The One Stop Review
Issue 1, Volume 1, Summer 2007
Region Spotlight: Las Vegas, Mora, and Raton
Ribbon-Cutting Ceremonies Held to Celebrate New One Stops
Region 1 has a lot to be proud of this quarter. They kicked off the year strong with two grand openings in Las Vegas on February 15 and Mora on February 28. The Las Vegas and Mora One Stops held official ribbon-cutting ceremonies to celebrate the opening of their new One Stops. City officials and members from the SER Board and Northern Area Local Workforce Development Board came to offer their support. Everyone present received a private tour of the new facilities, which included software and computer demos presented by the center’s Regional Manager, Luis Duran, who added, “We’ve already had a great response to our new locations. Members of the community are coming in and taking advantage of the services we provide on a regular basis.”
 The One Stops offer Northern-area residents access to a plethora of free career and job placement resources. Some of the available services include beginning computer classes, resume writing clinics, on-the-job and classroom training, access to online job banks, computer and soft skills training, and career placement. They are also positioned to facilitate a quick return to employment when layoffs occur and can assist dislocated workers and those re-entering the workforce with their immediate career and job-seeking needs.
The Las Vegas One Stop is conveniently located at 300 S. Grand Avenue in the old Martinez Oil and Gas building, across from the Smiling Faces restaurant. The Mora One Stop is co-located with HELP New Mexico and is located off Highway 518, across from St. Gertrude’s Church. To register for any of the workshops in the Las Vegas area, or to learn more about their career and placement services, call (505) 425-0069. For those interested in participating in any events or learning more about the services offered at the Mora facility, please call (505) 387-6225.
New Signage Underway for All Northern Area One Stops
 Great news! The Northern Area One Stops are updating their exterior signage to be in compliance with State guidelines. The Las Vegas, Mora, and Espanola facilities all have new signage on display, with Santa Fe next in the running for updates. In addition, three 6’x3’ banners sporting the Workforce Connection logo have been made for special events, such as job fairs, grand openings, and career expos. One banner has been ordered for each region. We are pleased to announce that we are already getting a great response to our new banners at job fairs with many prospective participants and employers inquiring about our Northern Area locations. We are looking into signage for the remaining Northern Area One Stops and anticipate this project will be completed later this year. Many thanks to the Northern Area Local Workforce Development Board for their continued funding and to all One Stop staff for their generous assistance with this effort!
Northern Area One Stops Continue to Provide Outstanding Service to Area Businesses and Job Seekers
Region 1
The Las Vegas One Stop is working with small businesses to help meet their ongoing staffing needs. Some of the companies they are working with include Pecos Propane, Woodmeizer, Milagro Therapy Services, and SEARS. The San Miguel County Detention Center has recently requested assistance from the Las Vegas One Stop to help provide core services, such as an orientation for inmates, so they have a link to employment leading to self sufficiency when they are released back into society. To meet the high turnover rate for detention officers, the Las Vegas One Stop, working in conjunction with the Warden, the New Mexico County Insurance Authority, and Luna Community College, has established a certified training program for detention officers at Luna Community College and will shortly begin providing training opportunities for customers interested in entering the profession. The Las Vegas One Stop is also working on developing initial assessment and pre-screening for their applicants while looking at their existing staff to see if they are eligible for the One Stop’s employee and incumbent workers policy.
The Raton One Stop is working with Holiday Inn Express, Western Woods, the Chamber of Commerce, and Silver Dollar Racing and Shavings. They have placed 2 OJT participants at Silver Dollar Racing and Shavings to meet their demands for manufacturing shaving and erosion control products. The Raton One Stop has also been working with non-profit organizations, such as Alternatives to Violence to help fulfill their staffing needs. HELP New Mexico, located in Raton, Mora, Las Vegas, and Springer, is a great partner with the One Stops in Region 1 as they work together to coordinate mutual referrals.
The Mora One Stop has been focusing on small businesses this year, including Teresa’s Tamales, Mora Valley Community Health Services, Kristi’s Corner Restaurant, Victory Alpaca Ranch, the County of Mora, and the Mora Inn & RV Park. The Mora Itinerant One Stop is actively pursuing new placements and OJTs throughout the county to continue to meet the needs of area businesses while helping Mora residents find sustainable work.
