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Flint & Genesee Chamber: Summer Youth Initiative Seeks More Business Participation
The Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce is working to build on the success of its youth employment programs – namely the Summer Youth Initiative (SYI) – by adding more for-profit businesses into the mix of job opportunities.
The benefits for the area businesses include:
- Increasing employers’ ability to train and retain its future workforce
- Closing the talent gap by connecting job seekers with permanent open positions
- Helping to boost the local economy by providing economic benefit to local families
“Building a skilled workforce starts with providing opportunities for young people to get a foot in the door in different industries,” said Rhetta Hunyady, the Chamber’s Vice President of Education & Training. “SYI is a great way for employers to introduce and expose teens to the kind of job opportunities and requirements that exist in the for-profit sector.”
Each summer, SYI places between 500-600 teens in jobs with nearly three dozen agencies. Teens are hired through the annual SYI Job Fair and may be employed for 10-15 weeks, depending on the employer. Assignments have ranged from office work, to working with youth programs, to outdoor work. All SYI prospects are graduates of TeenQuest, the Chamber’s pre-employment and leadership training program that provides soft-skills and job-readiness coaching to teens from schools throughout Genesee County.
Traditionally, nearly all of the SYI teens have been employed in the nonprofit sector. Research shows that the best-practices for a sustainable workforce development program must also engage and cooperate with for-profit employers.
There’s an economic incentive for area employers. Participating for-profit employers are reimbursed for 50 percent of teen wages, allowing organizations to add to their capacity at little to no cost. Meanwhile, teens gain valuable work and networking experience, mentoring from an employer supervisor while earning up to $2,500 over the summer.
In addition, for every employee hired by a participating employer, the SYI program “earns” $1,200 – $1,500 to put toward the wages of an additional teen worker.
“SYI participation can help a business meet its personnel needs while also investing in the future workforce,” said Hunyady. “And we believe that such an investment will pay significant dividends over time.”
Click here to download an informational form about becoming an SYI employer.
To learn more about the SYI program contact Rhetta Hunyady at (810) 600-1412 or rhunyady@flintandgenesee.org.
Linda Bynum of the City of Ridgeland Chamber of Commerce named one of Mississippi’s TOP CEO’s for 2017.
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Linda Bynum, Executive Director of the City of Ridgeland Chamber of Commerce, was recently named one of Mississippi’s TOP CEO’s for 2017. Presenting Bynum with a plaque is Alan Turner, publisher of the Mississippi Business Journal.
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As Executive Director of the City of Ridgeland Chamber of Commerce, Linda Bynum oversees day-to-day operations of the chamber that include publicizing and promoting the chamber’s membership, implementing a yearly Program of Focus, coordinating all fundraising events and developing and implementing all chamber activities designed to help the chamber’s membership grow their business.
Bynum says her most significant professional accomplishment, which she feels has benefitted others the most, is evolving the Ridgeland Chamber into an organization that truly works for its members and the city it services.
Bynum believes a strong community is essential for business to flourish. If there’s a need in the community, Bynum finds a way to meet that need. Over the years, she has helped raised over $100,000 and in-kind donations to complete the Chapel on the Hospice Ministries Campus; raised funds to purchase American flags for every classroom in all Ridgeland public schools; gathered canned goods and non-perishable items for Our Daily Bread Ministries and MadCAAP (Madison Countians Allied Against Poverty); raised funds for Hope Hollow, a camp in Madison County for children and adults with special needs; raised money for the American Cancer Society and raised funds to purchase bullet proof vests for the Ridgeland Police Department.
A graduate of Mississippi University for Women, Bynum is a Top Ten Finalist of the 50 Leading Business Women in Mississippi, 2014; a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow; a graduate of Leadership Madison County; a member of Executive Women International, Jackson Chapter and a member of Mississippi University for Women Jackson Metro Alumni Chapter.
