10:00:27 We've. seen some with the hybrid events that happen at the same time with the veteran event that we did in November.
10:00:34 So I think we're gonna see that there's room for everything.
10:00:37 At some point. the question that we would have is, who has space enough to have, you know, a great big event?
10:00:43 Most of things, most of our spaces are at least the space we have wouldn't allow you to do too much, especially if we keep, if we continue to to at least practice some social distancing even when or if that's, totally lifted
10:01:00 at some time, just to give people some space and I think people are gonna have a little trouble being squashed in places after having that kind of space that we've had recently.
10:01:11 Nobody standing in your your your personal space has been pretty good so nobody's standing in your personal space.
10:01:18 And I think we're gonna see that that may be a preference for people.
10:01:20 But I think we're going to see success in this sort of hybrid method.
10:01:26 Yeah, yeah, hybrid method combination of 2 worlds.
10:01:33 Yeah, would you personally like to go back totally to where it used to be?
10:01:41 My right. Oh, no, I would not. I think that I think that we would lose some super gains that we've had by by having the technology available to do virtual.
10:01:55 I think they're probably even bigger and better things coming in that avenue down the road, and I think that they would.
10:02:03 They're gonna all be something that We want to test out and see how we can be more efficient and effective with our customers.
10:02:11 The idea that we do Have customers who cannot actually you know reached the what we need for them to reach virtually is, I think, going to be a you know, a challenge.
10:02:25 We're gonna have for some time and so I think we're going to have to always face the fact that we're going to need to do in-person things for certain things
10:02:34 But But yeah, I think that to go back to the way it was. I don't think you go back.
10:02:39 You can't go back home if you've been gone you can't go back.
10:02:42 You have to continue to step forward and try new things and look for new ways.
10:02:50 And I just really love the technology that we've had so far And so I'd like to see more things happen and every time I see something where we just did an update for I forget which I think it's our view Youtube, that we
10:03:09 have. And now, when the words come out the little characters look like they're actually talking, they don't just look like they're going down. but they actually look like they're saying the words, So technologies coming along.
10:03:21 And so so yeah, no, i'm a big fan of technology.
10:03:27 So I want I want us to continue to move forward. Yeah, the hybrid flow that was a beautiful beautiful for the beginning of the meeting.
10:03:38 Into this quote about innovation. I think that was a that highlight for all of the things that we've learned this year, and are still continuing to learn our looks like we've got 23 people I would suggest maybe we get started I just wanted to share
10:03:59 this quote: first, because I read it yesterday and I thought of this team, and it seems to actually be a little bit of a theme of what we're going to be doing today because so much of today is about increasing awareness, of who's in
10:04:13 the room who we have on this team so that we can learn how to collaborate better, and as well as taking a look at what is this new new landscape that we're looking at?
10:04:24 And how can we come together to innovate so that we can provide the best services for each other?
10:04:28 And for employers and customers in the community so i'm just going to show the agenda real quick.
10:04:38 We do have closed captions enabled if you would like to turn them on for yourself.
10:04:45 If you're not sure how to do that you'd like to just put it in the chat, and I can help out after I stop sharing this screen, Please mute yourselves.
10:04:52 If you could, while we're going along. but we'd love to see your faces as much as every you know.
10:05:03 Quote sometimes to be on camera all the time it is it really helps with that feeling of community, and that we're all here actually in person, as we would be if we were actually able to do that. It's nice for as well to be able
10:05:16 the actual reverse balances and and attention we've got a pack to Gen.
10:05:23 Action package, and would say we're going to start with a little bit of an expanded introduction.
10:05:28 We're going to continue the conversation on job. quality Unfortunately, Melissa sure seen on the agenda, was not able to make it.
10:05:36 But Greg has generously offered to do an overview of that spot, and then we'll continue with some of the other segments we've talked about and move on to member updates.
10:05:49 Yeah, So we're gonna do an introduction and so we're just gonna ask, ladies gentlemen, since this is a little bit more time consuming, as the usual.
10:05:59 Say your name? what company you're from just give us one or 2 sentences to just exactly what your company does.
10:06:08 What is the unfinished gold of your company. and So just highlight your name and the results that your company produces in one or 2 sentences real real short, real real short. Okay, So i'm gonna go with Eliza
10:06:22 We're gonna start with her first sure i'm Eliza Chappelle.
10:06:27 I work with the Skill Source group. I am a data manager, and Virginia career works liaison for the lead for it.
10:06:35 Grant operated by Icf International and lead for it offers employer subsidies directly to the employer of 50 to 90%.
10:06:46 For to incentivize the company, to create internships on the job.
10:06:52 Training to ships and incumbent we're remaining So if you're interested in connecting your employers with those subsidies or reach out to me, i'll put my information and the website for that program in the
10:07:03 chat absolutely. My name is Warren Smith, Workforce developer.
10:07:07 We provide employment resources to employers and job seekers where the end goal is employment.
10:07:15 So That's that's who we are and what we do and we're going to go with Mike Boseiff.
10:07:20 Thank you, Warren Morning. Everyone my name is mike boseph I'm.
10:07:23 The employer services coordinator allowed in workforce resource center.
10:07:27 Essentially the mission statement of the latter workforce resource center is to connect both employers and job seekers to fulfill both parties and employment goals.
10:07:34 Never were in February just panic Valentine's day.
10:07:36 You'll catch my analogy here. but I like to look at myself as employment, Cupid.
10:07:40 I get to sling some arrows in both respective parties, and make the love of being full employment happen absolutely.
10:07:48 I love it. I love it, Myra Morning. My name is Myra Mobile, and I managed to Fairfax County employment centers.
10:07:56 We offer jobs, seekers and employers in Northern Virginia, access to a comprehensive system of employment, training, services, and resources that include virtual in-person appointments through our one-stop deployment centers
10:08:10 access to youth, adult and mature worker employment programs to the employment services of offered to those in enrolled in snap and view, and bid us free tax preparation service for more information on our services and how to support to our weekly newsletter i'm going
10:08:28 to include the links in the chat for you, and always feel free to reach out to me.
10:08:35 If you have any questions excellent excellent dianeic bride, Good morning, i'm dynamic bride I'm.
10:08:46 The business relations specialist with the Virginia Department for blind and vision and paired covering the Northern Virginia area are in agency, serves Virginians from birth to the very elderly and many. many services too many for me.
10:09:01 To go into with this quick little intro but I will focus on our employment services, which i'm part of.
10:09:09 So we provide services who to people who are blind, low vision and deaf, blind.
10:09:16 I focus on folks who are looking for employment and also job retention.
10:09:21 So we are reaching out to employers, and we have on the job training dollars.
10:09:27 We have paid internship program program so many, many services. So I always encourage people that if you know somebody in your community, no matter where that can benefit from our services, As I said, from birth to the very elderly please reach out to us,
10:09:47 excellent, Excellent! Thank you. Thank you, Diane. Mr.
10:09:50 Kelling grave, sir. Yes, my name is kellen Graves and i'm a job developer slash outreach coordinator, for then my main job is to connect job seekers with employment opportunities and
10:10:03 also to educate employers on the incentives they can save or money they can save to some of our grant programs to wage subsidies.
10:10:12 So excellent, and his left. Good morning, my name is Ann Hisslip. I'm.
10:10:24 A program director with Virginia career works, Northern and Skill Source and I have 3 S.
10:10:31 Like Tanf Esla grounds which I won't go into.
10:10:35 I'll be going into more later in our program and I also work on a grant called Go Virginia, which is an economic development grant for the State of Virginia, where we receive pitches from various organizations to fund their
10:10:51 projects. Excellent! excellent! Thank you, Anne Laura Snell.
10:10:59 Hi Guys i'm Laura Smell I work with the Skill Source Group Virginia for Rick's Northern, mainly doing job development for underserved populations and Fairfax and Prince William County, also although our program
10:11:15 also covers Loudden and Anne will be going into that more later.
10:11:18 I guess that the group of us will but doing much of what everybody else has mentioned.
10:11:24 Employment services to the job seeker; also services to employers in the community, trying to make them matches and and providing training as well.
10:11:33 So X. of excellent Lisa hi I'm Lisa Hanlon, with the University of Virginia School of continuing and professional studies where we love to serve our adult and nontraditional learners, and if I
10:11:51 could do a bit of an elevator talk I guess and we're working on a go virginia grant, and we're we're really trying to we're honing it down to really attract minority and females
10:12:05 into technology certifications and looking at our cloud computing certificate.
10:12:10 So if anybody has any interest in partnering with us or figuring out how we can connect through the grant that we're trying to write, I would love to hear from you, and i'll add that in the chat i'm also getting ready
10:12:20 to travel, so i'll be off-camera in just a little bit.
10:12:25 I'll walk back in and Still Listen I can do. I can multitask very good, very good.
10:12:33 Will you stick with us. Now hold on to you see cuz we've got an action-packed day today.
10:12:37 All right, Bill. Hi, Bill Browning I work in Fairfax County's Department of family Services, and like people like Warren and Kelly and others.
10:12:47 I don't actually do real work with real people like you guys do serving employers, and i'm manager of workforce innovations, which means I get involved in the front end with new initiatives particularly trying to make connections that can
10:12:59 help us all work better together. Very good, Bill. always a pleasure.
10:13:06 The Pearl Smith take us higher good morning everyone's good to see you all virtually, but I love that analogy that Mike Bozos had.
10:13:20 You know the the workforce cupid for aloud and County so i'll i'll be the workforce Cupid for dars this work, anyway.
10:13:28 I'm, with the Virginia department for aging and realitative services better known as Dars.
10:13:32 I'm. the business Development manager for our Northern Virginia office, and also I work with the Winchester office as well, and our role, of course, is to empower persons with disabilities to become gainfully employable
10:13:49 working with youth, high school, young, adult and adult populations and you know.
10:13:55 That's just great to be a part of this team where a sister agency along with with Dbbi, and I was just thinking about team, and I know Warren says to talk short.
10:14:04 But you all know me i'm gonna take a minute here. but that's acronym for team te am together.
10:14:11 Everybody accomplishes more. And this is certainly what this group is about.
10:14:15 Everybody working together to accomplish more for doing all persons to become gainfully employed.
10:14:22 It's good to be a part of this team thank you I love it.
10:14:25 I'm gonna use that slogan if you don't mind, lacrosse. that Okay, that's fine with me.
10:14:30 Okay, I can't take can't take credit for coming up with, and I heard it someplace else.
10:14:35 But it I thought it was very appropriate for this morning. some meeting to start. Okay?
10:14:39 Well, I Won't use your name when I quote you Then Thank you. Oh, yeah, please don't get me any more trouble.
10:14:44 Thank you All right, Crystal. Good morning, Hi, everyone. I am the registered apprentice show, consultant slash, high school workbase learning specialists for all of Virginia.
