s wide range of services provides a valuable asset to the area and organizations such as The Children’s Hospital, says Michael Wukitsch, the hospital’s vice president of human resources as well as chairman of the Adams County Workforce Investment Board.
The Aurora-based hospital has facilities throughout metro Denver.
“Adams County does assessment testing for us for our lower-skilled positions, so we can have more qualified candidates,” Wukitsch says. “It frees up our recruiters, but it also helps the candidates who don’t pass because the center can provide the training to get the skills they need to pass next time.”
Wukitsch praised the center’s collaborative nature, excellent customer service to clients and employers, and its desire to partner with area businesses.
“It allows us as a hospital to be more tied in with what’s going on in the community,” Wukitsch says of the relationship. “If we can help [other businesses] with their development and growth, then the hospital also benefits. It also helps us understand where growth is occurring and how demographics might be changing.
“We have a workforce system that is very customer-driven, both from clients looking for jobs and businesses hoping to attract people here,” he says. “It’s a great example of how government and private industry can work closely together.”
Story by Leanne Libby
Photo by Todd Bennett
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