Connecting the E3 Concept of Employment,
Economic Development and Education

Jefferson County Workforce Center’s Business Services Division hosted four industry focus groups in January of 2007. These industries included Bio-Science, Manufacturing, Hospitality and Energy. After hearing from company executives, human resource professionals, industry associations, chamber of commerce representatives, and others, information was gathered which will be shared with employment specialists and the educational community to better prepare jobseekers and career transitioners to meet industry needs.

In alignment with feedback from companies in Jefferson, Gilpin and Clear Creek counties, who need to hire or retrain workers in other industries, common themes surfaced. Across the board, businesses are concerned about the lack of soft skills they’re seeing as they conduct interviews and hire new employees. Getting to work on time, showing problem solving skills, being able to “connect the dots” and take initiative, balancing home and business life, and having realistic expectations of compensation and job duties as new hires were repeatedly documented as “plights of recruiters” today. Questions were asked in each of the various industries about the “kid off the farm or ranch” or “ex-military” person who seemed to be plentiful in past decades. Work ethic, values, and vocational/technical skills are seemingly diminishing.

In our efforts to connect business, education and economic development concerns in a collaborative effort, the Business Services Division welcomes feedback from your organization. Assessments and customized hiring events can be tailored to meet your needs in recruitment, retention and retraining. For less than a fraction of their advertising budgets, local companies are reaping the rewards of working closely with our dedicated staff to design services which provide positive outcomes. Give us a call. We’d like to meet with you to discuss your human resource needs.

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