Chamber committee seeks to train workforce

A newly formed committee is setting its sights on fostering job training while helping prepare teens and young adults for the challenges of entering the work force in Mountain Home.

The Chamber of Commerce created the education work force development committee in December with the group holding its first meeting in January.

In addition to developing a high quality work force, the committee is seeking to give local workers "the skills to be successful for themselves and our economy in the future," said Ted Thompson, who chairs this committee.

Results from a community needs survey conducted last year indicated a level of frustration from the local community regarding a lack of jobs in the Mountain Home area.

"There are no big businesses here or higher education-type technology businesses here for graduating students or even those that have already graduated," said Paula Riggs, director of the city's economic development office.

With no jobs readily available, those people leave Mountain Home and don't come back, she said.

However, that issue has other consequences.

"The number one thing that companies want to know about and look for before they choose a place to go is an educated, talented work force," Riggs said.

"If we don't have the work force because they're leaving to go find jobs elsewhere, we can't get these other jobs here."

Riggs hopes the work force development committee is a step in the right direction.

Mountain Home needs to start somewhere and develop a trained, motivated work force that will encourage major companies to look here for future expansion, she said.

In fact, the local work force remains the number one criteria major companies and corporations look at when considering where they want to expand, Riggs said. Cities with educated, well prepared workers are more readily sought in that decision-making process.

If successful, the education workforce development committee stands to provide a significant boost to the city's economic strength by drawing those types of companies here, Thompson said.

The new committee includes local business owners and representatives from local colleges and universities as well as the Idaho Department of Labor. Together, they've outlined several initiatives they hope will boost the local economy while encouraging younger people to seek work here.

Job shadowing and internship programs are among the key ideas currently under discussion. Hosted, in part, by the state labor department, those programs give individuals a chance to gain hands-on business experience in a low-pressure setting, Thompson said.

"It gives them skills to be successful for themselves and our economy in the future," he added.

The goal is to help local youth finish school, learn a trade and remain here to either create their own business or to work for existing companies, Thompson said.

Mountain Home High School offers basic job shadowing and career exploration programs. However, cutbacks in state funding forced the high school to cut back or eliminate some of those job skill programs in recent years.

During their initial discussions, committee members also identified a lack of communication between businesses as agencies that can help groom their work force. For example, many businesses are not aware of the local job shadowing programs and how to take advantage of what they have to offers, Riggs said.

"It not only helps the students, it helps the businesses as well," she added.

There are other ways for businesses to specifically target local students. For example, a high school career fair scheduled for March 12 encourages local companies to meet with high school students to highlight what types of training or schooling these teens will need to prepare for these types of careers.

While not every student will successfully complete school or go on to college, high school principal Jeff Johnson sees the value of local job shadowing and other work programs. They provide teens another opportunity to not only seek a career but to be successful, he said.

"If we can get our kids helping out businesses and they have an opportunity to give back to the community, then it's a win-win for businesses and students," Johnson said.

Just putting a student in a job-related setting and giving them a level of responsibilities and basic duties can provide lasting benefits for teens and businesses here, said district superintendent Tim McMurtrey.

"That's how these students learn," McMurtrey said.

Meanwhile, state labor department representative Laurel McMahan outlined other programs the agency plans to emphasize during future meetings with the local education workforce development committee. For example, the state work force investment initiative provides a variety of services for those ages 16-21 with similar programs for older adults.

In addition to building a viable work force, the labor department initiative helps break down obstacles standing in the way of allowing people to be successful. For those without a high school diploma, for example, the labor department has avenues to help those individuals earn their general equivalency degree.

"There are so many opportunities through the labor department to develop our work force," McMahan said.

The state agency also provides funding to pay for interns working for local companies specifically to gain on-the-job training for up to six months. However, McMahan said the labor department "had a hard time finding businesses in the local community that we can partner with" through this internship program.

At the same time, the labor department provides additional training to help people land a job. It starts with the basics to emphasize appropriate work attire and punctuality while showing people how to adhere to a set schedule and the need to follow established tasks.

The labor department then provides more advanced help for experienced workers seeking new careers. That includes resume writing classes and mock interview training to give those people additional experience.

For the committee's efforts to be successful, Riggs encouraged local business owners to get involved in the new economic development push.

"Businesses need to take a role in this. If we don't have the businesses involved, then we can't get moving in the right direction," Riggs said.

It starts with taking an active role in learning what programs are already available in the local area to train workers, she added.

For example, business owners are urged to meet with the state labor department during its regular "meet and greet" gatherings to learn more about how the state agency can help these businesses attract potential employees."We have to make this easy for businesses," Thompson said. "They have a bottom line to worry about.

The committee meets at 8 a.m. the second Thursday of every month at A.J.'s restaurant on the city's north side. Meetings are open to the general public.

For more information, call the Chamber at 587-4334.