Tag Archives: workforce development

Cedar Valley Talent Connect Job Fair Scheduled to Serve Former Hostess Employees

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is partnering with Cedar Valley IowaWORKS to host a job fair for former Hostess employees looking for opportunities for employment in industrial positions, logistics, and maintenance.

CEDAR VALLEY of IOWA (November 27, 2012)—On Friday, November 30st from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber (GCVAC) will host a job fair for former Hostess employees looking for new positions. This fair, a part of the GCVAC’s “Cedar Valley Talent Connect” program, will feature approximately twenty, local employers and will be held at Schoitz Room of the Waterloo Center for the Arts, 225 Commercial St. Waterloo, Iowa. Displaced workers with an interest in careers in industrial positions including production workers and material handlers, truck drivers, warehouse personnel, and maintenance will be the focus of this event. The GCVAC is partnering with Cedar Valley IowaWORKS to make direct connections with as many, former Hostess employees as possible. “Brittany Jungck and our entire Economic Development team, along with our partners at IowaWORKS and the Rapid Response team are committed to making unemployment a short-lived condition for former Hostess employees,” said Steve Dust, CEO of GCVAC. Employers interested in participating in the fair can contact Brittany Jungck, Director of Business Services at the GCVAC office: (319) 232-1156. A direct link with information about this event can also be found by clicking here.

Branstad to Visit Cedar Valley to Promote Local SkilledIowa Campaign

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is hosting Governor Terry Branstad and Teresa Wahlert, Director of Iowa Workforce Development to promote the local SkilledIowa campaign aimed at creating a robust talent pool for the 21^st century workforce.

Cedar Valley of Iowa (Nov. 8, 2012) All Cedar Valley businesses are encouraged to attend a SkilledIowa presentation featuring Governor Terry Branstad and Teresa Wahlert, Director of Iowa Workforce Development. They are in the Cedar Valley in support of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber and Hawkeye Community College’s partnership to develop a SkilledIowa Communities program and promoting involvement of local employers. The presentation will include information on how Cedar Valley business and industry can become a Featured Employer, the positive impact of the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) testing system and how to gain access to job profiling advice from workforce professionals.

The GCVAC is promoting the SkilledIowa program as a tool for our employers to attract and retain quality talent. Representatives from the GCVAC and Hawkeye Community College’s IowaWORKS division will be available to answer questions.

“The supply of high quality talent is a key component to economic growth,” states Steve Dust, CEO of the Alliance & Chamber, “Our role is to encourage and facilitate the participation of Cedar Valley companies and institutions so they can fill their positions with skilled job seekers.”

The event is free, but seating is limited. The program will begin at 3pm in the auditorium inside Barrett Forum Auditorium on the Allen College Campus (1990 Heath Street, 50703.

Top ED Recommendations to the Obama Administration

As part of their Winning the Race 2012 series of policy briefs, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) offers this policy brief titled: TOP POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO HELP THE UNITED STATES WIN THE RACE FOR GLOBAL ADVANTAGE. The brief addresses five key areas; Trade Sector Competativeness, Taxes, Science and R&D, STEM, and Skills Digital Economy.

ITIF is a non-partisan think tank whose mission is to formulate and promote policies to advance technological innovation and productivity internationally. For more information on ITIF, go to www.itif.org.

Review the policy brief here.

Vote for job creation, favorable business climate and prosperity

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is proud to participate in the Iowa Prosperity Project (P2) sponsored by Economic Progress for Iowa ‘s Citizens (EPIC), a not-for-profit entity founded in 1991 by a number of businesses and statewide business associations. EPIC is a non-partisan organization dedicated to research and the dissemination of data on the attitudes of Iowa ‘s citizens, legislators, and legislative candidates on matters affecting business.

Like the GCVAC, EPIC believes that Iowa and its citizens will benefit from a “pro-business” environment. The resources found on the P2 website neither endorse nor oppose any candidate for public office, rather, it is a resource to inform the electorate by publicizing issues and factual information on those issues, and to be active participants in the political process.

The GCVAC encourages you to subscribe our Legislative Relations blog where we will be providing local insights and links to resources including P2 .
Use the link in the right side column to subscribe.

With all the political messages filling the media, it can be confusing whose name will be on your local ballet.
Find your candidates by entering your full street address below. You may also enter just your zip code if you wish.
Click here.

Use this search form to find your elected officials at all levels of government and see how your incumbent performed in the last term.
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Election Insights is a political analysis publication of the Business Industry Political Action Committee (BIPAC). BIPAC is an independent, bipartisan organization, that is supported by several hundred of the nation’s leading businesses and trade associations.

“The importance of election at the state level cannot be emphasized enough. While most of the focus and attention revolves around the tightening presidential race and a few contests for the U.S. Senate, what happens at the state level is typically more relevant to our daily lives and the pocket book issues Americans rate as the most important issue facing the country.” – By Michael R. Davis

Encouraging Young Professionals to Work the Valley

As part of an overall strategy to develop, recruit, and retain talented people in the Cedar Valley economic area, the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is launching Work the Valley, a talent retention program targeting college students and young professionals (YPs). Work the Valley encourages YPs to stay in the Cedar Valley by showcasing appealing work places, careers, great company cultures and local life style amenities attractive to their demographic.

Work the Valley engages students and YPs with tours of Cedar Valley employers, business districts and cultural & entertainment venues, discussions & informative presentations, and specialty job fairs.

