The One Stop Review
Issue 2, Volume 2, Fall 2007
Region 3 Spotlight: Farmington, Gallup, and Grants
Region 3 has been very busy helping participants with employment in the Farmington, Gallup, and Grants areas. Last quarter, a total of 31 participants were placed by Career Development Specialists through the Region 3 One Stops. Placements range from administrative assistants and welders to field technicians with salaries ranging from $12,000 to $44,000 per year. Some recent placements include:
1) Performance Auto Shop, Shop Technician
2) Elkhorn Construction, Parts Clerk
3) Cabinets Now, Administrative Assistant
4) Giant Refinery, Field Technician
5) Four Corners Welding, Welder’s Helper
6) PESCO, Welder’s Helper
7) Iron Skillet, Cook
8) Terracon, Soil Engineer Technician
The Farmington One Stop continues to work closely with the Aging & Long-Term Services Department as well as other agencies with career placement, job search, and training of older workers. This quarter, an older worker was placed at the Farmington One Stop. Conrita Larvie, a SCESP participant, is receiving computer and clerical training. She enjoys meeting and greeting all of our One Stop customers as well as keeping the One Stop very organized and clean. Conrita started her placement with the Aging and Long-Term Services Program on August 18, 2007. A total of 10 participants have been placed with the SCESP program through the One Stop.
 The Farmington One Stop has also had several employers use the One Stop business services and has invited areabusinesses to participate in employer presentations each month. Some of the participating employers include San JuanRegional Medical Center, C & J Manufacturing, Pure Automation, and PESCO.
PESCO’s Human Resource Manager, Chris Wray recently gave a presentation at the New Mexico Workforce Connection’s Farmington One Stop. PESCO is a leading manufacturer of oil and natural gas production equipment in Northern New Mexico and is currently expanding. Chris provided information on what PESCO is looking for in an ideal employee as well as what positions they were recruiting for. Nine attended the presentation and seven applicants were hired by PESCO that same day.
Mr. Wray states, “Our partnership with New Mexico One Stop has given us a tremendous strategic advantage in the fight for talent and recruiting good employees. Being able to utilize the assessments of the One Stop program has made us more successful in placing people in the right positions. The assessments have also helped us identify skills that we need to focus on in training to make our training more effective. And the financial reimbursements have helped free up assets in our training budget to go toward implementing a more focused and effective training program.”
Partnerships with Northern New Mexico businesses are an essential part of the One Stop Services. Providing employers with the links for other available resources that will assist with improving their business operations and their ability to expand business is a key component to the One Stop business outreach.
Recently the Farmington One Stop had the opportunity to assist The Aztec Museum & Pioneer Village with their employment needs. The Aztec Museum is a non-profit organization that promotes the local history of the San Juan Basin. The museum features a self-guided tour through a reconstructed pioneer village, an early farm implement exhibit, a rock and mineral exhibit, and an oilfield exhibit showcasing the early drilling rigs and equipment used from 1920 to the present.
Laverne Clark, Interim Director/Curator for the Aztec Museum & Pioneer Village states, “The Farmington One Stop has been so beneficial to our business needs in many ways during this past year. I want to thank you and cheer you on in your efforts to serve the local businesses and the individuals that come in to use your service. The multi-faceted scope of your services had been a great help.”
The Grants One Stop recently partnered with the UNM ABE/GED program in Grants to offer GED classes off-campus after hours to accommodate participants. In doing so, the participants will be using the Access Point lab for testing, tutoring, and self-study. The program started July 31, 2007, and will continue to be offered through December of 2007. Classes are held Tuesdays and Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The Gallup One Stop will be assisting Aramark of Grants New Mexico. Aramark is a national food service organization that provides meals to inmates at correctional facilities throughout the United States. They are currently hiring 4 food supervisors for the Grants Correctional Facility. Aramark’s Director, Mr. Charles Wesley, states, “The Grants One Stop will be a great partner in the hiring the best qualified applicant, because the job is very demanding both physically and mentally. We did not know such help was available in the area and are grateful to have such a willing partner on our side.”
The Gallup One Stop staff and partners such as UNM-Gallup Branch, NM Works Program, Navajo Nation TANF, Help-NM, Inc., State Income Support Division, United States Probation & Parole, and NM Job Corps, have been busy planning a “2007 Workforce Symposium” for TANF recipients to be held on November 13 through the 15 at the Gallup Inn. Participants will receive guidance in obtaining employment, education, and training opportunities. The symposium will start with joint orientations from all partnering agencies. November 14 will be filled with soft skills workshops offered by UNM Gallup ABE, Gallup One Stop staff, Navajo Nation TANF, and US Probation & Parole. On the 15, participants will have an opportunity to interview for jobs and meet area employers. TANF participants will receive certificates at the end of the employer fair.
