Great profile of IOWA biz climate in Delta Sky mag. Penned by Cedar Valley’s Courier writer Jim Offner. Read it here.
Tag Archives: jobs
GCVAC Encourages Legislators to Work Together for Economic Growth
“The 2013 legislative session can do a great deal to promote economic growth, but the promise it holds can only be fulfilled if the policy makers work toward a shared goal of increasing economic growth, creating more well-paying jobs,” stated GCVAC CEO, Steve Dust in a recent Courier article. Dust, along with business leaders from across the state are optimistic about the amount of attention tax issues that effect business growth are getting from both sides of the isle. Read the entire artcle by ROD BOSHART, here.
UNI graduates fare well in today’s economy
The University of Northern Iowa hosted its annual fall Commencement Saturday, Dec. 15. As hundreds of UNI students graduate and begin to look for employment opportunities, the December job outlook is more important than ever.
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook for 2012, the overall top B.A. degrees in demand by employers this year are finance, accounting, and computer and information sciences, followed by electrical and mechanical engineering. UNI has a number of majors that align with these needs.
According to Matt Nuese, associate director of UNI’s career services office, UNI graduates seem to be faring well in today’s economy. Nearly 84 percent of last year’s graduates secured jobs or were continuing their education upon graduation, according to the 2011 Career Services Graduate Report.
It appears that many UNI graduates are staying within the state. During the last three years, three-fourths of all UNI graduates were employed in Iowa. The top employers of UNI students include Wells Fargo, John Deere and Waterloo Community Schools.
For more information, contact Bob Frederick, director of career services, at 319-273-6857 or robert.frederick@uni.edu.
GCVAC Work the Valley Talent Tells All Event to Help Employers See What They Are Missing.
The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is bringing together a panel of recent college graduates and young professionals to share ideas for how the Cedar Valley employers can become more engaged with the local, YP population.
CEDAR VALLEY of IOWA (December 3, 2012)—On Friday, December 7st from 10 am-12pm, the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber (GCVAC) will host a panel discussion to help Cedar Valley employers improve their recruitment practices. This event, titled Talent Tells All, part of the GCVAC’s “Work the Valley” program, will feature approximately six, young professionals who chose positions in communities outside the Cedar Valley. The goal of the event is to provide candid feedback in order to make Cedar Valley employers more competitive and attractive to college graduates and young professionals. All Cedar Valley business leaders and HR professionals are encouraged to attend the event to be held at Hilton Gardens Inn & Conference Center, 7213 Nordic Dr., Cedar Falls, IA.
“We are always looking for better ways to attract and retain talented young professionals. Work the Valley events help us highlight the outstanding opportunities the Cedar Valley has to offer. We believe the fresh perspectives and frankness of the Talent Tells All conversations will help Cedar Valley employers increase their competitiveness in the race to secure highly skilled talent,” said Steve Dust, CEO of GCVAC.
Talent Tells All, made possible by a partnership with UNI Career Services, is part of the GCVAC’s focus on workforce development for the Cedar Valley. Having more young professionals choose local opportunities over those in outside communities, is a key to business growth and innovation says Britt Jungck, Director of Business Services for the Alliance and Chamber, “Our goal is to increase the contact between our top employers and the emerging talent in this community. We want our young professionals to see the career opportunities and become inspired to get invested in our community, and we want our businesses to get access to fresh ideas through this impressive generation of rising professionals.”
Employers interested in attending the event or desiring more information on GCVAC workforce initiatives can contact Brittany Jungck, Director of Business Services at the GCVAC office: (319) 232-1156.
###
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 21st 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.
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.
Click here.
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
“. . . whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that, whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them right.”
– Thomas Jefferson
Fulfilling the Vision2 – The Cedar Valley’s Equation for Continuing Economic Growth
The work of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber (GCVAC) is to help business and institutions grow in our area, increasing economic vitality and wealth. Repositioned and growing businesses and institutions have produced significant results for the Cedar Valley economic area over the past five years, which included some of the worst years in modern US economic history. GCVAC delivered major development projects, services and opportunities resulting in healthier businesses, over $260 million in new capital investment, good jobs, and a more robust business climate. In those unfavorable times, GCVAC’s work contributed to rising wages and a modest increase in population, when similar cities around the country saw decline. It has emerged as a leader in regional economic development, building relationships with businesses and development organizations throughout the Cedar Valley economic area.
The financial investments of businesses and institutions throughout the Cedar Valley fund our work – fulfilling your vision of more economic growth and prosperity to the area. The Fulfilling the Vision2 is both a framework plan and funding campaign designed to respond to today’s quickly shifting and sometimes unpredictable economic realities. Through FtV2, the work of GCVAC is focused on: Workforce & Talent Retention, Recruitment and Development; Business Growth Through Expansion and Location in Targeted, High Value Sectors; Building a Strong Cedar Valley Brand Message to Businesses, Talent, and in Government Relations; Increase Regional Collaboration Among Business & Civic Interests; and Collecting & Reporting Useful Data on our economic base. Emphasis will shift as opportunities and need of our Cedar Valley region dictate.
GCVAC is finding strong, unprecedented regional support for FtV2 program and campaign. The campaign is now over the 50% level, with momentum building to reach successful completion near the end of 2012. To learn more, please visit www.CedarValleyAlliance.com to view a video featuring several area businesses, cities, and GCVAC work.
Your financial support – an investment in our work to expand our economy – is important to our success. It will benefit everyone who wants to strengthen our businesses, expand quality employment opportunities, and create a greater place to work, build a career, and enjoy life. To schedule an appointment with one of our FtV2Leadership Team volunteers to discuss why they are involved and how you can best assist, call Campaign Coordinator Blake Woods at 319-232-1156
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.