GCVAC Director of Business Services, Brittany Jungck says that when YPs experience firsthand all that the Cedar Valley offers they will be more likely to stay to build a career. “We want to show them that the Cedar Valley really can provide opportunities in line with their career goals yet with a much lower cost of living than bigger metros they may be attracted to.’’

The initial Work the Valley Bus Tour is November 1st in partnership with the UNI Career Center. Forty UNI students will visit four businesses and cultural venues and have opportunity to speak with 10 companies about current job openings and future employment outlooks.

Call for Nominations and Applications Diversity & Inclusion Awards

These awards will be given for outstanding contribution by a business or organization for leadership in creating and strengthening an environment of diversity and inclusion in the workplace culture, business practices and in the community. Awards will be made in three catagories based on the size of the business or organization.

Awards to be presented at the 2013 Annual Celebration, March 7, 2013 at the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center, Waterloo.

The application is a great score card to use in evaluating your company’s Diversity & Inclusion practices. Please contact the Bob Justis at the GCVAC if you intend to participate.

More information and application here.

http://cedarvalleyalliance.com/cms/146/Diversity_Inclusion

Hawkeye Community College to Host Opportunities Career Fair on October 24

WATERLOO—Hawkeye Community College is hosting an Opportunities Career Fair, which will be held on Wednesday, October 24. Hours are from 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the Health Education and Services Center, located on the college’s campus, 1501 East Orange Road, Waterloo.

The event is free and open to the public. Job seekers are encouraged to dress to impress and to bring a copy of their resume. Sponsors include Associated Solutions, HyPro, Inc., CRST International, and Mediacom. More than 45 employers will be on hand to discuss job opportunities and to set-up interviews. Other companies that will be in attendance include Wheaton Franciscan, Veridian Credit Union, Accumold, and many others. For more information, log on to the college’s web site at www.hawkeyecollege.edu/go/career-fair or call 319-296-4297.

Businesses are looking for employees for variety of positions including computer networking, welding, CNC machining, nurses and healthcare workers, CDL drivers, sales, accounting and finance, industrial maintenance, test technicians, mold makers, and more.

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Hawkeye’s New Regional Transportation Training Center Open House Scheduled for October 9

GCVAC investor and partner Hawkeye Community College is hosting an open house for the new $3.5 million truck and transportation training center, which will serve students, businesses, and organizations with their transportation and logistics training needs. The Center is believed to be unique to the Midwest and the only one of its kind in Iowa. Attendees can immerse themselves in state-of-the-art technology by test-driving the Driving Simulators or the Skid Monsters driver improvement vehicles.

The Center will allow Hawkeye to meet the emerging needs of a career field that is projected to grow by 21% over the next ten years. Hawkeye’s Truck Driving program has a 100% placement rate. Iowa currently has more than 50,000 individuals employed in the transportation industry that requires a commercial driver’s license (CDL).

The event will take place Tuesday, October 9, from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. The short program begins at 5:15 p.m at the new Regional Transportation Training Center is located at 6433 Hammond Avenue, Waterloo.

Visitors will be able to test their skills driving 2-wheels, 4-wheels, or 18-wheels in rain, snow, or ice as they maneuver through a virtual course using a driving simulator.

Also on display will be the Skid Monster teaches students how to safely maneuver around obstacles, drive in dangerous conditions, and properly control a vehicle. It is a fun experience that can help truck drivers, law enforcement officers, and the general public become better drivers.

Refreshments will be served, including burgers and brats.

Cedar Valley Industries to Host Over 1,300 Youth for National Manufacturing Day

Thirteen manufacturers will host Waterloo and Cedar Falls 9^th graders in their facilities on Friday, October 5^th as part of an activity for National Manufacturing Day.

CEDAR VALLEY of IOWA (September 12, 2012) — In response to the growing talent demand in advanced manufacturing in the Cedar Valley, the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber (GCVAC) is sponsoring an educational event for all 9^th graders attending Waterloo East and West High Schools, and Cedar Falls Peet and Holmes Junior High Schools; a total of more than 1,300 students.

On October 5^th Students will make a one hour visit to a local manufacturing company, tour its production operations, and discuss the history and future of each company with leaders of the organization. The purpose of this event is to provide students, parents and educators with a greater understanding of modern manufacturing and the local firms that make up the Cedar Valley manufacturing community.

Also recognizing the need for hundreds of machinists, welders, technicians and assemblers across the region, Hawkeye Community College, John Deere, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the Cedar Valley Manufacturers Association have signed on as additional sponsors.

“It was important to include all students in this activity, not just students interested in industrial technology,” said Brittany Jungck, Director of Business Services for the GCVAC, “Many young people have not had exposure to modern manufacturing. Our goal is to open their eyes to fantastic career opportunities.”

Companies participating in National Manufacturing Day vary from locally-owned operations such as Advanced Heat Treat, Kryton Engineered Metals, and Power Engineering and Manufacturing to national or global corporations such as John Deere, MetoKote and Omega Cabinets.

“Today, economic growth is tied to brain power not muscle power. Manufacturing is a key component of our Cedar Valley economy, and smart, talented people are needed in the modern, advanced manufacturing plant. Manufacturing Day is a great way to help students connect what they’re learning now with well-paying career choices in the Cedar Valley,” said GCVAC’s CEO Steve Dust. He continues, “The manufactures, schools, and sponsors are delivering tremendous value to the students with this event, which will be returned with a larger, better-prepared talent pool in the future.”

To learn more about National Manufacturing Day, visit: www.mfgday.com or contact Brittany Jungck of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber at bjunck@cedarvalleyalliance.com or by calling 319-232-1156.

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