Recent Events:
There was a job fair on March 15 at Luna Community College to promote career awareness and offer training and placement services to area residents. One Stop staff also participated in a career fair in Cimarron that was put on by Angel Fire Resorts last fall to meet with area employers and job seekers.
Also of note, Region 1 has eight individuals who are receiving their LPN or RN certification at Luna Community College and graduated in May of this year. There are others at Luna who received training in early childhood education and computer information systems who graduated in May to have a higher earning and placement potential upon graduation.
Region 2
Region 2 is going strong with several on-the-job-training contracts in place with area businesses. Including:
The Santa Fe One Stop has placed two Client Service Representatives with Wildflower International, Inc. Wildflower is an IT/priority industry firm that makes computer modules. The Santa Fe One Stop also placed a new hire for the position of bookkeeping assistant at Body of Santa Fe, which is another priority industry in the arena of small business.
The Santa Fe One Stop has established working relations with St. Vincent’s Hospital and the City of Santa Fe to serve as a provider of qualified applicants for full-time staff, apprenticeships, and internship positions for area adult and youth in priority industries, as set forth by the Northern Area Local Workforce Development Board. The Santa Fe One Stop will be providing training to assist St. Vincent’s Cardiovascular Services with upgrading existing positions and filling any subsequent vacancies via intake, screening, and referrals to the hospital.
The Taos One Stop has filled two positions at Hawk Mechanical. One position is a heating and A/C mechanic and the other is a plumber. It also recently filled a position at Valverde Energy, Inc. for that of a solar water heating system installer. And Rio Grande Dental Associates was so impressed with the One Stop referral that they hired the candidate to fill their position of dental assistant, which falls into the priority industry of healthcare.
Recent Events:
The Santa Fe One Stop held a Career Fair with Verizon Wireless on March 20. The Santa Fe One Stop also participated in a Job Fair in Los Alamos on April 20 with the University of Los Alamos, the Commerce and Development Center, NMDOL, and LANL. The Santa Fe One Stop has also been hosting Kemtah Career Development Courses this spring, with their last course wrapping up on May 2. The Santa Fe One Stop has also been inviting area employers in priority industries to participate in ongoing employer presentations at their WIA Orientations. Some of the companies invited include Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Wells Fargo, and La Familia Medical Center.
 The Los Alamos One Stop Express has been involved in several community wide projects, including Discovery Dialogue on Responding to Service Workforce Challenges, the Business Breakfast on Connecting with Youth, and the UNM-LA Job Fair.
Director of Workforce Programs, Alan Richardson made a presentation about the New Mexico Workforce Connection and the Los Alamos One Stop Express on February 26 as part of the Discovery Dialogue on Responding to Workforce Challenges. The meeting allowed community leaders and business owners to speak out on workforce issues. Jim Berrigan, a member of the Northern Area Local Workforce Development Board, spoke on the Workforce Investment Act.
Louise Williams, Mike Foster and Carla Gray Weiser attended a recent Business Breakfast held for Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce members and local business owners. The topics covered at this meeting included how to post job opportunities with the New Mexico Workforce Connection, how to post volunteer opportunities using VolunteerMatch, and how to promote events and activities for teens using the LA Summer Teens Resource Guide. Regional Manger, Louise Williams demonstrated how businesses can register with the virtual One Stop and how they can post job opportunities and find candidates to fill youth positions.
On December 14 of last year more than 40 employers and hundreds of job seekers, ranging from clerical staff to lab scientists and engineers from Los Alamos and surrounding counties, participated in a job fair at Espanola’s Northern New Mexico College. The New Mexico Workforce Connection partnered with the New Mexico Department of Labor, the Governor’s Office of Workforce Training and Development, and the Northern Area Local Workforce Development Board to host the event. The job fair was put on to address the recent layoffs of hundreds of workers in Los Alamos and surrounding counties as part of the Workforce Connection’s Rapid Response Plan, which provides workers with career services and training to facilitate a quick return to productive employment when layoffs occur.