Ed Corley Hyundai’s Sales Manager, Brett Bender, asked the Gallup One Stop to assess a potential applicant, as they are expanding their dealership and looking for additional staff. Ed Corley Hyundai is currently recruiting for sales staff and technician and parts department employees. Mr. Bender states, “We want to hire the best people for the positions and want retention to benefit the dealership and the employees. I want to thank the New Mexico Workforce Connection and their staff for stepping up to the plate and extending their service. This eliminates having to interview everyone and saves me a lot of time.”
Marketing and Signage Update
We are happy to report that our signage project is nearing completion. To date, we have new exterior signage up in Santa Fe, Espanola, Las Vegas, Mora, Farmington, and Taos.
For the remaining offices we have hung banners and posters in prominent locations to be in compliance with leasing and zoning restrictions specific to each location.
In addition, we have updated all of our marketing collateral and acquired new banners, posters, rack cards, and other promotional materials for each One Stop to display onsite and at special events such as job fairs and employer presentations. Our new website went live earlier this summer, and we are already getting a great response to our online job postings and training opportunities. We are enjoying our new materials and are grateful to all who played a part in their development.
Older Workers Acknowledged
 The New Mexico Workforce Connection, Northern Area, and partners hosted their annual celebration to acknowledge the seniors in the community and the valuable contribution they make to the workforce each year.
The Santa Fe and Farmington One Stops sponsored this year’s event on Thursday, September, 27. Entertainment, food, door prizes, and free computer and software training were provided. Transportation was available the day of the event for those in need of rides.
Mayor David Coss attended the event in Santa Fe and read a proclamation to honor the older workers in the community. In Farmington, an employer presentation by Partners Assisted Living Services, Inc. (PALS) was held for all attendees interested in applying for caregiver positions. Judy Castleberry, President of PALS stated she was “pleased with the outcome and that we have a few good candidates that we’ll be hiring.”
The workers enjoyed the event and many of them took the opportunity to acquire new computer skills in the resource room during the celebration. One participant mentioned, “Going through this class will help me. I always wanted to learn how to use a computer, and now I can.”
Please Welcome Our New Hires!
We are pleased to announce we have hired new staff to meet the growing demand for workforce activity in Northern New Mexico:
Roy Hardy was recently brought on board in the capacity of Career Development Specialist for the Santa Fe One Stop. Roy brings several years’ professional experience to the position and believes, “there are many opportunities out there for everyone. It is great to work with a group of dedicated, caring professionals. I truly believe the work we do here, of helping people find jobs in fulfilling careers, affects peoples’ lives in a positive way. I am excited to be a part of that process."
Joan Story, a recent hire in the Los Alamos office, brings 15 years’ professional experience to the position and believes, “there is a perfect job out there for everyone. A career development specialist is a teacher, a friend, a coach, and a walking resource directory. I am excited to be on board and know that I will be able to help lots of people.”
New Mexico Workforce Connection Represented at State Fair
Michelle Tschanz, Career Development Specialist, attended this year’s State Fair in Albuquerqueto represent the New Mexico Workforce Connection and the Northern Area Local Workforce Development Board.
The annual event brings thousands of attendees in search of fun, food, and live entertainment. Michelle adds, “It was a perfect venue for us. We got to meet with lots of people and hand out information about our Northern Area One Stops throughout the day.”
The New Mexico Workforce Connection shared a booth with partnering agency, Department of Workforce Solutions (DWS), and visited with a variety of participants to explain the various services offered by the One Stops. When asked about her experience at the fair, Michelle states, “All in all, I considered it to be a positive one. It was good for us to be there to partner with DWS, especially since we just obtained the contract to provide WIA services in the Central Region. ... It was a lot of fun, and I am looking forward to future ventures where we can partner up again to reach even more participants.”
Santa Fe and Las Vegas One Stops Offer Free Financial Literacy Services
The Santa Fe and Las Vegas One Stops have teamed up with the US Department of Labor to provide free financial literacy services for area residents via a pilot program titled Wi$e Up, which consists of a convenient online course that teaches participants about money basics, insurance and risk management, how to interpret and improve credit scores, and how to invest wisely.
The U.S. Depeartment of Labor Women's Bureau developed the Wi$e Up program for women, primarily aged 22 to 35, to help increase their odds of having a more secure financial future. Studies show that women tend to earn less than men and are more likely to live paycheck to paycheck and carry credit card debt. They also have smaller retirement benefits, make more conservative investments, tend to be more intimidated by financial issues, and will live longer than most men, which increases their need to generate and invest more money for retirement than men.
The New Mexico Workforce Connection has partnered with the US Department to Labor to help combat these challenging odds. Qualified residents who wish to participate in this pilot program can call the Santa Fe One Stop at (505) 473-5831 or the Las Vegas One Stop at (505) 425-0069 to learn more.