10:15:05 And my job right now is well registered apprenticeship i'm gonna let Kenya handle that and i'm gonna talk about what i'm doing right now.
10:15:11 My job is to work with all school systems across the State, developing work-based learning options for registered apprenticeship with a Y Ra.
10:15:23 Program which is career and technical education. Students who connect with jobs and get started with their careers.
10:15:31 And we're also have a program for 16 and over high school students who will have are not enrolled in Cte, where they can get started with their careers.
10:15:42 So we have about Mmm. 15 in Northern Virginia right now between Fifths county schools and Prince William County schools, hoping to get started in the other areas.
10:15:55 Really soon. and we're making inroads with that. So we work with the Cte departments and the counselors across the State.
10:16:06 Thank you. very good. crystal always a pleasure. maureen i'm going to try to pronounce your name £18 a champagne, a chong pong.
10:16:18 Okay, it's okay. So good morning, my name is Marina Chong Kong.
10:16:24 I'm new to this meeting, but i'm a case manager over a good shepherd housing and family services.
10:16:30 We are an affordable housing, nonprofit, based in Fairfax County, and our main goal is to help our residents reach certain goals in order to stay housed.
10:16:41 So. So we have a newly launched tanic program which helps our residents reach educational goals, but mainly helps connect them with employment, training, job development and different employment services in order to help them stay employed and
10:16:54 in turn stay housed, so that's pretty much what my introduction is well.
10:17:01 Congratulations and welcome to the team all Rain is black we're glad to have you all right, Sheila. all right.
10:17:11 Good morning, everyone. i'm sheila jones and I work for the Skills source group, and specifically the Esla program which for the employment services for lifelong achievement.
10:17:27 I am a job developer under the Esther program, and I serve Louton.
10:17:32 Prince William Fair and Fairfax, and specifically, what I do is I work with the low-income families to assist them with employment.
10:17:41 So I also work with employers to find out what needs they have.
10:17:49 And you know, and, like Mike, try to play, Keep it, and make sure that my clients can fit into some of those roles that the employers actually need in house.
10:17:59 Thank you. Good to see everyone. Very good, very good, Carla.
10:18:04 Hello, Good morning, Everyone i'm not. the other team member of the Asla program I work with and Laura and Sheila, and they already mentioned what we do Later on There's gonna be a short presentation a job
10:18:18 developer as well for Virginia. career works and skill.
10:18:22 Source. Excellent, excellent, Mr. Jared, sir. Good morning, everyone!
10:18:29 So yeah, my name is Jared Collins I'm. an Outreach and intake specialist with the W.
10:18:35 Ioa youth program. We are a Federal employment and training program that provides employment and training services to young adults.
10:18:45 17 through 24, in loud and county fairfax county and Prince William County.
10:18:52 I think that's about it so excellent good to see you Jared.
10:19:00 David, sir, if I can get this to work. Good morning, everyone.
10:19:06 It kind of feels like this. i've been back here to this meeting, you know, in a different capacity.
10:19:10 But I like the capacity I used to be in but i'm like in the fact that I can reconnect the deal with the group.
10:19:18 David Brown here used to be with scale source, but actually now on the caller representing the Department of Social Services, Prince William County.
10:19:26 2 I'm in this capacity as I almost said job developer as a employment counselor as well as a case worker for for department of social services, particularly for snap and t the employment and training so everyone is talking about employment and
10:19:43 i'm happy to be here Seems like i'm gonna be gaining more than anybody else from this group in terms of having all of you people help my people get back into that worker.
10:19:54 You can be the Cupid and collect my people to to do the love of work and employment.
10:20:00 And, of course, with department social services. you know what we offer.
10:20:02 We offer all these benefit packages, I represent snappy and tea. But there's a medicaid the there's attentive, and there's view and all those other things Still, available.
10:20:13 But in my capacity. Now i'm more concerned about dealing with snap, and getting some of your referrals and using some of your resources financially.
10:20:20 Otherwise to be able to get on more folks employed. Thank you so much, and glad to be here.
10:20:27 Thank you, David. thank you, They would say. we have a little Cupid theme going on here.
10:20:33 Cupid theme something about that today if I hear it one more time, Bethany. Good morning.
10:20:40 Everyone. My name is Bethany tobin I am an employment specialist with service source.
10:20:45 If you've heard of service source you know that we do a lot of different things.
10:20:49 But I specifically work on a contract with the Fairfax County Falls Church Community Service Board, and I work with individuals there to find opportunities for employment, volunteer and educational supports.
10:21:01 If you have any questions about service source, other programs, the Csv.
10:21:05 Feel free to reach out. Thank you, Bethany. And now the man who found me and offered me a job here, Mr.
10:21:13 Muli Alabawatti Come on sir, good morning everyone it's a pleasure be here.
10:21:20 It is a pleasure this might be my last business solutions meeting, because I'm retired on eightpril seventh.
10:21:33 But I am a business services supervisor i've been with the county for about 29 years.
10:21:39 But I have a goal beyond retirement. My My goal is to standardize and bring heavy equipment training to our community. instead of folks going very far to obtain those trainings, I will ensure in a near future that somebody is
10:22:02 providing heavy equipment training when I say that we're going to combine it with cdl dozens heavy equipment.
10:22:10 Bob Kats and and also front-out loaders to do so i'm gonna need this connection here, which is a good connection.
10:22:22 Snapd folks ex offender programs, work release programs, low-income family programs.
10:22:27 Wioa, youth and adults, and to further the the the strength of that bridge is bring in.
10:22:37 Hcca, Heavy Contractor or Construction Contractors Association, Northern Virginia Community College, and of course, our skill, source, group and Dars program.
10:22:48 So bear with me if I call on you beyond my retirement and just say, Okay, we want you to participate and help us.
10:22:54 You make this happen for our community. Thank you very much. Absolutely moving, absolutely.
10:23:01 Greg barn. Good morning, Everybody guess what i'll do is just save my little Intro.
10:23:12 The the actual presentation, and that way we save a little bit of time.
10:23:16 But i'm the northern region. rep response. coordinator, and you'll hear a little bit more more about the program a little bit later in the the presentation.
10:23:26 Okay, sounds great sounds great mark. I don't see your face I see your name, but I don't see your face.
10:23:34 There's something wrong with the can you show your face give a brief introduction, My friend.
10:23:38 Give it. give me a minute i'm in transit myself. So i'm gonna spare that for you.
10:23:56 I apologize. Okay, that's Okay, So later, yeah my name is Mark Sherniski.
10:23:56 I'm a job developer with the work release program at Fairfax County, Aib, and so my and my agency works.
10:24:02 This is the Skill source group. Virginia career works Northern, and we work with people with barriers to employment.
10:24:12 And and and to help them. transition to stay, productive and and and successful in community.
10:24:21 So that's That's Our role Here Thanks Very Good very good, thank you, Mark Rebecca Bennett.
10:24:32 Hello! Sorry. Hello, everyone! Rebecca Bennett, center manager for the Cherokee Avenue Center in Alexandria, and the Prince William Center in Woodbridge.
10:24:46 Excellent. I think that's everyone if that is not did I miss anyone?
10:24:54 I think that's all all right, if we can get back to the top of the agenda.
10:25:01 Then we can proceed forward, Sure, And I just wanted to say there is a member contact list with a little summary of bullet points about who to contact for what?
10:25:10 On the Virginia career works bst page which is not a public link.
10:25:19 So I'm going to put it in the chat this is just for you all.
10:25:22 But on there, at the very top, you can download the member contact list.
10:25:25 If you ever want to get in touch with somebody on the group.
10:25:29 Okay. So, moving right along, we have had a number of conversations that came up a few times last meeting about job qualities.
10:25:37 We really wanted to honor that. that seems to be at the top of everybody's mind, and I am grateful to Bill Browning for a to start this conversation.
10:25:47 I know there have been sort of some questions about. Where do we start?
10:25:49 How do we start having these conversations with employers what are we looking at here in the new environment?
10:25:54 So we're just gonna have a discussion today. but I know Bill offered to start with some information.
10:26:02 So I you, and are you available to share Bills presentation?
10:26:05 Yes, I am okay. Thank you so much. Great so thanks the Liza for a few minutes.
10:26:17 So we're gonna talk about workforce development and job quality it's a really short presentation around the national landscape related to job quality, at least from my perspective, just those of you that don't know i've only been in
10:26:29 Fairfax County for about 6 months before. Then I was at the Aspen Institute on the National Landscape.
10:26:34 So i'm sort of familiar with reading those tea leaves so i'll try to do that. And then we're gonna have a quick chat activity to do an experiment to see what you're hearing right now around job quality and
10:26:45 then Eliza will lead a discussion at the end of this.
10:26:48 So. just another quick note both the lies and I participate in a group that's exploring inclusive prosperity, and they're also interested in this.
10:26:56 So there may be another group at some point that has a shared interest.
10:27:00 So next slide. So for what it's worth i've been in workforce development for a long time.
10:27:07 20 years and before that in corporate training and you know this is what i'm seeing you know you may or may not agree with this.
10:27:13 But i'm just gonna walk through this room quickly because it points right straight to you guys.
10:27:18 I'm saying a seismic shift towards an emerging focus on job quality.
10:27:24 I've never heard talent. attraction. retention, development they being this high on almost every corporate executives agenda, Not as just a nice to do.
10:27:33 But oh, my God, if we don't do this we might not be in business!
10:27:38 The kind of thing never heard that before and the labor shortage that people are talking about.
10:27:41 It's not going away. All the demographic signposts are pointing towards a flattening or even shrinking labor market.
10:27:47 So this idea of worker shortages. it's here to stay for the foreseeable future, unless that changes dramatically and demographics usually don't.
10:27:56 So what i'm hearing in the news what you're hearing in the news, and we'll see in a minute if you're seeing it on the front lines.
10:28:03 Many businesses are really conducting experiments and trying to figure out how to attract the talent and keep the talent they want.
10:28:10 They're rewriting job descriptions upgrading pay and experimenting with a lot of features around job quality to figure out what attracts people and that's the experiment that we're most interested in at least today and they're changing the employment landscape
10:28:25 month by month, which means that the labor market information we've always relied on is a little less useful in this moment.
10:28:30 So what i'm seeing is a field that's always been about building ladders, you know those career ladders. We're always trying to get people on with job training and things like that towards career advancement.
10:28:41 So there's this Raise the floor element around job quality to help make bad jobs.
10:28:46 I'm going to use that word sort of in lose terms make jab bad jobs better, and that movement has the potential to lift up lots of previously disadvantaged worker groups towards greater opportunities.
10:28:58 So my read of this is that you guys hold the case to the kingdom here.