Region 3
The Farmington One Stop recently partnered with the Four Corners Human Resource Association and Arc Thriftown to host a job fair for individuals with disabilities in the Four Corners Area. The event was free to area job seekers and employers and took place on March 13 in the Henderson Fine Arts Building at San Juan College in Farmington. The job fair was a great opportunity for employers to speak directly with job seekers and to have questions answered about how this segment of available workforce can help meet their staffing needs. One Stop staff met with area employers and established connections with six who were interested in their services.
The Farmington One Stop recently invited PESCO’s Human Resources Manager, Chris Wray, to give a presentation at their facility. PESCO discussed what they were looking for in an employee as well as what positions they currently had open. The event was a success as PESCO hired six candidates on the spot and is looking into returning later this spring for a second career fair to seek out additional hires.
Some recent On-the-Job (OJT) contracts in the Farmington area include PESCO, who has hired more than six employees this year as a result of OJTs alone, and Arizona Public Service, who has hired 10 employees this year from recent OJTs, with continuing efforts by the Farmington One Stop to screen and assess other possible participants for employment with each of these companies.
The Grants One Stop is partnering with Laguna Partners for Success to help more than 15 participants obtain their CDL licensures due to a shortage of bus drivers within the Laguna Office of Education. A joint orientation was held on May 9 and on May 15 at the Laguna office where participants completed intake packets and provided eligibility documents. The CDL program offered by UNM Valencia is scheduled to run June 11-July 6, 2007.
Jonathan Todachine, Career Development Specialist, facilitated a Rapid Response Meeting with Laguna Industries, one of the largest employers in Laguna, on May 4. He was requested to present again on the 24 of May to five additional participants. The Gallup and Grants One Stops have been contacted by several of the dislocated workers who are being affected by the company layoff.
The Academy Corporation in Gallup has partnered with the Gallup One Stop to offer on-the-job training opportunities for individuals interested in obtaining skills as a Sales Representative. Academy Corporation is a large refinery for gold and sterling silver, which helps meet the high demand for precious resources, such as silver, turquoise, and gold, that Native Americans use to make Indian jewelry.
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:
David Montano, AKA Dangerous Dave, comes to us from Radio KMDZ in Las Vegas and is working as a Career Development Specialist out of our Las Vegas and Mora One Stops. David’s outreach to the community has been great with his native ties to Las Vegas and his ongoing mention of the One Stops on his weekly radio show.
Carole Terry-Gonynor is our newest One Stop member. She began her role as the Business Consultant for Region 1 on April 30. Carole is a highly motivated professional who brings 20 years of experience serving as a corporate liaison for community employers, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. She is looking forward to working with the businesses in her region to enhance career and training opportunities for area participants and employers.
Norma B. Marquez joined the Espanola One Stop to offer her talents as a Career Development Specialist. Norma comes to us with a vast background in case management and is a friendly, outgoing person who knows the Rio Arriba community well. She has hit the ground running, expanding on community outreach meetings and speaking with various community based agencies to help promote the Espanola One Stop.
Diana Ceres is our new Marketing and Communications Coordinator. She came on board last fall and brings more than 15 years’ marketing and public relations experience to the position. She has been doing a wonderful job promoting our Northern Area One Stops, which has steadily increased participant flow in all 10 locations. We are lucky to have her on board. Welcome Diana!
With more than 20 years managing sales and marketing ventures in the biotechnical/ medical industry, Mike Foster brings business experience encompassing multinational corporations as well as small business startup experience. Mike is the new Business Consultant for Region 2 and has been working to establish new employer contacts to generate more on-the-job-training contacts and direct hires.
Jonathan Todachine joined the Gallup One Stop team to offer his talents as their new Career Development Specialist. He has a background in Human Services Case Management and is a native of Gallup, which keeps him plugged in to available resources in the community. Welcome, Jonathan!
Danae DeLaCruz comes to us from the SouthEastern Arizona Community Action Program where she worked as a Case Manager for low-income families/individuals. Danae also has experience working as a Case Manager for the Greenlee Career Center WIA Program.
