Good morning Chamber World! It's going to be a GREAT day!
From an Indiana Chamber legend:
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| Vince Griffin |
One of my favorite Irish blessings is: "May you never forget what is worth remembering - Nor ever remember what is best forgotten". - Vince Griffin, on his retirement after 18 years with the Indiana chamber.
So long Vince! We are all going to miss you!!!
Help Wanted: Wisconsin Employers struggle to to fill jobs with qualified workers
If it takes a region to build a workforce, the workforce in this region of Wisconsin is well under construction – and the hoped-for building boom is coming none too soon.
Just about everyone involved with or affected by the region’s supply of qualified workers – from high schools and colleges to chambers of commerce and county governments, from manufacturers and mom and pop businesses to economic development organizations – is facing and tackling the workforce issue, which has become most pressing for an economy that continues to recover from the Great Recession.
Since 2010, when Great Recession-related unemployment peaked for the region’s five counties (Adams County at 12.4 percent, Marquette County at 10.9 percent, Juneau County at 10 percent, Columbia County at 8.5 percent and Sauk County at 8.4 percent), those unemployment numbers across the region have dropped, according to state Department of Workforce Development (DWD) statistics.
For 2015, Columbia and Sauk counties’ unemployment numbers (consistently the lowest of the region’s counties) were at 4.4 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively, while Juneau, Marquette and Adams unemployment percentages were 5.2 percent, 6.2 percent and 7.4 percent, respectively according to the DWD.
Meanwhile, the number of jobs has increased in Wisconsin, with almost all of the state’s 21 industry classifications – from agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting to public administration – showing an increase during the latest period measured, between 2013 and 2014, according to the state’s Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (http://wisconsinjobcenter.org/labormarketinfo/pdf/jobs_by_industry.pdf).
The good news, according to DWD, is that "Wisconsin has never had more people employed, and the unemployment rate is registering low levels not seen since the early 2000s.” The not-so-good news, the department reports, is “that as has been discussed repeatedly over the years, Wisconsin faces a quantity challenge and, as a consequence, a skills challenge.”
The "skills challenge" situation is certainly true for the south-central region's employers – from resort and tourism operators in the Dells-Delton area to manufacturers in Portage and Reedsburg.
“Talk to anybody recently, and you know that in this area, many employers have jobs but can’t find skilled workers,” said Scott Beard, associate dean for the North Region of Madison Area Technical College (MATC), which serves the region with campuses in Portage and Reedsburg.
“We are desperately looking for people,” said Kristine Koenecke, executive director of the Reedsburg Area Chamber of Commerce, reflecting a sentiment also expressed recently by her chamber of commerce counterparts in Baraboo, Mauston, Portage, Sauk Prairie and Wisconsin Dells. “It is definitely difficult for employers to find the workers.” Read more: Wisconsin Dells Events
Chamber event: Springfield Mayor Gives State of the City Address
A look back and looking ahead, Springfield mayor Jim Langfelder taking the time to reflect on his first year in office.
Fox's Eric Feldman was at the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce's State of the City and has reaction to the mayor's address.
On Thursday Mayor Jim Langfelder reflected on year one of his administration as Springfield's mayor to hundreds of people, and gave some insight into what we can expect for year two. Basically, he is saying that we've taken steps forward, but there's still a lot of room for improvement. People we spoke to in attendance say that message is spot on.
Mayor Jim Langfelder talked highlights from year one in office.
"Ensuring CWLP met its bond payment requirements. We addressed part of the financial need to consolidate rail traffic to the 10th Street corridor," said Mayor Langfelder.
Speaking about the direction moving forward there were some newer items, Mayor Langfelder mentioned tasks like enhancing development of older buildings with an adaptive reuse ordinance. Others are holdovers from year one, such as requiring city employees to live in the capital city.
"I do know that the administration has been working on all these issues, so it's not an argument at all that they're not concerned about them or working on them. It's definitely 'let's pick up the pace, let's get these things done,'" Lisa Clemmons Stott with Downtown Springfield Inc. said. Read more: FoxIllinois.com
Workforce development touted at Charlottesville Regional Chamber luncheon
Workforce development is one of the few issues both Democrats and Republicans in the Virginia General Assembly agreed on and deemed critical this year, Glenn DuBois, chancellor of the Virginia Community College System, told members of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce on Thursday.
DuBois, the keynote speaker at the 2016 Chamber Spring Luncheon at the Boar’s Head Inn, talked about the new pay-for-performance workforce training program.
In March, Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed the program into law and announced that the final two-year state budget contains $20 million in new resources, including $12.5 million for credential incentives, $6 million for equipment needed by career and technical training programs and $1.5 million for a veterans’ portal, according to a statement from his office.
Research looking almost a decade ahead, DuBois said, shows Virginia will have to find 1.5 million workers, and the majority will require an associate’s degree, industry-recognized certification or a license, not a bachelor’s degree. He called these “middle-skill jobs” and said 175,000 of such jobs last year went unfilled for at least a month. Read more: Daily Progress
#Chamberheart - Clarkston Area Chamber promotion for the Lighthouse of Oakland County
Lighthouse has a 43-year history of providing a continuum of services to families in crisis. It is the single largest nonprofit provider of emergency food and housing to low-income families in Oakland County. Lighthouse Emergency Services (LES) branches are located in Pontiac and Clarkston and respond to families and seniors who have an immediate need for food, housing assistance, utility assistance, medical assistance, transportation and assistance with a variety of other crisis situations. With a staff of modest size and a large number of dedicated volunteers, LES helps prevent hunger and homelessness for thousands of Oakland County families each yearEach week there are new needs for the food pantry. Please consider donating the following items this week!