SER Jobs for Progress Awarded Contract for Central Region
SER Jobs for Progress, Inc. has recently been awarded the New Mexico Workforce Connection Contract for the Central Region. With this new award, SER is now in position to lead workforce services for half the state. SER was selected based on their performance in the North and their ability to provide demand-driven services that meet the needs of area businesses and job seekers while benefiting the overall economy of the Central Region, which includes Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia Counties.
SER will be in charge of delivering adult, dislocated worker services for the Central Region for the duration of the Contract, which begins October 1, 2007, and runs through June 30, 2008. SER will have the option to extend the Contract for 2 additional years, based on need, performance, and availability of funds. SER is looking forward to a solid and productive Contract term and would like to take this time to thank all of its valued staff for their continued dedication and support. We could not have won the Contract without you!
Performance Update
The New Mexico Workforce Connection, Northern Area, has met and/or exceeded its performance goals in all areas for the Program Year (PY06) beginning July 1, 2006, and ending June 30, 2007:
Adult Workers: Entered Employment, Retention Rate, Average Earnings, and Employment Credential have all exceeded program year goals.
Dislocated Workers: Entered Employment, and Employment Credential have exceeded negotiated goals; Retention Rate and Average Earnings have met set goals.
Customer satisfaction measures for area businesses and participants have also exceeded goals for PY06. The New Mexico Workforce Connection is proud of its past performance and is looking forward to another solid program year to further assist area job seekers and employers.
Workforce Staff Attend Economic Development Summit
Business Consultants Carole Terry-Gonynor, Mike Foster, Irvin Jones, along with Jackie Allen, Business Services Manager, and Alan Richardson, Director of Workforce Programs, attended this year’s Economic Development Summit. The summit took place on September 26-28 at the Hyatt Regency in Albuquerque. The summit is held each year to enforce Governor Richardson’s mission of entrepreneurship and community collaboration to ensure businesses work together to become more effective partners.
This year’s theme of Energizing the Entrepreneurial Economy focused on creating more opportunities for new businesses to establish themselves in New Mexico. Session topics included: real world finance for building a high-growth business, breaking into international markets, business incubation, tribal entrepreneurship, models for supporting homegrown entrepreneurs, success stories, and action plans for state and local entrepreneurship policy. Workforce staff enjoyed participating in the summit and look forward to working with area businesses to carry out Governor Richardson’s mission of energizing the entrepreneurial economy.
Integration Effots Underway
The New Mexico Workforce Connection is working toward a truly integrated system with area partners. Regular meetings with partnering agencies are held regularly to discuss program services for job seekers and employers alike. The ongoing effort has united leaders within the Santa Fe community to discuss challenges for employment and placements with retention and wages that provide levels of self sufficiency for households.
Many of the partners who share in cross-training and interagency discussions come from other supportive services organizations such as the Santa Fe Community College, Adult Basic Education, New Mexico Works, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Social Security Administration, Aging and Long Term Services Department, Department of Workforce Solutions, HELP New Mexico, and New Mexico Job Corps. Together we have addressed issues of funding, duplication of services, a structured referral processes, supportive services, work ethic, barriers and motivation, common program services, integrated workshop collaboration, program resources, directory contacts, and streamlining funding to leverage services to make best use of funds.
Partner participation is key to a truly integrated system. By holding regular meetings and addressing pressing issues we can all work together to integrate One Stop services as they were originally intended under the Workforce Investment Act.
Partner Spotlight: New Mexico Works
New Mexico Works, a program of New Mexico State University, provides various opportunities to individuals receivingTemporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) to assist withachieving self sufficiency. To providea full array ofopportunities to clients, New Mexico Works partners with the New Mexico Workforce Connection’s Santa Fe One Stop. Together, they have collaborated to providevaluable resources and services to their clients, including job search and employment assistance, pre-vocational activities, work experience placements, assistance for disabled workers through the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, registration with the Department of Workforce Solutions, and helping 16-21 year-olds get work through the Older Youth Program. A pre-employment and life skills training class, known as NextStep: Success, has been created with the One Stop and other partner agencies.
The Next Step: Success is a productive collaboration that emphasizes the value of the One Stop services. Participants receive information about how to set themselves up to be successful job seekers, which includes innovative job preparation assistance, resume development, evaluation, fundamental work ethics, financial information, and a 6-hour certificate class from the Santa Fe County Extension Office on nutrition and health education. The training is held at the Santa Fe One Stop and is open to all residents. It is currently being offered monthly, beginning on the second Monday of each month.
About The New Mexico Workforce Connection, Northern Area
The New Mexico Workforce Connection, Northern Area, is funded by the Northern Area Local Workforce Development Board. Their 10 fully accessible One Stops are located in Santa Fe, Espanola, Los Alamos, Taos, Las Vegas, Mora, Raton, Farmington, Gallup, and Grants. The One Stops are staffed by professional career development specialists to offer free career and placement services to employers and unemployed and dislocated workers in the 10-county area. |