Gloria Tso joins the Farmington One Stop from the Department of Labor where she worked closely with employers in entering job orders into the VOSS system. She has lived in the Farmington area for the past 15 years and is currently working as a Client Services Coordinator. Gloria works hard to help participants in the Resource Room obtain valuable employment information, and we couldn’t be happier to have her on board.
Bertram Keppel is the newest member of our IT team. He has a diverse background in information technology, ranging from help desk experience to Web and network administration. He has been doing a great job assisting staff with their ongoing computer needs and has played an integral role in setting up our Access Points, already proving himself to be an invaluable member of our workforce team. Welcome, Bertram!
Total Economic Impact Nears 40M for PY06
PY06 finished strong. 2,438 workshops were held to better assist our adult and youth participants, including:
- 879 WIA orientations.
- 487 computer use skills workshops.
- 388 job search clubs.
- 404 resume preparation workshops.
- 51 employer presentations.
- 229 soft skills trainings.
- 113 employer group presentations.
- 701 employer outreach contacts.
- 902 quality employer job referrals.
- 628 requests fulfilled to assist employers within the One Stop system.
- 44 employers benefited from customized training.
The result of these efforts translates into nearly 40 million dollars of total economic impact for all 10 counties that we serve. We are looking forward to another solid program year in 2007 and are positioned to continue to create a strong economic presence throughout Northern New Mexico.
Access Points Underway to Reach Residents in Rural Parts of the State
Six access points have been established in Embudo, Laguna Pueblo, Mora, Springer, Chama, and Grants to reduce the digital divide with state-of-the art technology for training and access to information in rural parts of the state. These access points enable residents in remote areas to receive online workforce services, such as Internet and computer access, self-assisted job search and preparation, and self-directed computer learning. SER Jobs for Progress recently received a $75,000 grant from the League of United Latin American Citizens and AT&T to develop access points in Northern New Mexico to further their Empower Hispanic America Technology Program. With the new funding, SER has set up access points in four new locations. All Access Points have video conferencing capabilities to reduce travel time for core services and case management activity for their participants. Additional locations are being pursued to reach an even greater portion of rural residents throughout Northern New Mexico.
SER National and Chrysler Financial Launch SER Progreso Luncheons to Bridge Financial and Technological Divides for US Latino Families
 To help Latino families better plan for their financial futures, SER Jobs for Progress National, Inc. and Chrysler Financial have forged a financial partnership. This venture has resulted in a series of 10 dual-language luncheons and five career fairs to help bridge financial and technological divides for US Latino families.
The first New Mexico SER Progreso Luncheon was held at the New Mexico Workforce Connection’s Santa Fe One Stop on May 24. Presenters from Charter Bank and First National Bank of Santa Fe were available to answer investment questions and to present current job openings for those interested in pursuing a career in banking. Those in attendance were able to learn more about banking and investment options available to them and to have their questions answered by experts in the field.
Daniel Gomez, Chief Policy Analyst for SER National-Washington DC, presented SER National’s Financial Literacy E-Center at the luncheon to show New Mexico residents how they can access information online to address their ongoing banking and investment needs. This bilingual E-Center was created in English and Spanish by Chrysler Financial to help realize the financial dreams of Latino families around the country.
For more information on the next SER Progreso Luncheon or to learn more about the Financial E-Center, please call (505) 473-0428 or visit www.ser-national.org.
Employee Spotlight: Ted Lech, Client Services Coordinator
Ted Lech comes to the Santa Fe One Stop with a varied background. As a Client Service Coordinator he is the customers’ first point of contact. With his saintly countenance and inner warmth, Ted assists clients by explaining services, navigating computer tutorials, and keeping track of daily attendance and resource room services. Ted also makes sure the office runs smoothly by supplying One Stop staff with everything from ordering office supplies to helping out with special projects.
 When asked what he most enjoys about his position Ted states, “I like the variety that this position offers. It’s never boring. Also, almost everything I do is client services related. It is very gratifying to help people in different ways.”
In addition to answering phones and ordering supplies, Ted also grades the American Banking Association’s test twice a week and sends the results to Century Bank’s Director of Human Resources. As a result of Ted’s dedicated efforts, the resource room is now completely updated in TABE (Test of Adult Basic Education) and PLATO (GED Locator). This enables One Stop Staff to get the results of participant tests and be able to go over the results with the participants the same day they are tested.
