More jobs, better workforce

Job Growers sponsors five local business groups: the High Performance Consortium, open to any type of business interested in improving its processes; the Mid-Valley Staffing Association; the Mid-Valley Food Processors Consortium; the Metals Consortium; and the Secondary Woods Consortium. Together, member businesses collaborate to solve problems, use their collective influence to obtain scarce resources and coordinate efforts to fill their needs for high-quality employees. Membership in the consortia is open to all businesses in Yamhill, Marion and Polk counties.

Workforce training is scheduled throughout the year for consortia member businesses and their employees. These business groups are busy planning training activities for 2011, and they rotate their meeting sites to include locations in Yamhill County. Local members of the High Performance Consortium include Freelin Wade, Cascade Steel, Mission Foods, BASi, Meggitt Polymers and Composites, NWUAV Propulsion Systems, Betty Lou’s, Mid Valley Rehab, D Stake Mill, Climax Portable Machines, A.R.E. Manufacturing, SP Newsprint and Oregon Lithoprint.

Last March, a seminar brought best-selling author and lean production expert Mike Rother for three days of training on the principles of lean manufacturing. Two of the training days took place at Meggitt on Northeast Lafayette Avenue in McMinnville. In December, a week-long training was led by Oregon’s own lean guru Gary Conner at A.R.E. Manufacturing on Springbrook Road in Newberg.

Our Employer Workforce Training Fund pays only for employee training, under terms of the Workforce Investment Act. Local workforce boards such as Job Growers distribute the money for investment in local businesses. Since 2004, Yamhill County businesses have received nearly a half million dollars to train 998 workers. Training has included teaching the quality control tool Six Sigma, lean manufacturing, lean English essentials, lean healthcare, hydraulics, robotics and supervisory skills. The most recent EWTF award in Yamhill County, in December, provided advanced lean training to employees at Betty Lou’s.

Local businesses can benefit from additional Job Growers trainings such as Amatrol, an online course on the principles of working with machinery; entry-level skill credentials in working with metals and secondary woods; and the National Career Readiness certificate, which tests and grades entry-level job skills. When businesses are dealing with layoffs or closures, we can provide rapid response teams. When on-the-job training is needed, our packages can reimburse the employer for up to 50 percent of a trainee’s earnings during the training period.

Job Growers staff work in the McMinn-ville WorkSource Center on Norton Lane across from McMinnville’s hospital. We help residents assess their skills, make career decisions, obtain scholarships for training and assist with all aspects of their job searches.

This is an especially tough economy for young workers, and research shows that the earlier they gain work experience, the more likely they will succeed at work later in life. Consequently, youth programs are an important part of our services. Job Growers provides services to youth through a contract with Chehalem Youth and Family Services.

These are challenging times for businesses to keep skilled workers and compete in a global economy. Every efficiency counts. We can’t think of a better way for our businesses to meet these challenges than to become involved in the many incredible training and improvement opportunities provided by Job Growers, your local workforce investment board.

Fast Facts

Job Growers 

- Patricia Grose, 503-581-1002

- Jody Christensen, 503-474-0544

Worksource Oregon 

- 370 N.E. Norton Lane, McMinnville Center

- 503-434-5408

- http://www.worksourceoregon.org/index.php/contact-us-mainmenu-17/233-mcm...

Guest writer Patricia Grose is executive director of Job Growers in Salem. She has written workforce development publications and created programs that serve businesses and job seekers.

Guest writer Jody Christensen, executive director for McMinnville Economic Development Partnership, teaches leadership development programs and promotes sustainable economic vitality.