10:29:04 Nobody else has a front row seat to observe what's going on in this real-time experiment to gather data.
10:29:10 If you chose to focus on this and to respond quickly, to try and match.
10:29:14 To do that cupid thing of matching employers that have needs with worker groups that might have interests in that.
10:29:20 So that's what i'm seeing and i'm going to show the next slide.
10:29:22 Please not going to spend really any time on this slide so because I worked at the Aspen Institute. one of the organizations on this list.
10:29:32 I became familiar with the field that's growing rapidly around job quality at the national level to support local efforts like potentially your interest.
10:29:40 So in all these slides you see a lot of links that you can click on You're going to get these afterwards.
10:29:44 I assume, lies up. So you can explore as you wish.
10:29:49 Here are 4 organizations they're doing things that have information that if you're interested you could click on. So I tried to highlight a few things from each of those 4 that I thought could be useful for folks working on the front lines like
10:30:01 you but I don't consider myself an expert I am familiar with the field.
10:30:06 So with that what we're going to do next is a quick experiment with you.
10:30:09 So i'd like you to limber. up your fingers please we're going to do a little chat activity that will just check in on what you might be hearing, and then we'll follow up with a discussion so to do this
10:30:20 we're gonna have 2 questions that we're gonna ask you to chat, in short and specific responses in order to do this. I'd like you to think about the employers you called on in the last few months.
10:30:32 Particularly the ones that are experimenting with changing job quality in some way, in order to try and attract candidates.
10:30:41 So jot down those employers names that they come to mind right now on a scrap of paper.
10:30:46 So we're going to call these 2 questions one at a time So we're going to do the first question and do a chat activity and see what you're saying.
10:30:54 And we'll narrate that out loud and then we'll do the second one, and go straight into a conversation.
10:31:00 After this experiment so long brought up your fingers and let's get ready to go, and next slide for the first question.
10:31:09 So. are you seeing this is a yes, no question. Are you seeing experiment employers that are experimenting with job quality? Yes, no.
10:31:18 So real quickly. Have you seen employers that are doing this?
10:31:22 Just yes, no chat into everybody and I'll just do a quick narration.
10:31:27 Thank you, Mike, you're really quick and i'm seeing a lot of yeses coming through.
10:31:32 It looks like, yes, is all around. So you guys are really seeing this.
10:31:35 Those of you that are calling on employers. so that's that's of interest that might not have been all Yes, is just a few months ago, or sooner you so second question So here's here's a really important one what
10:31:50 non wage aspect of jobs. Are people changing and experimenting with things like benefits, work, conditions, safety hours.
10:31:58 Or shifts. So just type in a short summary of what people are doing and experimenting with.
10:32:06 And I will try to read this out loud telework and remote course.
10:32:10 A lot of them with that remote lots of people want it and it's less desirable to some other.
10:32:17 So there's different hybrid? positions shifts and you can respond more than once if you want to hybrid telework schedules.
10:32:23 What do you What else are you hearing i'm that's a big trend around hybrid and telework to get people attracted, extending educational benefits to employee defense dependence there's another one that
10:32:36 hours and virtual work, and automation. they're experimenting with Yep employees customizing positions. David, if you have any more to say about that chat that in that's an interesting one.
10:32:48 La Pearl says more benefits. Kellan Hazard.
10:32:52 Pay for some schedule and benefits for dependence i'm, seeing that several times a accommodations from Diane, more employers willing to work with accommodations for different worker groups, so anything else, coming in on
10:33:06 this. you can type it in, because this could be interesting information.
10:33:10 All right here's the last one think about the employers you've talked to and and just talked about others and a couple more coming in.
10:33:18 So now we're going to shift to a memorable quote. So one of the employers, David, has already gotten us off starting off a memorable quote you've heard from employer that frames how they're expressing the
10:33:29 urgency of their need to attract and retain talent.
10:33:33 What are some memorable. quotes that you're hearing So all we need is key phrases here and spelling doesn't count.
10:33:41 So don't worry about getting your spelling perfect so we're hearing from David.
10:33:46 We've got a couple more coming in so i'm gonna start looking at these, and where did it go?
10:33:56 I'm losing my track here so I our business is our people, employees, people not staying on Jobs long term.
10:34:07 So retention is an oven. What else are you hearing?
10:34:08 Just think of one for phrase that you're hearing from an employer that's memorable all right.
10:34:24 This one might be a little harder for you so here we go they're coming in now.
10:34:29 We are simply not getting anyone to apply Laura says Wow!
10:34:34 That's a challenge. Trying all to retain employees increasing wages of being flexible, employer and training current supervisors to adapt interesting. Diane says, not never offered part time before now offering part-time on
10:34:49 the production floor So they're changing jobs to make some part-time anything else that you're hearing around the urgency sign up bonuses.
10:34:58 Another incentive that people are using we've heard a lot about different incentives.
10:35:02 We are so desperate we're sharing labor with other employers.
10:35:06 Well that one I haven't heard before. Then lara says we cannot compete with the rising wage expectations.
10:35:13 Interesting wonder if that implore a lawyer is willing to experiment in other ways, to try to attract, pertain some around job quality which might not have quite as much of an effect on raising wages.
10:35:26 So losing staff to it. industries. Moody says, All right.
10:35:31 So you guys can keep them coming in. what, Laura, I mean.
10:35:36 What Eliza and I will do is take a Look at these and see if we can make some sense of this, and we'll actually capture this, because this is a real-life experiment.
10:35:45 If you chose to do these kinds of things in a targeted way.
10:35:47 But it could be potentially really valuable so with that what I'm going to do is turn it back over to Eliza.
10:35:55 Now we've heard a little bit about job 5 quality and done this experiment for a conversation around where you want to go, and if you want to change the slide to the next one you n there's we can just that's just the highlight
10:36:09 for the discussion. So first, thank you so much, Bill, for doing the the overview and facilitating the initial discussion.
10:36:15 Before I go further about what we could potentially do next.
10:36:19 I just wanted to open it up to questions for you. If anybody wanted to had any questions or comments, either on the the activity or questions for Bill, while we have him here.
10:36:41 Nothing. Okay, I actually elizabeth it's Laura the labor shortage that you talk of Is it?
10:36:50 Is it really a labor shortage, or is it a labor shift?
10:36:55 Or is it a talent shortage for certain occupations or industries?
10:37:00 Can you Can You talk a little more about that so yeah based on what I've been reading and i've been trying to really pay attention to this.
10:37:10 There. Aren't really great real-time studies but I'm seeing both a labor shortage.
10:37:13 There is, since the 70 s we've had a rapidly rising labor market. and now that's flattening, and so employers that have used to having surplus labor that they can call all the shots and recruit all the
10:37:27 people. We want the way they've done it for multiple decades they now are like, Huh!
10:37:32 That's not working anymore. So there is a change in the labor market.
10:37:37 And then there's this big shift and a lot of people on the sidelines for various reasons that pulled themselves out of the labor market potentially temporarily, some long-term with the early retirees so and then
10:37:50 of course, every time we have a big recession or something it creates a moment of discontinuity where the labor market does shift.
10:37:59 In some significant ways. we've always seen that and that's surely happening.
10:38:02 But it's sort of hard to figure it out in real time that's my impression, Laura.
10:38:07 Thanks, Bill. Good to see you again. Nice presentation. Yeah, That is a good first edition.
10:38:13 This is La Pearl, I I have a question how much of this would you say is related to this long-term?
10:38:20 Covid that we've been in or Is it just the ups and downs of the labor market?
10:38:28 Or is it a combination of both? yeah I think it's both.
10:38:33 There was a The demographic signposts were already turning around to flattening, or even in some populations declining like.
10:38:40 But the baby boomers retiring and it accelerated that
10:38:45 So we've got that going on and Then we have people that pull themselves out of the labor market like women with child care not.
10:38:51 I don't want to say just women but it's been more women.
10:38:53 The labor force participation rates there's people in the sidelines.
10:38:57 There's people on the sidelines you can see spine studies because of the fear of covid and customer contact positions.
10:39:03 In particular. People are afraid in going back right now. so You've got a lot of that going on as well.
10:39:10 Okay, Good night, Thank you, Bill. Thank you. Just wanted to put a link in the chat to a it's one of the links that Bill highlighted in one of his slides just to give an example of the kinds of presentations that are
10:39:22 there Fairfax County Economic initiatives. there was a what is the full name Bill?
10:39:30 It was the Fabrics County Committee Economic Advisory Commission.
10:39:35 Thank you. The Economic Advisory Commission did a presentation on February the first, and it highlighted both regional and local data that smelled businesses are that they gathered from small businesses or from the
10:39:48 bureau of labor statistics on the regional data side, and it was interesting to see that businesses even just in the last month, are increasing the amount that they'd rate themselves in trouble, or having having difficulty finding employees or the struggles that, they're
10:40:07 having. So you want a sort of a snapshot of that data.
10:40:10 It's just in the first few slides of the presentation that I put in the chat.
10:40:15 I do want to be mindful of time. one of the reasons we wanted to try out this activity to see how we could share information this way of the real-time data that everybody is, seeing is that bill mentioned that he's part of
10:40:29 a group for economic, a working group for economic press, inclusive prosperity.
10:40:37 And one of the activities that that group did was that each participant of the group went out and interviewed and participant, using the same few questions.
10:40:47 And then all of the the key sentences, some keys.
10:40:51 Sentences from those answers were uploaded and compiled so that we could all get themes the way that we sort of just did it in the chat.
10:40:58 And it was really useful information to be able to see what works and what doesn't for the participants on the ground.
10:41:07 And but one of the things that the pieces that's missing from that group is that they don't have the experience with employers directly.
10:41:16 So we get a lot of participant information but they're sort of missing from that conversation of how do we lift everybody out of this?
10:41:23 How do we create the best formula for this is the employer side of what's going on?
10:41:26 What are they doing? What can we do to really meet their needs right now in the time of changing labor market data?
10:41:37 So we I just wanted to see if it would be of interest to do more activities.
10:41:38 This way that where we all are being able to sort of a little bit more intentionally capture what we're seeing, and then see what the themes are, and maybe we'd be able to get a sense It can be challenging i've been
10:41:53 hearing from people that we're not sure how to approach a company we know isn't doing something right and tell them what they should be doing instead.
10:42:03 And one way that we could start with this activity would be to approach companies that are doing what right now see what they're doing, so that we can gather that information and provide it as a sort of a template or suggestions to other
10:42:15 organizations. So that was just sort of the idea i'd be interested with you all.
10:42:22 Is it helpful to be able to have more intentional conversations like this?
10:42:27 Or what do you think of those ideas, Eliza? This is la pearl like, I think that would be a wonderful idea.
10:42:34 I was just wondering. Is it possible to look at maybe getting some type of panel of forum with some of these companies?