Youth Services
The New Mexico Workforce Connection is seeking employers interested in participating in their youth internship program. This program is designed to help youth ages 17-21 gain valuable work experience in a chosen field. Qualified employers will serve as a supervisor/mentor for participating youth who can gain up to 304 hours of work experience, either full- or part-time at 20 hours/week for 15 weeks. The Workforce Connection handles all payroll responsibilities, including payment of the intern in exchange for the opportunity to work in an environment that is in alignment with their chosen career path. Interested employers should contact the Santa Fe One Stop at 473-5831 to learn more about this innovative program.
 Diane Moore, the Workforce Connection’s Coordinator for Youth Education, has been working hard to co-host several youth career fairs this year, including the Youth Job Fair that took place at Robertson High School on April 12, the
Youth Job Fair that took place at West Las Vegas High School on April 19, and the Youth Job Fair at Raton High School that took place on April 25. These job fairs were sponsored by NMDOL. SER Jobs for Progress’ Youth Program participated in these events, which were directed toward the in-school population.
SER has also selected eight high school students this year to receive the DeAnna Sanchez Memorial Scholarships. These GED students were selected based on financial need and demonstrated strengths in selected categories that reflect the spirit and legacy of DeAnna Sanchez, the daughter of District Judge Daniel Sanchez and Dinah Sanchez. DeAnna was a loving, giving person who was extremely interested and supportive of SER and its participants. The scholarships will be given out later this year at the award’s banquet for each high school. SER’s annual Golf Classic will take place on June 8 of this year to raise additional scholarship funds for youth and adult participants of SER’s workforce training programs.
Staff from the Las Vegas One Stop recently participated in the Education/Workforce Summit at New Mexico Highlands University. Topics covered included: What must be done to have the smartest workforce? What will it mean to employees, employers, and the schools to have a strong workforce? And how will this impact economic development in the area?
Northern Area Local Workforce Development Board Teams with Area Partners to Help Shape New Mexico’s Future
To create better schools, better communities, and a better place to live, work, and raise a family, the Northern Area Local Workforce Development Board (NALWDB) has teamed up with area partners to create unsubsidized first-time employment opportunities for New Mexico youth ages 14-21. NALWDB member, Adrian Ortiz stated, “The youth are our future. It is our duty to help them along, so we can work together to create a stronger community for us all.”
NALWDB and its partners will be hosting breakfasts throughout the month of June in Farmington, Gallup, Grants, Raton, and Santa Fe to discuss this initiative with area employers. Interested employers are invited to attend to learn how they can help sponsor a local youth for summer employment this year.
Partner Spotlight: Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
New Mexico Workforce Connection Partners with Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to Help Residents with Disabilities Find Sustainable Work
Of the 84,000 New Mexico residents with disabilities, there are only 25,000 who find sustainable employment. In nearby counties alone, there are 24,000 capable residents with disabilities who face struggles every day as they search for ways to break through the myriad barriers to successful work outcomes.
The New Mexico Workforce Connection, Northern Area, has partnered with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) to do something about this.  When area resident, Albino Lucero, experienced resistance from local employers because of his deafness when he was seeking work, he was referred by DVR Counselor, Monica Montoya to the Workforce Connection’s Santa Fe One Stop.
The Workforce Connection partners with DVR to have an onsite Navigator to assist those participants with disabilities who are using the career services at the Santa Fe One Stop. Their Navigator works with the One Stop to place qualified, job-ready applicants, such as Mr. Lucero, in available positions and can benefit area businesses by linking them with qualified professionals and evaluating the accessibility of their workplace.
Michelle Tschanz, Career Development Specialist at the Santa Fe One Stop, is working closely with DVR Counselor, Monica Montoya, and Navigator, Fanny Pearce, to find the best possible job for Mr. Lucero. Ms. Tschanz met with Mr. Lucero recently to go over his career objectives and screen him for pre-employment with area companies. “We remain hopeful that we can find work for Mr. Lucero soon. He is a capable employee and any employer would be lucky to have him on board.”
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. |
