Construction workers are moving quickly to complete the long-awaited Cowlitz/Wahkiakum WorkSource facility in Kelso. The new 13,000 facility, located at 305 South Pacific Avenue, next to the Kelso City Hall, will open at the end of the year.

It is hard to tell that the future home of the Cowlitz WorkSource Center was once a grocery store and then a second-hand store. Now it’s looking more like a contemporary office building, ready to house several dozen employees and serve more than 200 people a day.

Developer J.A. Morris, Longview architect Craig Collins, and numerous other local area sub-contractors have tackled the project (see below), renovating the exterior façade to blend in with the adjacent train station and designing the interior to accommodate customer activity. The building also has received major structural code updates. One additional feature that employees and job seekers will appreciate – abundant available parking – something the current WorkSource Center lacks.

WorkSource is the area’s one-stop workforce development center providing information and services to individuals looking for training and employment as well as to businesses wanting assistance in finding qualified candidates. Thousands of people come to the WorkSource Center annually and are linked to myriad of employment, training, and placement services offered by the on-site WorkSource Partners which include the Washington State Employment Security Department, Lower Columbia Community Action Council, Lower Columbia College, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, and JobCorps.

“We are excited to move in! This center provides the visibility and access we need to make more convenient for our clients. We now also have enough room to offer a fuller array of services and resources that will really benefit our customers – all under one roof,” said WorkSource co-administrator Erin Chambers. Brendan Glaser, Dean for Workforce and Continuing Education at Lower Columbia College, noted that “the new center will provide a much-improved instructional space that is more conducive to learning. Clients utilizing basic education services will find a more comfortable and functional space.”

Kelso/Longview/Cowlitz County Contractors:
Craig Collins/Collins Architecture Group, architect; Waite Specialty Machine, structural and misc. steel; Gallear Concrete Construction, concrete; Weatherguard Inc., roofing; S&R Sheetmetal, metal flashing/roofing; Erickson Glass, glass; Lakeside Industries, paving; M&R Painting, paint; Precision Door, doors/frames/hardware; Tim Brown Construction, utilities/earthwork; Proline Sprinkler, irrigation; Sunset Landscaping, landscaping; Cowlitz Fencing, fencing; Top Line Parking Lots, striping and signage; and Raglin Signs, signage.

Vancouver/Clark County Contractors:
Kramer Gehlen Associates, structural engineer; Harlens Drywall, drywall; B&B Masonry, masonry; Hydrotech Fire Protection, fire prevention system; and Insulation Contractors, insulation.

Change is in the air for staff members

Several staff changes occurred this month within the SW Washington workforce system. Jordana Barclay will assume management and oversight of WorkSource contracts and projects, in addition to other responsibilities previously held by Lynne St. Jean. Lynne has joined WorkSystems Inc., Portland’s WDC counterpart, where she will focus on developing workforce strategies with the construction industry, among other things.

Amy Gimlin has joined the WDC as a Program Coordinator. Amy will be responsible for SKIES administration, service provider monitoring, contract and grants processing, and special projects. Prior to joining the WDC, Amy served as the Quality Assurance Specialist in Educational Service District 112’s Youth Workforce Program. Amy is a native Washingtonian who has been married for 8 years and is a mother of two beautiful daughters ages 6 and 2.

Beth Hammer of Arbor E&T has been appointed interim Co-Administrator of WorkSource Vancouver. Formerly WorkSource’s Business Services Manager, Beth is a native Vancouver, Washington gal who has experience in both the corporate and social service sectors. Beth replaces Imara Jabari who has joined WorkSystems Inc.

Gail Spolar has been appointed ESD 112’s new Director or Workforce Services. A native Washingtonian, Gail has held positions at ESD 112 and C-TRAN. Gail has a bachelor’s degree in Radio/Television from Eastern Washington University and a Masters in Public Administration from Washington State University. She replaces Jeanne Bennett who left to take the position of Executive Director of the Mt. St. Helen’s Institute.

September 12 will mark the launch of the first public draft of the SWWDC’s new strategic plan. “We want this to become a strategic plan for workforce development in our region, not just about the Workforce Investment Act,” remarked SWWDC Board Chair Keith McPhun.

The SWWDC Strategic Plan Steering Committee members received plenty of input and ideas from more than 150 community leaders and partners as they began to frame SWWDC’s new five year Strategic Plan. The synthesis of the input, plus goals and recommendations in the form of a draft plan will be ready for review in early September.

“The workforce system has made great strides in the last couple years but there is a need for urgency to bring it even further. Over the next ten years the labor shortage will become even more critical as baby boomers retire, the number of younger workers decrease and the demand for more skilled workers explodes,” noted McPhun. “How the workforce partners work together to tap into and prepare the unengaged populations in our community for success in the workforce is key to our regional economy.”

In addition to the current emphasis on supporting economic development, the plan proposes several changes in how the SWWDC does business:

• Bring employers together with the education community.
With increasing demands on the education system, the SWWDC can play a key role in connecting education and industry and providing supplemental programs that help to increase the success of our schools. By acting as a bridge between these two worlds, the SWWDC facilitates development of more and better opportunities for applied learning.

• Shift focus from placement volume to higher quality placements.
Simply placing a poor person in a low-wage job is no longer adequate. This will likely mean that WorkSource will enroll fewer clients in WIA and that success will be measured by the extent to which clients move toward self-sufficiency.

• Target two generations at once.
Focus efforts on working with young people ages 16-29, especially young parents, who are not bound for four year degrees.

• Target the working poor.
Many people go to work everyday but continue to rely on public supports because they lack the skills to become economically self-sufficient. At the same time, employers are searching for people who have an established work history and specific skills. This plan calls for WorkSource to focus proactive efforts on recruiting and training the working poor. That will require creative outreach efforts and community partnerships for WorkSource.