Indy Chamber Touts 2016 Entrepreneur Services Success, Begins 2017 by Bringing Small Biz Coaching & Microlending to Ivy Tech's Avon Campus
Indy Chamber Touts 2016 Entrepreneur Services Success, Begins 2017 by Bringing Small Biz Coaching & Microlending to Ivy Tech's Avon Campus
Chamber provided 10,000 hours of free coaching & classes, delivered $18M in capital support, helped 1,700 companies total in 2016 while expanding across the metro
After a successful 2016 supporting small and start-up companies, the Indy Chamber has struck a new partnership with Ivy Tech Community College to bring microlending and other entrepreneurial resources closer to small businesses in Hendricks County and the western suburbs of the Indianapolis region.
A business coach from the Chamber’s Business Ownership Initiative (BOI) will have a regular schedule at Ivy Tech’s Beechwood Centre on its Hendricks County (Avon) campus, offering free one-on-one coaching to small business owners and entrepreneurs and managing its microloan program, which makes low five-figure (average) loans to young companies that may not meet traditional lending standards.
“2016 was another year of remarkable results for our Entrepreneur Services team, which is growing – just like the employers they serve,” said Michael Huber, the Indy Chamber’s President & CEO. “They focus on the companies that create 80% of our region’s new jobs…the businesses that already call Indianapolis home, and reward our efforts in coaching, microlending and other initiatives with a major impact on our economy.”
Last year’s activity from BOI, the Central Indiana Small Business Development Center, Hispanic Business Council and other programs merged under the Indy Chamber ‘Entrepreneur Services’ division led to:
- 5,030 hours of free, one-on-one business coaching, with another 5,300+ hours of workshops and classes aimed at small business issues and entrepreneurial education;
- $285,000 in microloans via BOI’s direct lending program, backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration along with corporate and non-profit investors;
- Another $17.8M in capital support, from providing loan preparation and other technical assistance, connecting employers with other investors and early-stage funding resources;
- Hosted 5,320 hours of workshops, classes and other programs for small and start-up businesses;
- Served 1,145 employers and entrepreneurs with coaching, while another 1,752 attended the programs described above; directly supported 78 new business starts.
With the Ivy Tech partnership, these services will be more accessible to businesses in and around Hendricks County, following similar arrangements with OneZone (serving Carmel and Fishers) and the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce announced last year. Read more: Indy Chamber
Ten Wisconsin Chambers and other business groups back from D.C.
Chamber of Commerce and business leaders from central Wisconsin and around the state are just back from a two-day "Washington D.C. Fly-In," hosted by the groups Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, and the Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce Executives.
Scott Larson is the Executive Director of the Marshfield Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and he says the group met with Wisconsin's Congressional Delegation, and legislative experts from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "Meetings were scheduled with all of the members of Congress who were available, and then we had two group meetings; the entire group met with Senator Baldwin, and then with Senator Johnson."
"The purpose of the trip was two-fold. One, was to learn what the legislative priorities are out in Washington D. C. with the new administration and the new Congress. And two, to take our legislative concerns and have a chance to express those to our Wisconsin delegation," Larson said.
On the agenda was regulatory reform, health care, workforce issues including immigration reform, and tax policy; and Larson says it went so well, they're going to do it every year. "I think everybody in attendance was pleased with the results, and how the trip went off, and I know we're planning to make this an annual activity."
Representatives from eleven Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce groups participated in that trip, along with representatives from a number of businesses from around the state. Read more: WSAU.com
Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Profile & Membership Directory
The Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Profile & Membership Directory is available at the Cottage Grove Chamber today! Thanks to 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.
Expert column - Hampton Roads chamber alliance moves regionalism beyond rhetoric
By Bryan K. Stephens
Regionalism! We in the business community have been advocating it for years because we clearly understand its importance to economic development and the creation of a more pro-business environment. We understand the region is the organizing structure of the economy. Yes, we have multiple cities and counties but their economies are inextricably linked by tremendous economic overlaps and commonality of interest.
The old adage “a rising tide floats all boats” is certainly applicable in Hampton Roads.
At the Hampton Roads Chamber we’ve been boisterous proponents of regionalism for a long time. We’ve penned op-eds, we’ve held forums and panel discussions and we’ve even written it into our mission.
Well, enough talk. The local chambers in Hampton Roads mean business. We want to get things done for the business community in a big way so we’re moving past simply talking of regionalism and creating a Hampton Roads Regional Chamber Alliance.