Peanut Butter
Jelly
Noodles
Cereal
Fruit Cups
Lighthouse is currently in need of volunteers to work in our pantry sorting food and stocking our pantry shelves. Volunteers also pack food for the individuals and families who come to us for help. Our pantry is open Monday through Friday from 8:30am - 4:00pm. Contact our Volunteer Resources Coordinator at 248-972-1480 or info@LighthouseOakland.org.
Rankin County Chamber event: Community health fair offers free screenings
Dozens of people attended the Rankin County Community Health Fair Wednesday morning at the Brandon Civic Center.
The annual event is hosted by the Rankin County Chamber of Commerce. This year the organization chose the Cinco de Mayo theme "Fiesta Your Way to Better Health".
Free health screenings were offered and local organizations provided participants with healthy tips and information on various health services.
"It's just an opportunity for us to make the community aware of all the health care opportunities that they have here in the Rankin County area," said Mandi Arinder, Executive Director of the Rankin County Chamber of Commerce. Read more: MSNewsNow
Crossroads Regional Chamber of Commerce: We Appreciate our Teachers!
We all know a teacher that has touched our lives in a positive and profound way. Now is our opportunity to thank teachers who have helped make the world a better place!
Donations are now being accepted for Teacher Appreciation Week. Please drop off or call us to pick up any treats on Thursday, April 28 or Monday, May 2. The treats will be delivered to all the teacher's lounges in Crown Point and Merrillville on your behalf.
We are collecting: items like cookie/dessert trays, fruit/fruit baskets, boxes of savory snack items, or you can donate a monetary gift that we will turn into treats for the teachers!
Call Lee at 219.769.8180 or email lee@crossroadschamber.org if you need someone to pick-up your donation.
Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Guide & Membership Directory
The Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Guide & Membership Directory is available at the Rapid City Chamber today! Thanks to Linda Rabe, Kristina Simmons and the chamber team for their help and direction putting this together!
Town SquarePublications (www.townsquarepublications.com) can help you accomplish your chamber's gloss map, directory, community profile or publication needs at no expense to the chamber. Please email John Dussman at jdussman@tspubs.com or call (847)-427-4633.
Kentucky Chamber News: New Partnership with the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame
Dave Adkisson, Chamber CEO and President weighed in on the partnership, "The Kentucky Chamber is very excited about our new partnership with the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. Through this partnership we hope to enhance the entrepreneurial environment of Kentucky and to celebrate the critical role entrepreneurs play in the state's economic growth."
KEHOF exists to raise awareness of the impact that entrepreneurship has made in Kentucky and to encourage others to pursue similar ambitious endeavors. Co-founder Brian Raney had this to say about the partnership's impact on increasing that awareness, "The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce has been a long-time supporter of the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame and its mission to raise awareness of the impact that entrepreneurship has made in the Commonwealth. With their continued support, the Hall of Fame will be able to do even more to celebrate the stories of the inductees and focus additional resources toward future generations of entrepreneurs."
"Partnering on this special evening of networking, celebration and recognition affirms the Kentucky Chamber's continued commitment to business, entrepreneurship and economic development in Kentucky. I am so pleased about this new partnership and confident that the reach of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce will enhance the impact of the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame throughout the Commonwealth," says Bobby Clark, co-founder of the KEHOF and president of Sustainable Business Ventures.
Nominations are currently open for the class of 2016. If you know of a Kentucky entrepreneur that deserves to be recognized, please visitentrepreneurhof.com/nominate to nominate them. The deadline for nominations is May 6, 2016. For more information about the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, visit entrepreneurhof.com.
Town Square Publications Chamber of Commerce Membership Directories, Community Profiles, Re-Location Guides and Custom Maps
Town Square Publications, a division of the Daily Herald Media Group, is a national chamber custom publishing group that specializes in developing partnerships by producing high-quality print and digitally integrated publications along with other added value programs dedicated to creating relevancy for local chambers of commerce and other membership focused organizations interested in raising non-dues revenues.
Town Square Publications parent company, Paddock Publications, has over 100 years’ experience of print product development and dedicated customer service in communities throughout the Midwest. Our experience allows Town Square Publications to offer you attractive royalty and non-dues revenue share streams, provide direct distribution of your custom designed printed publications, including digital and mobile integration, and all with the quickest turn-around times available in the industry. Town Square also offers multi-media maps in both print and online formats, both with our No-Cost guarantee. More information: Town Square Publications
Chambers of Commerce and member focused organizations serve as a valuable resource in the local marketplace. The networking opportunities and representation with a wide variety of diverse businesses in your community is the catalyst of a successful organization. For further information about Town Square's publishing partnership with chambers of commerce and our No-Cost guarantee and Earned Revenue Share Program, To request your publication proposal, Click here
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