• Support the region’s educational partners in their efforts to prepare students for post-secondary success.
The SWWDC will work with educational partners to promote, support, and enhance career education, preparation, and training efforts to ensure post-secondary success and self-sufficiency.

• Optimize the region’s training resources.
The SWWDC will convene education and job training partners to promote efficient and effective articulation between programs, jointly assess and fill gaps in the system, and align the resources of all partners to assure that the maximum numbers of people successfully enter and complete training in high demand occupations.

• Implement regional industry cluster strategies.
The SWWDC will work with regional economic development partners and other workforce and education organizations to design strategies to meet the needs of various sectors of the regional economy. This work will occur within Southwest Washington as well as with partners in the broader metropolitan area.

• Better utilize the Council as a forum for collaboration, communication, and measurement of progress.
Workforce Development Councils could be – and should be – a forum that represents the spectrum of workforce interests in the community. The SWWDC will seek to use the Council itself as an agent of change. While in the past the SWWDC has measured outcomes of its WIA investments, the Council will work with partners to develop collaborative workforce goals as a region and measure the progress of these goals as a single community.

The draft SWWDC plan is based on a set of four goals that work together to provide a range of services for residents and employers in Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties. The goals reflect the need to provide a quality workforce for the various skill levels and occupations that support the regional economy – with the objective of increasing personal incomes and self-sufficiency.

The plan will be available for review online at www.swwdc.org on September 14.

For additional information about the draft Strategic Plan contact Brandi Stewart-Wood at 360-567-3170 or bstewart-wood@swwdc.org.

Clark College receives new training dollars

Clark College's Corporate Education program just received a $244,000 grant to fund job training at eight local companies reported Todd Oldham, executive director of corporate and continuing education. The selected companies, working with the college, match the grant money as they train up to 188 of their employees.

Six of the companies, Isonics Semiconductor, Commercial Vehicle Group, KASO Plastics, Bemis, New Edge Networks and Pacific Die & Casting will use the funds for Six Sigma training, aimed at improving the quality of each company's output.

Columbia Machine will use its share to work toward “lean manufacturing” which reduces waste in the production process while enhancing speed and efficiency.

ISO (International Standards Organization) certification training is planned for AIMMco, a tool and manufacturing company.

The $244,000 grant comes from the state's Job Skills Program. This amount brings to $407,859, the grant funds Clark County has received in skills training.

Nearly 100 youth ended the summer with marketable skills and a better idea of career options thanks to participation in the Youth Workforce Program’s summer academies. In Clark County, students were enrolled in the Business, Construction, Early Learning, Health Care and Hospitality academies while Cowlitz offered Business, Construction and Health Care options. In addition, in partnership with the Vancouver Housing Authority, a Community Action Academy was also offered.

The academies are an integral part of the Youth Workforce Program operated by ESD 112 and funded by the SWWDC.

As the programs wrapped up, students, supervisors and community partners were quick to share what they learned. Natalie, a Health Care Academy participant working in the Emergency Room at Southwest Medical Center, was encouraged by her supervisor to set her sights higher than just an entry-level position in the health care field because of her ability and aptitude – “Natalie has what it takes be a successful RN or physician,” said her supervisor. “She now has the confidence and encouragement to pursue a much higher level career.”

In the Construction Academies, several participants are ready to take the skills they learned and move on to related training. Keith is interested in carpenter's and sheet metal apprenticeship programs. Levi will be attending the Diesel Tech program at Clark County Skills Center next year and wants to explore getting into the Operating Engineers and Heavy Equipment apprenticeship as a mechanic. Dustin plans on applying to the Painters and Plasters apprenticeship this fall. He also attended the Commercial Painters program at Skill Center last year.

LaTricia and Jessica, who completed the Early Learning Academy, already have job offers from child care centers that will allow them to work while they continue their education plans this fall. LaTricia is working on completing her GED while Jessica has enrolled in the Oregon Art Institute.

Hospitality Academy participants needed to pass all the security and safety clearances, in addition to obtaining a food handler’s permit, to work at a restaurant in the Portland International Airport. They now find themselves very marketable for other positions within the Port of Portland since they have already passed the security clearance and have current credentials. “All have been offered permanent jobs at the restaurant. In addition, several of them are already being considered for other airport positions by employers they met during the Academy training and tours. These employers appreciate the training they have received, plus the fact the students also have current airport clearance,” reports ESD 112 Workforce Specialist and Hospitality Academy supervisor Kathy Jensen.

The Police Assistance League has a new promotion and recruitment plan, courtesy of Benjamin, Burgundy and Jasmine, three Business and Technical Training Academy participants. “PAL had been operating with very little help and assistance. The students really took ownership and developed a solid plan that will allow PAL to serve more youth in our community,” said ESD 112 Mobile Technology Instructor and Academy Supervisor Matt Cox. In addition to recruitment of volunteers, and fundraising for events, students used computers to develop marketing materials and manage records for the PAL program. They also managed PAL events.

Other Business and Technical Training Academy participants lent a hand, and technical skills, at the new Union High School in the Evergreen School District. The students assisted in the administrative offices to ensure the school is ready for an influx of new staff and students. Two students in the Business Academy are learning what it is like on the other side to help job seekers look for work – one is gaining office skills at WorkSource in Kelso while the other is working at the ESD 112 Longview office.

“Not only has it been a summer of activity and learning, many of our youth have solidified career plans, gained marketable skills and received continuing job offers. We will follow up with our youth to ensure they continue to take advantage of all they have learned,” said ESD 112 Workforce Director Gail Spolar.