The alliance will be made up of six local chambers: The Hampton Roads Chamber, Franklin-Southampton Area Chamber of Commerce, Isle of Wight-Smithfield-Windsor Chamber of Commerce, Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Alliance, Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce.
Working together, we will have a collective impact that will facilitate greater regional economic prosperity, growth, vitality and greater strength in shaping public policy related to regional business issues. There are no dues. There are no turf wars. There is no competition. The Regional Chamber Alliance will only focus on regional issues where there is unanimity among the members; local chambers will continue to focus on local issues. Each chamber stands on its own, as we always have, yet we come together to pool the businesses we represent to create one powerful voice on issues impacting the business community of the region. Read more: PilotOnline.com
Jacqueline Pitts named Director of Communications at Kentucky Chamber
Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories and Community Profiles: The best in the U.S.
Arlington Heights chamber celebrates success stories
The Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce on Friday celebrated successes of the business community over the past year, while chamber officials look to enhance the services they provide to their membership in 2017.
It's the 70th anniversary of the business group, and so Friday night's annual installation and awards celebration at Arlington International Racecourse was James Bond 007-themed, with outgoing board Chairman Colin Gilbert calling himself "Agent 070" and attendees posing for pictures with fake guns.
Gilbert officially handed the chairmanship reins to Mike Driskell, who said the chamber will continue to evolve in 2017, with the goal to get the chamber staff out of the office and into the business community more often.
One way the organization is doing that is by moving the chamber offices from 311 S. Arlington Heights Road in downtown Arlington Heights to 25N Coworking, the new 11,000-square-foot work and meeting space that formally opened this week at the One Arlington residential tower, part of the Arlington Downs development on Euclid Avenue.
"The co-working community space will be shared with other businesses and will help us to keep our finger on the pulse of the business community," Driskell said. "The new service model will help us to remain agile and respond quickly to changes in the business climate and the needs of our members."
Driskell, the director of administration of the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, said he also wants to explore partnership opportunities between the chamber and library.
Mayor Tom Hayes honored the chamber's 70th anniversary by referencing an old newspaper clipping from the Arlington Heights Herald, the predecessor to the Daily Herald, that he found online.
In likely one of the chamber's first newspaper advertisements in 1947, the ad encouraged consumers to shop in Arlington Heights on Thursdays until 9 p.m., when a number of stores were keeping their doors open late.
Gilbert gave President's Awards to Ken Drost, his partner at the Drost, Gilbert, Andrew & Apicella law firm, and Amy Philpott, a Realtor at Picket Fence Realty. Philpott also won the award for Business Leader of the Year.
Business Volunteer of the Year was awarded to Frank Lesniak, owner of Air-Flo HVAC, for his work with the Santa Run, golf outings and other events.
Business of the Year went to AAA Travel & Insurance, which has been in Arlington Heights for 30 years and Illinois for the past 100 years. Read more: Daily Herald
Jacqueline Pitts named Director of Communications at Kentucky Chamber
Jacqueline Pitts has been promoted to the position of Director of Communications at the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Chamber President and CEO Dave Adkisson announced on Wednesday.
Pitts has served as managing editor of The Bottom Line, the news site of the Kentucky Chamber, since joining the Chamber staff in December 2014. The Kentucky Chamber is the only chamber of commerce in the nation to hire a political reporter to produce original news content for a business audience.
Pitts will continue her role as managing editor of The Bottom Line, but will also take charge of the organization’s strategic communications planning in this new position.
According to Adkisson, “Jacqueline has created a valuable news service for the business community and has emerged as a bright young leader in the rapidly changing media environment. Our goal is to unite business and advance Kentucky. Jacqueline will help us do both.”
Prior to her work at the Chamber, Pitts worked as the political producer for cn|2’s Pure Politics, the only nightly political television show in Kentucky. She is a graduate of Western Kentucky University where she majored in Broadcast Journalism and Political Science.
The Kentucky Chamber, the largest business organization in the state, advocates for thousands of companies of all sizes across the Commonwealth. The Chamber is routinely ranked as the top organization in the state for its investment in advocacy and monitors hundreds of bills each year for its members. To learn more about the Chamber and its mission, visit kychamber.com. Source: Lane Report
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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.
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