10:42:43 I know we have, you know Companies have come, and they talk about.
10:42:47 You know their job opportunities and the application process and all that stuff.
10:42:48 But to actually get some companies to come and just talk with us about what they're doing, that's good and here, even from some that things are not going so well to be able to engage with them.
10:43:01 You know, get their insights, maybe share some insights. that.
10:43:05 Would that be something? possibly we could look at doing great thank you i'm taking some notes from all of your ideas.
10:43:17 So I've got that written down and any other sort of thoughts about this.
10:43:20 I see, Mike said in the chat. This was often validates everything.
10:43:23 A lot of us are hearing our suspecting that is going on, but we can get a little bit more of concrete information about There lies all.
10:43:32 I'll end to that as well I think just because of everything we've seen in the last few years since the pandemic things are changing constantly, and even out there might be a little bit of predictability with the labor
10:43:44 shortage. I thank you guys workforce professionals, and we need to be adaptive and flexible in our approach.
10:43:49 So getting real-time information, whether it be a month a month on this very topic, I think it's going to be helpful, because this seems like there's multiple compounding variables that are happening all at the same, time.
10:44:01 So whatever we decide to tackle the whole thing all at once, or we look at different individually.
10:44:07 I just I feel there's a lot that can come from this. So this has been awesome.
10:44:12 Great thanks for mentioning that the way that we could break it down, because you could also break it down by industry picking a specific industry or a specific type of position to be able to analyze the themes.
10:44:24 So I think there are a lot of possible options. Any other thoughts about the job quality issue things that might help you figure out what where to go next and how to advise employers that we could provide Okay, Well, this could be a conversation that can
10:44:59 keep going. This is sort of just a teaser beginner.
10:45:02 It doesn't seem to get us started since we know that it's up for a lot of us, so as you reflect more on this, we'll get this the the just initial exercise out to you all but please, feel free to reach out
10:45:15 to myself, Mike Warren Kellen to with any ideas of what you'd like to see moving forward, or so that we can start at more activities like this.
10:45:28 So we can share this real-time information. Bill, do you have any any closing remarks.
10:45:33 I think. well, we're about at 1045 so we'll be moving on to the next speaker.
10:45:38 But I think this was really helpful, and it was really great to get all of the engagement in the chat.
10:45:44 Yeah, just to mention one of those slides had those 4 organizations that have information and tools.
10:45:50 So if you're one of those people, that are like how do I help employers? They do some of those organizations do have some information, tools, and resources. that could help you.
10:46:00 So you can just play with that slide and the links great, perfect.
10:46:05 Thank you so much for getting us started with this bill and for all of that information.
10:46:13 The research that you have provided. Let's see I think I will hand it over to Warren.
10:46:24 Right, maybe not. So let's see here it does everybody at all right by that.
10:46:33 If we could get back to the agenda, please. Briefly, excellent, actually Very good.
10:46:45 All right, ladies and gentlemen. Now we will have the rapid response overview.
10:46:51 That will be by Melissa. Short, great vote! What was that?
10:46:56 Greg Vaughan Great von i'm sorry ladies John, without further let's put your hands together, and show your love for Mr.
10:47:05 Greg Fawn. right? All right. Good morning, everybody. and thank you for giving an opportunity to do overview of the rep response program.
10:47:19 Melissa Short was scheduled to be here, but I came there.
10:47:23 Emergency came up within the family that needed her media attention.
10:47:27 So. but I have no no problems. with going over the program, and in talking about the program I've been doing the program for prostate 18 years now.
10:47:39 So I have i've seen everything. Okay. but i'm sure there's always something that that could come up most of you all, from what I could see on on the participation screen have have have been around the core folks have been around for
10:47:53 some time, but this is a great opportunity for the new folks to to really get a better understanding of the rap response program itself.
10:48:04 I asked a lot of people what the what do they think when they hear the the term?
10:48:09 Rapid response, and most people say you know the fire department or your Ems folks.
10:48:18 But we are the air trafficking progress, controller slash firefighters wrapped all in one we're not Cupid Warren.
10:48:31 So we do a lot. We do a lot.
10:48:36 The rapid response program is a state program it's a Federal program managed through the State and the State has 5 coordinators.
10:48:47 They're out here providing service for 5 different regions and I happen to be the Northern Virginia region.
10:48:57 Rap response. Coordinator. program. has been around for some time, and it's a great program you can hear there's so many agencies on arc zoom call right now that if all of you all reached out to an
10:49:14 employer. Sooner or later the phone would stop being answered so That's why I say somewhat of an air traffic controller slash firefight.
10:49:28 Once a company is notified, notifies the governor's office that that they're gonna lay off they usually submit a war notice, and that warn those is workforce worker adjustment and retraining
10:49:39 notification letter that goes out to the the governor's office, and what that does is try to alert the Governor that there's a layoff pending layoff in hopefully they would do this 60 days out which will
10:49:55 allow us to go and and provide the support that the the company would need.
10:50:00 The Ravel response program. i'm the coordinator but you all are the program.
10:50:07 I have nothing in my pocket. All I have is you all, but I have a lot when in saying that.
10:50:15 So when I do actually reach out to the employer i'm, representing all of you all now on the screen, you'll see a flow chart, and that flow chart we'll walk you through what the process is so
10:50:33 far as executing the rep response program. itself, Now, with covid and like my reset it's made us think very hard about the way we execute our programs, and in the way we conduct business.
10:50:51 There's a lot of this. it's made us go virtual, and you reach out to a lot of people virtually, but it gives us that option.
10:51:01 You know some people are still a little skeptical about the the virus out here.
10:51:06 Steel some times there's employers that have employees scattered all over the place.
10:51:12 So it has added another tool to our toolbox to be able to reach out and gain access to to those effective employees that maybe get ready to get laid off.
10:51:24 I mean, I have majority of you all have sent me electronical materials that i'm able to shoot out to the employer.
10:51:34 And that way they they least have the information after fingertips to be able to are answering all those questions that they somebody that's gonna face unemployment will have.
10:51:47 So if you look at the flow chart it says that warn those there's war noses in the grain.
10:51:54 There's warnoses and there are non-war noses.
10:51:59 The difference between those 2 notices. One is the the actual employer reaches out to the governor, alerts him for her that their their intentions of laying off the number one.
10:52:13 Notice comes from basic intelligence. you could be sitting in your your living room listening to the news you'd be riding on the road.
10:52:22 You hear of some information that there's a pending layoff, or we're somebody's gonna lay off some employees.
10:52:32 Those are considered non-warms and that's where we gather that information, and once we hear that I reach out to the to the company, and I reach out to the company on behalf of you all and once I reach out to
10:52:48 the company and get the pertinent information that I know you all need.
10:52:52 Then I reach out to you all my partners. and and I typically will do that via email and like, I said, the majority of you all have been around some time, and you you know how to react to that email we do have some
10:53:11 new folks and that's that's fine i'm glad you know we're having this session, but those new folks, you know they kind of ask a lot of questions. but they fall in and they follow our lead but once I I get the information
10:53:28 in and reach out to to the partners and Let you all know exactly what's going on.
10:53:33 That's where we can possibly set up a management briefing in the red.
10:53:41 Okay, and that management, briefing at 1 point used to be in person, found that a little little daunting task of trying to get all your your calendars so that we can can all get to a briefing in person.
10:54:01 So I think that management briefing via phone you know I I reach out and and and get a hold of either the Hr manager who's ever the point of contact on war notice.
10:54:13 And that's where I go and I start asking all the questions that, you all will need to know.
10:54:23 So far is is providing them the services that gonna best serve them.
10:54:26 So once we have that management briefing, and I, I reach out to you all.
10:54:31 We we will conduct a put together, an action plan of how we're going to actually support the employer employees, and the employer, and once we we get the actual plan set together,
10:54:48 Sometimes it doesn't always work out as as plan and sometimes we don't always you get into a lot of these companies and businesses.
10:54:57 Unfortunately, because they're missing out in their their not providing the services to the employees that they should because you all have great programs, you know, and it's just simply amazing how much you all can support in in the commonwealth by getting folks
10:55:16 back to work as soon as possible and that's the goal of the rap response program itself.
10:55:22 So. but once once we we develop a good plan of attack, you know, we may conduct briefings on site.
10:55:30 We may conduct briefings off-site as of late we've been conducting virtual briefings.
10:55:38 We have set up links for the implore employer to send out to the employees, so that they can actually getting access to our Zoom sessions. and some of the zoom says all the zoom sessions
10:55:54 are recorded and posted on virtual different media sites, and they can go back at their leisure to go back in and look at the briefing.
10:56:07 If they are unable to it in on the briefing in person.
10:56:14 So that's that's been one great advantage that i've seen, that has come out of Covid.
10:56:19 You know nobody can ever say that they didn't know because once we get that link and post it.
10:56:29 They have full access. But program it will. It will go out and and provide services to virtually.
10:56:42 Any company that is is a but to lay off have some numbers up here, you know, 25, or more, and all this they have a formula, but we support the entire P.
10:56:54 Commonwealth whenever there's a layoff or closure now, both Covid it was coming so fast and furious.
10:57:01 I mean every day there were 10 to 15, and we could not keep up.
10:57:05 Just p not, and a lot of times it was after the fact and There's not a lot we can do once Once a a company has closed.
10:57:15 We've tried to go out and do psas and try to set up off site briefings, and it just does not effective at all.
10:57:27 So. but the best best best thing about the program is I have you all that are out there, and and you you all have done an excellent job, because all areas don't play in the sandbox together.
10:57:44 Nice. Some people felt different in other people's eyes but I don't have that problem.
10:57:51 Have not seen that problem in the northern region. every time I met a briefing or a meeting. I have the I get a little smile, a little smirk on my face, and I tell him I don't have this problem am I my
10:58:03 region. I see everybody plays together, everybody alerts me.
10:58:08 Everybody invites me in the program that goes on is executed as it's supposed to it's the kill.
10:58:15 In fact, and that's great I love it you're right I love it.
10:58:22 But so once you know we execute it and we're either do a in person or or virtual briefing, I'll follow up with that employer to see if there's any additional needs.
10:58:37 Now you see on the the flow chart there's some surveys that that were being sent out.
10:58:41 That's a little tough version when we do in person Yes, you have a captive audience, and we can get that survey.
10:58:48 We can provide you all we so good data is some contact information but virtually it's. it's tough, you know.
10:58:56 But you know we're still trying to work around that but outside of the briefing itself, the program is a full cycle.
10:59:10 Cool lifecycle of a business it's not just reacting to a war notice.
10:59:14 If a company's coming into the region we can also support that company by content getting them in contact, and and utilize the same resources we utilize when folks are becoming displaced.
