Many employers are discovering that a system of SMART Goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound) can help improve productivity, employee morale and retention. WDB is proud to offer a free virtual business workshop on implementing a SMART Goals program. The webinar will be held on Thursday, August 18, from 10-11:30 a.m., and will include training on:
• Establishing priorities.
• Managing time.
• How to stop procrastinating.
• Engaging the employee in the goal-setting process, and establishing when and who will be responsible for intermittent check-ins on goal status.
• Implementing accountability in coaching employees to reach set goals.
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Click here to register for this free workshop – one of dozens that WDB offers for businesses and job-seekers throughout the year. Check out our complete calendar here.
Or visit our YouTube channel to view archived videos of our Business Services webinars, such as this one (click icon to the right) on steps employers can take to retain workers in the face of the Great Resignation. |
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Labor Market Intelligence |
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San Bernardino County’s unemployment rate rose slightly in June, but remains less than half the level of a year ago. Year-over-year employment gains were reported in nearly every category. Meanwhile, San Bernardino County’s labor pool has exceeded 1 million for eight consecutive months. |
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Preparing for college and career
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Phil Cothran
WDB Chair
As students across our county begin their return to the classroom this month, preparing them for future career opportunities has taken on a greater importance than ever. Post-pandemic shifts in the economy, early retirements and growing demand for a skilled and educated workforce have raised the bar for current and future generations of workers.
In recent years, we’ve seen an encouraging ramp up in career technical education (CTE) and an increased emphasis on preparing students for college and career at the high school level. Several of our communities have taken this to an even higher level, creating robust career pathway partnerships that align the needs of local businesses with skills being taught in, and out of, the classroom.
In the process, the myth that every high school graduate needs to go to a four-year university is beginning to give way to a more practical reality – that college (lower case “c”) can apply to any number of post-secondary training opportunities that can prepare today’s young adults for fulfilling careers.
At WDB, we are proud to support these efforts. Through funding from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), we offer a variety of programs and resources in partnership with service providers from across the county (see Raelynn Rios’ story below).
For information on our youth services, click here.
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‘They’ve been there through everything’ |
Life has always brought Raelynn Rios to a humble place. She was raised by her grandparents while her own parents battled drug addiction. She embraced softball at the age of 8 and eventually earned a full scholarship from the University of Hawaii, only to lose it all to a knee injury. She later set her sights on a career in psychology, but didn't know where to turn.
Then one day she saw a flier from First Institute Training & Management – a WDB partner organization that offers the kind of support and resources Rios needed to pursue her dream. First Institute provided her with resume and interview-skills training, helped secure a job at a health clinic, and provided assistance with transportation and work clothes. Her next step: Pursue her college degree while working and raising her son.
“Things happen for a reason,” says Rios, who lives in Needles. “I was in a really bad place, but ever since I saw that flier, it has opened up so many doors. I’m so grateful to First Institute and the Workforce Department.”
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Raelynn Rios (right) and Mariann Johnson, Deputy Director of the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Department. |
“My life has really changed, because now I’m doing something with myself.” |
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My first job was when I was 14 and working for the business where my stepdad worked. It was a company that designed and manufactured equipment and machinery used by hospitals. It was a summer job for minimum wage, and I was just supposed to clean the shop and put tools away. I couldn’t help myself, though; I kept asking questions and wanting to try my hand at all the different processes. I wound up learning to fabricate steel, weld and wire electrical control panels, among other things. I learned just how important every job was to the whole company and about the importance of making a great product, but mostly I loved learning on the job. That is something I still have a passion for today. |
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Connecting Employers and Job Seekers |
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Local employers will participate in several hiring events at all three of the County’s America’s Job Centers of California (AJCCs) in the coming weeks:
Thursday, August 18: West Valley AJCC, 9650 9th St., Suite B, Rancho Cucamonga. 9 a.m.-noon. Register here.
Thursday, August 25: High Desert AJCC, 17310 Bear Valley Road, Suite 109, Victorville. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Register here.
Thursday, September 1: East Valley AJCC, 500 Inland Center Driver, Space 508, San Bernardino. 9 a.m.-noon. Register here.
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WDB hosts free virtual seminars throughout the week to help job seekers on topics such as interviewing skills, resume building and navigating the employment resources available during the pandemic. If you know of anyone who could use this valuable assistance, a calendar of upcoming sessions is available here.
In the meantime, here are some upcoming events and release dates.
Friday, August 19: California EDD releases its July jobs report.
Friday, September 2: Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its August U.S. jobs report.
Thursday, September 8: “Communicate Like a Leader,” Zoom Conference Call, 10-11:30 a.m. Register here.
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Click here to catch up on past editions of Workforce Update, WDB’s monthly e-newsletter and labor market intelligence report.
If you know others who would like to receive this timely and important information, please invite them to join our mailing list at info.workforce@wdd.sbcounty.gov.
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