Workforce solutions services include consulting assistance for businesses interested in attracting and retaining talent, as well as being a national model of collaboration to deliver innovative customized training.
View the employer resources available to help employers meet their workforce needs.
Workforce Solutions uses a dual customer approach: assisting businesses and industries seeking quality workers and individuals desiring quality jobs.
For further information contact Andrew Rainbolt, workforce development consultant, at
402-233-7153.
Following are partnerships established through this initiative:
Workforce Solutions Employer Partnerships
Customer Service
This pilot partnership, formed in conjunction with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska and Mutual of Omaha, was designed to address critical workforce shortages in these companies' customer service departments and the skill deficiencies that many willing and dedicated potential employees exhibit. The program was a cooperative effort between the Greater Omaha Chamber and the aforementioned employers, Metropolitan Community College and Goodwill Industries. The program participants took part in a five and a half month degree-conferring series of courses and training designed jointly by Metropolitan Community College, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Mutual of Omaha. Goodwill provided coaching and support services that addressed the development of critical workplace skills. The combination of this training and support coupled with the dedication and will power of the job seekers produced a partnership that is meeting the needs of both the employers and the new graduates. Goodwill continues to manage this partnership through a grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. For more information check out www.goodwillomaha.com/customerconnect.php.
Ophthalmic Assistant
Home to two major medical schools, Omaha has become a regional center for eye care. Midwest Eye Care, P.C. and UNMC Eye Physicians, Inc., two local eye care offices, were used to hiring inexperienced new-comers to the field, training them as Ophthalmic Assistants and crossing their fingers in hopes that they would work out in the long run. Tired of trying to guess who would make a good Ophthalmic Assistant these two offices came to the Greater Omaha Chamber for help developing a source of pre-trained candidates. The Chamber brought together Midwest Eye Care, UNMC Eye Physicians, and Metropolitan Community College to develop a 10-week program including 8 weeks of classroom work and two weeks of internships. Not only did the participating employers help develop the curriculum, classes are held onsite after regular office hours, and the instructor is a medical staff manager from one of the offices. After their internships, all students will have the opportunity to interview for full-time positions. With six months experience, the new Ophthalmic Assistants will be eligible to test for their Ophthalmic Technician Certification.
Pre-Trades/Welding
With a generation of manufacturing workers preparing to retire, and a growing need for skilled workers, the Greater Omaha Chamber approached local manufacturers to help develop a welder-training program. The Chamber's goal is to help develop a training partnership that will deliver qualified, prepared candidates while providing those candidates with a living wage and an identifiable career path. The ten week training class will teach technical welding processes specific to the participating business' needs as well as basic measuring, print reading, rigging and shop safety. By equipping potential employees with specific skills and experience before they are hired, employers get an employee with a much lower learning curve. These same employees have a much greater chance of getting and maintaining a quality job as a result of the course. In the end, we hope to reduce training time and expense to the employer by delivering a better equipped more prepared welder.
EPA Lead Remediation Training
In order to provide skilled, motivated employees who were ready-to-work with contractors on soil remediation projects, the Chamber partnered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Metropolitan Community College to initiate a comprehensive training class. Approximately 45 individuals, mostly from North and South Omaha, started the first class. Out-of-state contractors using out-of-state crews typically do this work, which has been going on for a few years. A typical complaint of out-of-state contractors was that Omaha lacked the local workforce to fulfill their contracts. This partnership was aimed at eliminating that excuse by making sure that Omaha residents affected by the contamination were trained for and had the opportunity to compete for these high-paying jobs.
Clerk/Patient Care Tech
The health care field is one area in which the Chamber has consistently had opportunities to meet employers' human resources needs. Most recently, the Chamber helped The Nebraska Medical Center identify and train, through Metropolitan Community College (MCC), candidates to work in the position of clerk/patient care tech. This position, which requires a combination of customer service and entry-level patient care skills, had consistently been a hard position to hire and retain. The Chamber helped The Nebraska Medical Center and MCC develop the appropriate curriculum to prepare candidates for new career opportunities.