10:59:30 So. but outside of that, are there any questions that you know?
10:59:36 You may have about the program itself or how the program flows that's the important part is how it flows, and because if all of you all start reaching out to these employers, they shut down, you know because too many people are calling
10:59:52 them, and they have a lot on their plate, as it is trying to to navigate, you know, reemployment for their employees or surviving themselves.
11:00:04 So when they get that one phone call from me, and then they start receiving these services.
11:00:11 I think it flows a lot better. Mike has been on several in person.
11:00:18 Events with me prior to Covid. the pearl has not a lot of you all have. you know.
11:00:25 I don't know why, even start calling names because somebody will say I was out there, too.
11:00:30 So. but outside of that, if there's any questions feel free.
11:00:34 We are still trying to navigate this Covid.
11:00:40 Area. but the program is is still live. The good thing.
11:00:50 There has not been a lot of activity so that's Why, I say, i'm a fireman does you may ride by a fire station, and you see that fireman was sitting in the in the driveway brain down his rig but if your
11:01:03 house catches on fire. What do you want you want that fireman to come and put that fire out, even though you've rolled by day after day and he's seemingly doing nothing but when that fire happens and it's in your
11:01:19 backyard. You want the the support and help so right Now we're at a low, low low spot, who knows it may blow up like it.
11:01:29 Did like like Covid, so I appreciate all the support you all provide to the program.
11:01:36 You all do an excellent job of being in my eyes and ears out there.
11:01:40 You let me know when when when you hear something, and we move forward with that.
11:01:46 So if there's any questions feel free to to shoot them to me. Eliza, you all can send that that flow chart out to to the team, and that way they'll have it at their leisure.
11:01:59 Okay, Okay, sounds great. Does anybody have any questions for Greg or comments?
11:02:12 Somebody has one. Yes, the best program coordinator in the whole State, and the best personality.
11:02:22 You're awesome to work with thanks for your book thank you you Do you?
11:02:26 Do you do a super job, too, you're You're one of the unique economic development folks out there, too.
11:02:32 So, Launce, well protected, excellent, excellent! All right.
11:02:43 Can I ask you a question? I was curious, because I know that there are some partners who are sort of the point people for their organization who are on this.
11:02:50 On this in this meeting that you may work a lot with.
11:02:53 But as like for Virginia career works, we have so many little smaller programs that may also be services that we wouldn't necessarily want everybody to speak, because that would be too many people.
11:03:03 But they're if there's anybody on this call who is hoping to get their information out to people who are about to be laid off.
11:03:13 Is there a person to contact in each county so that they can sort of make sure that whoever goes to speak at your workshops can share that information?
11:03:22 You, Tip to explain. Okay. So they can just contact you directly That's right. Yeah.
11:03:31 Okay, great. So for anybody who's on sort of a smaller. Grant and you want to make sure that your information is being included and the Virginia career works or county information that's being provided you can reach out to Greg Thank you
11:03:42 so much, Greg. No problem, excellent all right well let's move back to the agenda. so we can move forward.
11:03:50 We have about 50 min left, we remaining so that Texas to write to the success story.
11:04:01 We love success stories, You know we I don't know how we can do our job without having a success story.
11:04:07 So Miss Diane is gonna give us a success story, and I hope we can bring this component to our meetings every single time.
11:04:18 So as you listen to her. share this success story, think about your job and what you do, and how you can bring your success story to the table, Diane.
11:04:28 You have the floor Well, thank you so much and i'm going to start with that quote that La Pearl shared the the team acronym together.
11:04:40 Everyone accomplishes more, and that's certainly the case with this team.
11:04:46 I recently had a client that was referred to me by one of our vocational rehabilitation counselors, and this gentleman had a vision impairment.
11:05:00 He had some Hvac experience currently working, but wanted to find a position closer to home because he was commuting, and of course, with the visual vision impairment.
11:05:15 That may he may be, you know, not be able to do that for much longer.
11:05:18 Felt the main barrier to employment which it it was is that he had very poor English skills.
11:05:29 His his language. His first language was korean so trying to think about how we could overcome this barrier.
11:05:38 He wasn't going to learn English you know right away and so? just trying to think how we could maybe steer him into either an apprenticeship for H back or you know.
11:05:57 Can he work for a company, but there's that that that barrier that that he couldn't speak English.
11:06:02 So I reached out to a couple of folks within this team, which is so awesome that we have all these experts within our employment solutions team.
11:06:17 So I reached out to a couple of people. I reached out to Crystal
11:06:20 And she, crystal, throw her from apprenticeship, and she shared information about the apprenticeship program.
11:06:26 And you know what he would need to take the apprenticeship program be part of that.
11:06:32 So she provided that information to me which was great I then reached out to a liza warren, and more, more, and that's where I hit the jackpot.
11:06:43 So because what I was wondering is, are there some companies in Northern Virginia that are Hvac companies that they specialize in serving the Korean community, you know.
11:06:57 Would that be a possibility that we could connect them with someone like that?
11:07:01 And so more connected me with a gentleman at the Korean community service center in Anandale.
11:07:10 I didn't even know that the center existed had no idea about the resources that they provided.
11:07:16 And so I met with the employment resource person at that center, and learned about all the different services that they provide to the Korean community.
11:07:30 This gentleman has a wife that could benefit from some of the services at the center.
11:07:36 But most importantly, I was able to refer this gentleman to this employment.
11:07:43 Resource Coordinator to assist him with the looking for positions, with maybe a Korean a company that that serves the Korean community.
11:07:56 So we could co- and rule if you will. But again, I had no idea that this existed.
11:08:02 You know Laura saved me so much time of digging and trying to figure out you know where to go.
11:08:09 So this is just an example of this incredible team and and resources and experts that we have at our fingertips that if something comes up that we can reach out.
11:08:22 And you know we have this telephone line, if you will, that we can connect.
11:08:28 And and you know, help our the people that we, so that we serve even better.
11:08:32 And I do also want to give a shout-out to Mike Boz as well.
11:08:37 One of the challenges that people with disabilities have not only are clients, but also with dars, is when to disclose how how to disclose.
11:08:48 When do I, you know, Let this employer know that i'm going to need accommodations?
11:08:54 You know quite often our folks are very afraid about disclosing.
11:08:59 Is it going to ruin my chance at at at this job?
11:09:03 If I tell them in the interview that I i'm going to need an accommodation, because quite often the people that we work with It's a hidden disability you know looking at them you don't know that they're going to need
11:09:14 an accommodation. So Mike has presented to our group.
11:09:20 We have a group at dpbi we call it steer your career.
11:09:25 It's a weekly workshop, and he comes and he does a fabulous presentation on disclosure.
11:09:30 Talking about Ada and his experience past experience as an Hr.
11:09:36 Manager, and and it really our our participants just so feeling more confident in that knowledge that he shares so again. just so many resources within this group. I just appreciate that i'm able to reach out to folks
11:09:58 it's just It's a success story. if you will and continue so. I just encourage anyone that if you you need someone to call a friend within our group.
11:10:11 That was awesome, Diane thank you that's always my pleasure to work with you guys and and expand on the collaboration.
11:10:18 Anyone who knows me. I often always say when it comes to workforce development.
11:10:20 It takes a village because we have so many different stakeholders and so many different programs.
11:10:25 But I think can all work together to achieve those goals that some of us were mentioning before.
11:10:32 Without being said speaking of goals. I want to go over i'm going to make a reference to home improvement the show in the ninetys, where they always said it's tool time.
11:10:40 Well, what time is it right now? it's talent solution time?
11:10:43 So I want to go ahead and call on the s slow program and i'm so great. I didn't call the pulsa program because I've been watching nothing but frozen with my little girls.
11:10:51 So that is forever and green to my head so the Esther program is going to talk a little bit now about what their program is, and what potentially, as a group collaborative, we can do to a system where it'll be in
11:11:01 promotion, or provide some sort of solution so i'm going to turn it over to them right now.
11:11:09 Thanks, Mike. I guess. Do we have a me here?
11:11:14 We go all right. Good morning. my name is Anne hasla and I'm with Virginia Kerr works Northern and I'd like to provide an overview of the 3 tan of grants.
11:11:26 We manage, called Esla. next slide. As Sla is short for employment supports for lifelong achievement.
11:11:37 There are 3 grants, but they all share the same mission to prepare job seekers of barriers, such as low income, legal history, and or disabilities to enter and maintain employment with a prospect of a career path and
11:11:53 wage growth. eligibility, though candidates who are in the view and Tanfu program automatically are eligible.
11:12:04 Do. you don't have to be in that program to be eligible.
11:12:09 Obviously, if you made the 200% of Federal poverty and you have one child under the age of 18, you're good to go.
11:12:16 We received the bulk of our referrals from Fairfax and Prince William County, Dss.
11:12:21 And Dfs departments. otherwise referrals come from partnering organizations.
11:12:26 Center, Watkins Word of mouth, etc. listed.
11:12:32 Here are some of the employment supports that we offer.
11:12:36 We have funding for training and paid work experiences over the years. We've had great success with our work experience program, especially for immigrants, with no Us.
11:12:49 Work, experience or transitioning job seekers who are newly certified, but have no experience with the work.
11:12:57 Experience. Participants have an employer reference and sometimes get hired in the best case.
11:13:02 Scenario, and Eliza was really effective in cultivating a bunch of those great work experiences at Fairfax County Government, and it took a really long time to get the first one hatched.
11:13:17 But then, pretty soon lots of different organizations within the county government we're asking for referrals and then covid hit.
11:13:27 So we're. so we have a really but robust portfolio, or and we're in the process of slowly rebuilding it and opening back up participants in work. experience make $11 an hour and with the essential
11:13:42 grants. We are really filling a gap, because view case managers have large caseloads, and usually cannot spend the one on one time and handholding that these clients often need.
11:13:52 We also partner with participants receiving snapy tea, because we can fund different supports than they can, or they, too, sometimes have really large case loads.
11:14:03 And so it's just a great it can be a really great collaborative effort.
11:14:08 Back to the It takes a village and all of that.
11:14:13 Okay, next slide. next slide. can I get the next slide? Thank you.
11:14:27 Okay, So this is our flyer that is at all of the centers.
11:14:34 And here are the talented job developers, case managers who assist participants.
11:14:40 Any of them can serve eligible clients. However, Gail Davis focuses on individuals with disabilities, and Laura Snell focuses on justice involved in individuals.
11:14:51 Again. All 4 can serve any client but they're gail more and more targeted.
11:14:57 Sheila's grant includes aloudon county which we hadn't serviced that area in a number of years.
11:15:03 So we're glad to be back in loveden and Then Carla has a general focus, and serves
11:15:09 Fairfax and Prince William County next slide. So this is kind of a mixed bag of trends and client needs.
11:15:23 Lack of transportation has been a huge bear. it always is a barrier for our clients, but it's even more so now as the cost and scarcity of use, cars and gasoline prices continue to rise more clients
11:15:38 are requesting repairs on their current vehicles.
11:15:43 The systems with gas ride sharing, help them transition into.
11:15:45 They get their first or second paycheck. Also, local auto charities have paused.
11:15:52 Their referrals because the wait lists have gotten so long.
11:15:57 So basically we have been using our supportive services. budget more now than ever, even sometimes more than our training budget, which is kind of, I think, aligns a little bit with some of the job quality conversations.
11:16:15 We've been having are also seeing a lot of people who may have had us gotten a survival job initially.
11:16:21 But now want to come back and take a higher wage position.
11:16:26 These aren't necessarily new issues, but it's just kind of a snapshot of what we're currently seeing we have a need, of course, for entry level.
11:16:36 It administrative and health care work, experiences internships especially, and that's especially nice if there's permanent placement potential.
11:16:46 So if you guys have any insight on that on those 3 areas, that would be great.
11:16:53 Do have some administrative in our current portfolio but it's it's a high need one again, with a job. Quality increased demand for remote positions apprenticeship and helper roles and skilled
11:17:08 trades. is trades. I think are is having a moment because we're seeing more and more people going into that lenia background screen requirements.
11:17:23 I think that's something that this post covid environment and worker shortage has helped some employers to be more lenient.
11:17:32 Laura tells some amazing stories of people with backgrounds that are landing jobs that I I can't believe they're getting with their backgrounds.
11:17:41 And then, of course, we're starting to see a lot more immigrants from Afghanistan.
11:17:48 So. we had that head was really had gone kind of dormant for a while, and now they're they're we're getting a lot and then, like limited language proficiency.
11:18:00 Is another. You know kind of a common thread we've So we see candidates and eating additional additional placement or resources. i'm just gonna open that up here for this team to brainstorm.
11:18:14 With some of so our team will present some of their more challenging cases, and maybe we can brainstorm them with you guys.
11:18:22 So. she led to you. want to take it away, you know.
11:18:30 Sure I can just take the rest of the meeting if you guys like that way.
11:18:32 All of my people will be placed in working so so as Anne was saying that I focus in on all 3 counties. and one of the things I have is in Latin County, as i'm went in and kind of building that particular
11:18:49 area. I do have a candidate that's in that area he has extensive background.
11:18:55 He was a business owner, and he actually got sick during Covid.
11:19:02 Couple of few few things happy, ended up closing down 2 of his 3 restaurants businesses, and he decided that he was going to be a career changer due to some health issues.
11:19:13 He couldn't do the things that he was doing so his He decided he wanted to go into the mortgage lending arena, and he went back, and he passed that you know Really, you know hard tests for the what they call
11:19:29 the mortgage loan originator, exam. and so we.
11:19:34 He has his credentials. He also has about 2 or 3 years of banking experience, but it was probably about 5 years ago to that he has. thank you, or maybe probably about 7 years ago.
11:19:46 Yeah baking experience. but So he right now has gone back and guiding his signing agent.
11:19:55 He's also, you know, doing some work in terms of trying to drum up some additional business as a signing agent with some of the different mortgage companies in the area.
11:20:07 Real estate companies so that they can hire him to go in, and just you know, give the paperwork to individuals that have just bought a house, and Sino.
11:20:20 He could get about $200 per for that, but his his heart is to go back and become a mortgage loan officer.
11:20:31 And so if any of you guys have banks, are, you know, credit unions?
11:20:38 Those types of things that you can shoot me an email up with my email in the chat that he can follow up with, especially if you have any contacts. at any of these banks or institutions.
11:20:52 I would really appreciate your feedback, and we would follow through and work with and work with those institutions in order to see if we can get the supply and higher any questions about this particular client.
11:21:10 That I can answer. I. Oh, yeah, go ahead. No. I was going to give you back to Ian Sheila.
11:21:25 I was just gonna ask, where is the client located he's actually in Latin County, in Laudan County.
11:21:31 Okay, So a remote position or a loud and county commutable to loud and county.
11:21:34 Yeah, I mean he's open to dc he's open you know he really is.
11:21:41 He's open to anything. He just wants to be able to provide for his family, and you is a father husband a father of 3, one kid, in college, and just has tremendous people skills.
11:21:57 I mean he's just one of those people that you would just like to hang out with, because he's very positive upbeat.
11:22:03 And throughout this entire time i've been working with him which is now going on about 4 months.
11:22:11 You know, when one door closes he says hey? you know Sheila, let me, You know i'm gonna let's let's look at being a signing English.
11:22:21 Let me you know. Do this. Let me do that and so he's constantly doing things like that.
11:22:30 So yeah, I just wanted to put in a plug for this client too.
11:22:33 I've worked with him. a little bit and he's just he's so ready to go it's been a little baffling to us about why he's not getting anything I don't know if it's one
11:22:41 of those like his application isn't getting through so he's not getting interviews, or I think just getting him in the door.
11:22:49 If anybody's worked with financial services, in the past if maybe we could pick your brain about what could be a gap that's missing for this client, and it's I mean that's sort of what this the idea of
11:23:02 this time is to kind of brainstorm that kind of that those kinds of aspects.
11:23:07 But again, I love that. Thank you so much, Nancy, for putting your information, and the connections are always great to talk a little bit more about these cases.
11:23:17 Can can you give set a I like? What jobs has he applied for?
11:23:25 Are there? Are there any like credit unions or specific mortgage companies that we just walked at calling him back for an interview?
11:23:38 Or if you give us more details about which ones just like he hasn't gotten through 2, come he's actually, you know, work with are put in a number of applications remote positions with banking institutions there was a
11:23:56 list There were like 2 or 3 that came out on that remote work list that will send out about a couple of months ago.
11:24:02 So he's applied for those he's applied for local credit unions.
11:24:06 One right there, and right here in the Latin area, I think It's Northwest Credit Union mike was wonderful in terms of you know, even reaching out and talking with the individual, and she did give Mike some feedback thinking that his
11:24:22 salary was too high, or that he requested was too high.
11:24:28 Which, you know, he was very flexible in terms of his.
11:24:34 His salary well, as indicating that his experience was, you know, over 5 years ago.
11:24:41 So that was at least the feedback that we received but mark Yeah, he's applied for like I said Banks credit unions, remote positions.
11:24:53 And now again he's chasing you know trying to get some of the mortgage companies to use him as a signing agent.
11:25:01 Sheila, Can you offer a job training dollars to a to a bank or credit Union?
11:25:08 I'm sure we could. I mean I think if he got if he got a callback or interest, or you know I think, as I you know, go out there and talk to some more banks. you know I always talk to them about you know our
11:25:21 ojts and things like that. But really it's not a whole lot that he would.
11:25:28 Need training on, I mean he was thinking, you said that he His experience is 5 years ago.
11:25:36 So just even, you know, bringing him the on on the job training, you know, learning about that particular institution.
11:25:41 You could use it for the for for that, you know, and give them the 50% of his, you know.
11:25:46 Rebate on his salary for your time. that might sweeten things.
11:25:54 That sounds good. Yeah, definitely that. And then again, you know, because he had just recently passed that, you know. Exam: You know, we were just hoping that was showing him.
11:26:05 Show them that not only does he have caps experience but he's taking the time, and he's up to date on all the laws, because anyone is, you know how that exam.
11:26:14 Is It's basically about know a lot of the laws in the banking industry and things like that.
11:26:20 So that was one way we were trying to bridge that Gap. it's some time ago, but I know La Pearl. we had a connection with Sandy Springs Bank.
11:26:29 They presented to our group and i'll go through my emails.
11:26:34 I Haven't been connected with them and a couple of years. but that they were expanding, and that might be one there's expanding in Northern Virginia at 1 point right?
11:26:43 Yeah, Yeah, that Sandy spring and also we've gotten a recent connection with Virginia employee credit Union.
11:26:51 Yeah as well, and they presented to our professional job. live in Alexandria.
11:26:57 Now the closest branch of that is in Fredericksburg, but they're all kinds of remote, you know, opportunities there, so that might be a possibility.
11:27:06 So I'm Chilla Dine and I continue that information Okay, right?
11:27:10 Yeah, Thank you. Navy Credit Union. I know there are a big credit union.
11:27:16 Yeah, always hiring positions. Yeah, we even did set him up in one of our board for the Virginia career where Northern Board member who is, I think he's with citizens think with citizens blank and just had him to go
11:27:38 in for an informational interview, you know, and you know work with him, and he take a look at his resume and things like that.
11:27:46 So he's really open to doing whatever it takes to Get back in back, and they may want to look at Federal positions like, you know, under department of commerce, or you know, different Federal positions on U.S.A. jobs and just you know find
11:28:06 out what series is a good match for? Know his credentials?
11:28:10 And what have you there may be some opportunities there and I don't know.
11:28:17 With the Covid is he deemed as someone with a disability or not?
11:28:21 He is a long hauler. and that you know he's still going, I think, after 3 months catching he does. if he is, you know if he does get that
11:28:38 You know, disability letter from a physician, or from Dars from a vote counselor. whomever you can apply for Federal jobs under schedule.
11:28:46 A Okay, if I can just interject something real quick and dine.
11:28:53 What of a great point? I training that our business services unit went through right?
11:29:00 What in the need of Covid back Last year they were talking about the probability of an increase of post-traumatic disorder.
11:29:09 As a result of persons that have experienced going through Covid.
11:29:17 Whether it's mighty that got covid and had a tough battle with it, or just the loss of family members.
11:29:23 I mean, you know. you don't have to be a veteran to somebody that gets post-traumatic toward any catastrophic event.
11:29:30 And you think about some of these folks that almost died because of Kovat are actually had family members that died because of Covid.
11:29:38 So as you're working with clients and they're talking about their covid cases, and some of the struggles. they may be having It's a possibility there there could be some ptd if they are you know diagnosed with
11:29:48 both traumatic disorder that would make them a person with a disability, and therefore they'd be eligible for our services. So there's something to keep in mind and I want to turn it back over to you because I didn't
11:30:00 know if somebody else had one that they wanted to bring up if There's time available.
11:30:05 Thank you all Well, Carla had one, but she had to cut out.
11:30:12 She had to cut out at 1130 so if you I don't think Laura had a one.
11:30:18 But if you had a second one you wanted to share, Maybe you could do. Yeah, take it away.
11:30:22 She likes. She let's work down the list but to work it.
11:30:30 Yeah, Okay, I do have another one. She is in South County area.
11:30:37 No car, but she loves working in health care and or i'm sorry in childcare, so she's working right now to get her Ged and again be due to the transportation.
11:30:51 She's kind of limited in terms of where she can work.
11:30:55 She did get a part-time position that was like a 3 month apprenticeship program with a local agency.
11:31:09 But the 3 months ended in in december and so now she's actually looking for work.
11:31:15 So. I thought it would be a lot easier to find, you know, childcare, but it like again.
11:31:22 It was kind of limited in terms of where she could work because of the transportation issues, and literally she was taking a city bus from her home to drop her children off at the at the child care for them, and then she would get back
11:31:39 on another bus in order to go over to the community agency that was that offered her the the three-month internship, or apprenticeship
11:31:50 And so we helped her, because a couple of times she got stranded because something happened with the bus.
11:31:56 But she we did give her uber cards in case that came up, and so where she could get to her children in time, so she didn't end up having to pay a fee, because, being late so again, it's an entry
11:32:11 level position she like, I said she has some experience actually quite a bit of experience.
11:32:20 It's just what have to be limited to an area that's either on a bus line or within that South county area.
11:32:31 Thank you that's that was my other one I I feel like child.
11:32:35 Care centers are still a hiring, You know. my work on returned to earned that the child care.
11:32:43 The need for childcare workers was so strong. You and I should talk because there are.
11:32:46 There are quite a few I think that will be you know She'll be able to get to pretty easily in that area that I can maybe call on and see if they're hiring ideally.
11:32:59 What are the agents of her children? because ideally she would work where her children were receiving childcare.
11:33:06 Is that not a possibility? Yes, he actually had tried at the time they weren't hiring any additional people.
11:33:13 It was limited in terms of the number of kids that they have coming in, mostly children that have, you know, are, you know, have parents who were working, but were receiving vouchers.
11:33:25 So they were ramping up the during the time, because that was, you know, one of the places. I was really hoping that she would be able to find something.
11:33:34 And then she did get the three-month internship.
11:33:38 So I will circle back with her, and just remind her just to call and check where children were, because, of course, right now the children are back at home with her.
11:33:48 Until she actually finds another position. Yeah, and and i'm reminded to Eliza.
11:33:55 When we did that apprenticeship panel. we had Easter seals, which also had their impulse.
11:34:01 Church, but they also had an apprenticeship program for early childhood educators. Yeah.
11:34:09 And so yeah, her gd that's Why, she's working on their job at the minimal.
11:34:14 Education. So they she did have to have that ged So i'm hoping that during this period of time she'll be able to get that, and that will enhance her chances yeah yeah, I didn't think about that that would
11:34:27 be a big challenge to get into a licensed daycare provider to not have the Ged.
11:34:36 So maybe maybe to start with a private employer, which I actually do have a couple one in South County that that but that would be probably a 1,099.
11:34:50 No benefit situation. perhaps you know, or the other possibility would be some of these chalkers soon as it is set up at churches, as well.
11:34:59 You know, sometimes churches are, you know, a little more flexible.
11:35:04 With that as well, and a lot of the large attorneys do have on site.
11:35:09 Child care centers. Yeah. Right? Great. Thank you very much. ideas, Man: Thank you.
11:35:23 I think that was the end of our, but that that is a presentation.
11:35:27 Lastly wanted to do it unless we wanted to do success stories.
11:35:32 Or so. What I was thinking is we might be able to move. I just wanted to highlight a couple announcements.
11:35:39 We could move into member announcements but I would love if if we've got some time during the member announcements to do the success.
11:35:46 Any success stories that's a great time to announce those as well, because I know we had some.
11:35:51 I know I heard some great move around shelters to shutters that I think people would be interested in.
11:35:58 But I do just want to make sure everybody has time to speak if they do want to.
11:36:01 So I thank you so much, everybody. I thought that was amazing, that there was so much back and forth and engagement, and you all have such amazing resources, and I know we all tend to get a little siloed in our our areas, so being able to have a time
11:36:15 to do those connections is really inspiring to me. Eliza, I really like this idea.
11:36:22 You know we our agencies, and i'm sure a lot of agencies on here.
11:36:27 They? They do this what we call staffing, that you bring a challenging case and just put it out there to the group to brainstorm and get ideas.
11:36:35 So I would love to see us do this at each meeting that as an agency can bring a challenging case and and get some input from from all our experts on here. Great.
11:36:49 Thank you so much for that feedback. Do you want to say something, Sheila?
11:36:51 Yeah, I was just gonna also mention working together you know with various you know.
11:36:58 It seems like I've talked to you know different ones of you about clients.
11:37:03 I'm working with Please take note of the information that Anne put out in terms of eligibility, because there is no problem.
11:37:11 And if you actually have a person who has a child that's you the receiving tana for view snap it, you know, and they have a child is under a to 18 grade, us, in because like a number of the cases and success stories that
11:37:29 we have we've been able to close them because it hasn't just been Ephraim.
11:37:36 We've been able to reach out and team with someone else So you know, please make note of that.
11:37:41 The eligibility of those individuals that we work with and bring us in.
11:37:49 Because you know, as Warren said, you know it's the team that makes the dream work, or something like that.
11:37:54 So you know i've just been really blessed to be able to work with so many different people, and to surround that particular client to make sure that they have what they need and it really comes down to making sure the client
11:38:10 is, provided you know all the tools that they need to be successful.
11:38:15 And just as a clarification sheila you did I know that it's sort of this people who are in programs like tanf and snap et and things like that are automatically eligible.
11:38:25 But you also see other people right. If other people had candidates who do not receive those services, but are low income, and have a child under the age of 18, they could be referred to your team as well.
11:38:37 Correct. Thank you so much for the clarification. Yes, awesome.
11:38:43 Yeah, thank you all for all of the conversation. I I love the the back and forth.
11:38:50 So I won't take up, too, much time I just wanted to circle back on a couple things that we had mentioned previously, and then open up to everybody else for conversation and updates.
11:39:01 Let me see our screen. Maybe here we go, so I just wanted to follow up.
11:39:09 I know we had a lot of discussion around security clearance last time at the last meeting, and we were seeking a person to speak.
11:39:19 But couldn't get them for this meeting we did identify somebody from the Federal clearance advisory services in Leesburg.
11:39:30 They do fee for service support around security clearance, but offered to come to speak to our group, to answer questions about security clearance and give information.
11:39:40 So if we can get them at the next meeting we will otherwise they'll give us some information on that, so that we can see if we can get a little bit more clarity and guidance.
11:39:50 But in the meantime, Dave Remick, from Area 12 actually let me know that the one of the clearance job boards has a lot of Youtube videos that answer commonly asked questions around security clearances.
11:40:04 So we provided those links in the chat in case that answers any that those would be resources you could share with candidates or answer any basic questions.
11:40:13 The main thing that I'm. getting from conversations with people when we were trying to find a speaker is that you do need to be sponsored by a Federal agency so either through a an employer who's connected with an
11:40:26 agency who's facilitating that or the agency itself. So the unfortunately I don't think there's much that will be able to do in terms of getting somebody a clearance as a supportive service or support around that to
11:40:40 just clarity around that point. but there are some other ways that we might be able to assist.
11:40:48 So I just wanted to make sure that you had all those links and that we let you know we were working on that.
11:40:52 Yeah, i'm sorry this rebecca just wanted to
11:40:56 It asked me to just make this announcement when you talked about the security clearance.
11:41:00 He said that he has a former colleague that he worked.
11:41:05 With that he reached out to. She is an Hr. Security Officer for an It Government contracting company, and that she is willing to come and present on security clearance opportunities at her organization, and just to talk about the process overall awesome Thank you so
11:41:24 much, Rebecca, and to ed I will extend some gratitude to Ed. when I get a chance to talk to him.
11:41:31 Okay, so that's great I saw a lot of nodding when that announcement was made.
11:41:34 So I think there's a lot of interest in that so we'll circle back with him about getting her connected with the group.
11:41:40 And last thing I just wanted to share that there is an event tomorrow.
11:41:48 The fifth tomorrow. No, nope. This is the wrong one.
11:41:52 There is an event that is, this is it was. it is the 50 plus expo.
11:41:58 That was not the right date that the flyer went around, so I can share it again with the group.
11:42:03 As part of these meeting materials. but I believe it's tomorrow the 50 plus expo and I just wanted to make sure everybody remembered that.
11:42:10 Let me find the actual flyer, but I will in the meantime turn it over to kill it.
11:42:21 Oh, you're muted, kellan and sorry about that Eelen, can you pull the agenda back up, please?
11:42:40 Thank you. So this is the member updates this is a time where we open the floor for you guys to share what's going on in your region with your caseload.
11:42:49 Any successes. any events so that's the first question I asked you, Does anyone have any events coming up?
11:42:55 Whether it be a job, fair resource, fair that you want to share with the group.
11:43:03 Ellen. I like to make an announcement if I can, regarding at the Prince William Center.
11:43:13 I sent out notification to the partners, and asked that it be circulated regarding the Vita services that are being offered which is the Free Tax Service Preparation Service for our clients.
11:43:26 So please invite your clients to take advantage of this opportunity.
11:43:30 They are doing the text preparations on Mondays from 12 to 4, and on Saturdays from 10 to 2.
11:43:37 If you need any further information on the program, of course you can go on to the Skill Source website, where you can click on the links to make an appointment to get some information, and you can also make your appointments for those 2
11:43:52 dates right? right, Thank you, Rebecca, sharing it.
11:43:58 Anyone else have any events coming up, , Latin's always got something going on.
11:44:07 We have a job there we're starting to Schedule out with our new virtual career platform called Talent Space.
11:44:14 That's going to be taken place on march the 20 s and march the 20, third one, the 20 s is going to incorporate United Airways.
11:44:20 The If anyone knows that they've got a $10,000 sign on voters for ramp agents, they're hiring like crazy, they have like a 100 requisitions to fill, and then on the one on march 20 third is going
11:44:32 to be with a company called Road Runner wreck record services United Airways again, and then manpower.
11:44:39 So it's just going to be kind of like a virtual meet the employer.
11:44:43 We're starting these things off kind of slow and small for the virtual job fairs, and then i've got some stuff in the works with our own Lion County parks in wreck.
11:44:52 So if anyone has any only interest in childcare, let me know.
11:44:55 We can always refer to the casa program here with and loud.
11:44:59 And so just a couple of dates on jumpers in the works and currently planned Mike, you said you're having a hiring event for the the ramp agent.
11:45:08 What was the date for that march? 20 s March 20 s. Okay. Yep.
11:45:12 And then the everyone they're also gonna be coming back on the one on March 20 spared as well.
11:45:17 Yeah. and I just put the link in the chat box as well.
11:45:20 It should take it to loud and's career opportunities page but then there's a tab there for career affairs click on that, and you'll see the full running list and I know the one that lies putting here as well
11:45:29 we have highlighted there plus a couple of our community job fairs so feel free to check out all that information.
11:45:36 Perfect all right. Any updates or anything on your services that you're offering any changes.
11:45:45 I raised my hand. So okay, i'm Sorry going down is that Okay, Is somebody else want to go ahead?
11:45:50 No no good. Okay, So what are the services that la pearl and I provide is a disability, awareness, etiquette, inclusion, workshop training.
11:46:02 And we've been doing this for a number a number of years and receive really good feedback.
11:46:09 Recently we were asked by United States citizenship and immigration services to provide the workshop.
11:46:15 We did previously for their California unit. So this time it was their Potomac unit And so La Pearl and I went on, And this is the power of zoom.
11:46:28 We went on and did our workshop and looked down to the participants and the response, and there was 352 recruiters and Hr. managers.
11:46:38 The deputy director and thankfully it wasn't a person because I think I would have been quaking in my shoes.
11:46:47 But but it's just this power of virtual now. we were able to reach out and talk about our services, share about disability, awareness, and inclusion to all these recruiters and hr managers with this Federal agency.
11:47:02 So I just wanted to share that Yeah, been definitely reached out to more people with Zoom.
11:47:09 Now it's crazy. We got last week actually this week, Warren and I had a job fair 2 for Amazon, and I think as a Monday the event was on Tuesday.
11:47:20 Monday we looked at a registration. We only had one person registered, and so then Warren got on the mic, and we made his connections.
11:47:28 We had 85 people the next day in less than 24 h.
11:47:31 So it's just the power of like you said zoom and being able to do things you know, using the Internet.
11:47:37 So it's great. Okay, Any other updates on your services in your area, Any?
11:47:47 Okay, right. kind of wanted to just to piggyback on what Diane said about the the the you know the wider reach of the the zoom opportunities.
11:47:56 I think we're seeing more of that in terms of things that normally would have been a presentation just for one region or one county are now open to all, and so I know, Dave Remick wanted me to let you all know that I
11:48:10 believe it was the something relating to the apprenticeship, following up on apprenticeships from the unions that they wanted to do something, and that would be open to everyone.
11:48:23 He also wanted to let everybody know that the unions are going to be at the mart statewide job fair, and to ask for assistance in marketing that locally to because they were going to have their own event and then it, conflicted
11:48:41 with the timing, so they're going to add them to that event, but want to make sure that people still know that they're there, and that those apprenticeship opportunities are available at the statewide job fair has everybody received
11:48:54 the dates of the the anticipated dates of the statewide Job Fair that the affairs that the Vec are putting together, or has anybody not do?
11:49:04 Do people need that. What Eliza this is Lpro There's a job fair next week, right October.
11:49:11 I'm second I'm. not up to what am I thinking February the 20 fourth still is it is it February one not not in March.
11:49:25 The and I think, and I was talking with pam egner over it with Arlington.
11:49:30 There's some it's a kind of a statewide job fair, maybe a small one.
11:49:34 Next week on the 20 fourth. Okay, so I will what I can do is while we're continuing a conversation, i'll go and get that list from Ed, and i'll piece it in the chat.
11:49:45 So everybody can see what the upcoming dates are and clarify which one it is that the unions are going to be at.
11:49:50 I thought the unions were being added to March, but I can double check finally.
11:49:54 I just wanted to respond again to the for the request to merge the 2 groups, sometimes for meetings, for the regional get employer solutions, members.
11:50:09 So I spoke with Dave. I think about that as well as the skill, source, leadership.
11:50:14 And so we're going to be able to we we do need to keep the groups separate for policy reasons because we are agreement with the State is that we will each have our own regional group.
11:50:28 Having said that there is a lot of I think everybody agreed there's a lot of benefit in collaborating, so we're going to start with a twice a year group where we'll merge them in July and january and we'll do sort of
11:50:38 a hybrid, so their meeting will be a little bit longer than usual.
11:50:42 Our meeting will be a little bit shorter than usual and we'll have just one day instead of doing that Thursday and Friday back to back for you all. it'll be just one day where we can combine so we're
11:50:51 trying to kind of compromise with what we can do.
11:50:55 So we can start getting the value of the regional effort as well as maintain our responsibility to the State.
11:51:06 Any questions around those items. thank you why is it the Linka. Okay, yes, yeah. I was just gonna say I put the link in there, liza, So you don't have to go look for it.
11:51:25 Perfect. Yeah, no problem, Eliza, and this is laplace and there's one other quick thing I want to mention.
11:51:29 If you all are aware of companies that like to come and do virtual presentations to job seekers, especially those that are looking to have more inclusivity with their workforce, Please let me know we have instituted a monthly
11:51:48 career cafe focused more so on our high school students, but also to other jobs, secrets as well, where we invite a business to come in and talk about their business, their industry, what they do, whatever opportunities for employment.
11:52:04 There, but also with a lot of our job clubs like the one we have in Alexandria.
11:52:10 We like to have businesses come in, and present with our participants have more direct, even though it's virtual direct engagement with our participants to be able to, you know, feel some questions from them. and what have you so, if you know of companies
11:52:23 that would be interested in doing that. If you could let you know Diane on me.
11:52:26 Know, so that we can look at maybe scheduling some of those over the course of the the year for Kubernetes, or workshop, or something with them.
11:52:38 One with our job clubs. Thanks all Right anyone have any news or any announcements from your organization. If we don't have anything else I would love to ask Sheila if she'd be willing to share the success story she had with
11:53:02 shelters to shutters I don't want to cut anybody off.
11:53:06 But I know shelters to shutters as an organization.
11:53:08 Multiple agencies can benefit from yeah sure. matter of fact, I seem like, Do we not have them here on the Est one time we did it?
11:53:21 I think it was just years ago. Yeah, it seems the name was familiar. but I guess how you know teams send out information, and you know it just they don't know exactly who is going out to, But it really ended up benefiting a conscious that I
11:53:36 was working with was basically couch surfing because his father had passed away, and when his father passed away he found out that he had been leave the apartment because his name wasn't on the lease.
11:53:54 So I mean, this guy was just hit with all kind of issues, and he has a one-year-old daughter that you know, he just said, you know, stays with the mom. And so he was just count surfing until he could find something
11:54:10 So one of the representatives from Fairfax one of the supervisors in the Mount Vernon area, reached out to me the and said that he, you know he had this client that we you know no one could help him because
11:54:25 he have been consistently working for 3 years at his current job, and he was actually working Prior to that he had been working 5 years in his other job.
11:54:38 So he had a really gut record, of working However, he was making like 15 something an hour, and so he didn't qualify for any type of public assistance.
11:54:51 And even there, and Fairfax you know they were just saying, there's nothing more that we can really do to help.
11:54:57 Is there anything you can do in our definition an additional job, so that he can qualify?
11:55:04 Who are housing, you know somewhere else, and so anyway, he had even tried for Good Shepherd, and then he didn't make enough, you know.
11:55:14 You know they're a good shepherd so he was just in a really bad bind, so you we had, I think Claudia and Laura.
11:55:23 Had both worked with shelters to shutters, and sent out a message that they work actually accepting applications.
11:55:33 And so this individual that I was working with he put in his application, and of course, because it's successful story, you can imagine he actually got accepted by.
11:55:46 He's gonna be a leasing agent but for one of the apartment complexes right where he was count surfing and the Alexandria area.
11:55:56 He will be making $3 more an hour in this position plus his housing is at a place where you know I think it's like he's offered an apartment for 12 months for around $550.
11:56:12 So he will be saving quite a bit of money on a gas, you know.
11:56:16 So because he will be working where he's living and you know they things I just didn't know that they did there at the shelters to shutters Was they work with cork furniture and they furnished the his
11:56:34 apartment, and again give him a year to actually get himself together.
11:56:39 So just you know, just has been a really good working relationship.
11:56:45 They request a sponsor or the referring agency, which would be the skill source group through me
11:56:55 And still the person there at the shelters of shutters is great about just corresponding, following up, you know, letting us know what the progress progress is being made, and then even connecting connecting me to the contact person of the
11:57:13 leasing, or the apartment complex that hired him so.
11:57:19 Just was a really great experience, and and of course for this individual
11:57:26 He's over the top. he's over the top happy about his new job, and I think he starts actually this upcoming Monday.
11:57:34 No, i'm sorry the following Monday so I think is like the 20 sixth.
11:57:38 He starts his new position amazing. And I think this is a second time.
11:57:45 The ticket per program also had a placement at for a leasing agent, who also received housing subsidy for their first year, and I think Sheila correct me if i'm wrong but it's housing it's a subsidy for the
11:57:54 first steep subsidy for the first year, but it continues to be sort of a scaled subsidy continuing on pass that point, so they really have an opportunity to grow up in their career on site.
11:58:07 And I wanted to bring it up, because I know in the past some of us have had experiences of trying to refer, and not really having anybody be able to get through, especially for leasing positions.
11:58:15 But the fact that these 2 people within our case loads were able to get interviewed and hired for leasing positions, I think, shows that this particular market is opening up some opportunities there.
11:58:27 So I put the shelters to shutters link in the chat. If you'd like to become a connected organisation or refer people through us.
11:58:35 Thank you, Eliza. Thank you, thank you for sharing all right I think that's it for the member updates.
11:58:52 Right. Yeah, I think that that's all thank you everybody the next meeting is scheduled for March.
11:58:57 The seventeenth Mila pearl is your hand up recently or from before.
11:59:05 I'm sorry it was up from before no problem. I yeah, so thank you.
11:59:15 Everybody for such an engaged meeting any other of the of the The co-chairs want to say some parting words.
11:59:22 Thank you so much. We look forward to seeing you next month let's have a great weekend and a great month.
11:59:31 Well said sounds good great to see everybody thank you guys all right well, yes, y'all take care, good job right to see everybody.
11:59:43 Bye-bye, thanks, everyone, thank you. And for presenting for oh, hi!
11:59:57 All over the left. I thought they were going to stay. No,
12:00:00 Did we have any postmortem thoughts on this meeting?
12:00:04 No, I I thought it went well as one of the best.
12:00:06 Yous. When we had a brought out agenda, we tackled items.
12:00:12 We made solutions, and we moved on so, and we had time.
12:00:17 Which is amazing. Yeah, I mean, just in the neck of time.
12:00:19 So yeah, but they actually had a lot of time to talk instead of like the last 5 min.
12:00:26 And then nobody says anything, of course absolutely well. I think that that wonder Tummy's a role like I want lunch, you know, for sure that i'm think it was great we got a lot in the chat I think which is
12:00:36 amazing you, and if you want to send me the chat and the transcript, that would be amazing, because then I can capture some of this stuff.
12:00:44 Thank you so much. All right. Good work, Thanks, Mike. Shall we meet again?