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Annual Awards Given for Excellence in Workforce Development Alamo WorkSource celebrated the innovation and commitment to workforce growth and development of several individuals and businesses in the region during the Fifth Annual Alamo Workforce Systems Awards Banquet. The organization honored employers and customers from throughout its 12-county area Oct. 16 at the Pearl Stable. Wilson County Judge Marvin Quinney presented a state-of-the-workforce report. “San Antonio has experienced tremendous growth over the past five years, and we have provided opportunities for thousands of people in our community to find quality employment,” said Chakib Chehadi, Alamo WorkSource interim executive director. “It is through collaboration with our community partners and employers that we have been able to connect more than 7000 businesses with 127,000 people last year. We’re excited to honor a few of these partners today.”
Alamo WorkSource named Ann Stevens winner of the Frontier Award. The award was created to recognize the commitment of individuals and companies to lifelong, continuous training and improvement of the region’s workforce. Stevens is President of BioMed SA, a nonprofit organization formed in 2005 by San Antonio community and industry leaders to build upon the city’s impressive base of biomedical assets and raise its visibility nationally and beyond. Stevens also co-chairs the Alamo WorkSource Healthcare and Bioscience Cluster Steering Committee, providing an industry voice that helps align the efforts of Alamo WorkSource and the education community with the needs of the industry. Mooney Airplane Company received the Employer of the Year Award in recognition of its positive impact on the regional workforce system with active involvement and use of the workforce system services.
Located in Kerrville and one of the city’s top 10 employers, Mooney has grown with the community since 1953 and continues to strengthen with design and production of private aircraft. The shift in manufacturing to advanced technologies led Mooney to seek a workforce able to fill advanced aeronautic positions. Utilizing the services of the Alamo WorkSource Career Center in Kerrville, more than 100 hires have been placed through WorkInTexas. Some of the positions filled include production planner, programming, composite fabricator, accountants, and aircraft mechanics, to name of a few. An increased demand for Mooney’s product created the need for an On-The-Job-Training Contract to provide an individual approach to their workforce needs. This contract successfully placed many individuals with multiple barriers in full-time positions and continues with a third group of trainees (20) currently being taught at Mooney’s Kerrville manufacturing plant. “Alamo WorkSource has been very instrumental in the success of Mooney’s Production Training Program,” said Hank Engel, Director of Human Resource for Mooney Airplane Company. “Individuals processed through Alamo Work Source have given Mooney the advantage of hiring and training local talent. Alamo Work Source is an extremely valuable and positive option for Mooney and the community. We at Mooney are grateful to AWS’ entire staff for their support of Mooney’s efforts to obtain the best employees.” The Small Business Award of Excellence, which recognizes a business with fewer than 100 employees that has made a positive impact on the regional workforce system, went to Cox Manufacturing Company.
Cox Manufacturing Company specializes in supplying custom screw machine products, CNC turning, and other CNC Machining. In its 51-year history, the company has grown to become a key supplier to the automotive, defense, electronics, and medical industries. Cox Manufacturing has been a loyal customer of the Alamo WorkSource system this year, frequently using www.WorkInTexas.com in its search for qualified labor and working closely with Alamo WorkSource staff to help the regional workforce system better serve the Alamo region’s employer community. Understanding the complex and challenging issues facing the region’s manufacturing community, owner and CEO Bill Cox has assumed the role of Chair of the Alamo WorkSource Industry Cluster Initiative Manufacturing Steering Committee. Cox has worked hard this year to build awareness of the changing face of the manufacturing industry and draw attention to the high-skill, high-wage career opportunities. San Antonio Lighthouse was given the Accessibility Award for the organization’s Job Readiness and Placement program. The award was designed to recognize an employer that has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to providing training and career opportunities to persons with disabilities that promote inclusion in the workforce.
Lighthouse was founded in 1933 to create opportunities for individual independence by providing rehabilitation programs and employment opportunities that measurably improve the lives of blind and visually impaired individuals. The Job Readiness and Placement program assists individuals with disabilities in developing the personal and professional competencies that will assist them in securing and maintaining a job that will increase their self-sufficiency. The Westside Education & Training Center received the Community Collaboration and Partnership Award. This award recognizes the collaborative efforts of community partners that have made a positive impact on the Alamo WorkSource system.
The Westside Education & Training Center is a truly unique partnership in San Antonio, providing short- and long-term training, a one-stop center for social support services, student support and pre-enrollment services, job search assistance, and active connections to employers. The WETC was formed from a partnership between the City of San Antonio, Edgewood Independent School District, and the Alamo Community Colleges. The partnership formed a city-wide advisory group to address education and training needs of the community. The group, consisting of community members and business owners, non-profit organizations, Alamo WorkSource, city councilpersons, the City of San Antonio Economic Development Department and various government agencies, created the center to address the unmet needs of underemployed, unemployed, limited-English proficient, and degree-seeking individuals. In less that one year of operation, nearly 3,000 people have used the services of WETC, and the center has become a national model in workforce development. Jesus Hernandez, Aucencia Huerta, Ray Garza, Rebecca Casares, and Sarah Benavides received this year’s Excellence Through Individual Achievement award. The award recognized these individuals for their use of the services and programs of the system to excel in their chosen fields and serve as role models in the community. Congratulations to all! Industry Clusters Moving Forward Manufacturing Industry Cluster Committee Early Summer, the Manufacturing Industry Cluster committee began investigating the best method to introduce an advertising and marketing campaign locally to communicate employment opportunities and career options within the manufacturing industry. After careful consideration of the Alamo region, research and focus groups, the committee has agreed to partner with the San Antonio Manufacturing Association (SAMA) to spearhead a regional Dream It! Do It! Campaign as developed by the National Association of Manufacturers. Recently, national representatives were on hand to provide an overview of the technical assistance available for the campaign and introduce committee members to the successes of other communities participating in the effort. Alamo WorkSource has committed funds to the campaign, with ACCD following. The committee will begin to work with local manufacturing employers through SAMA to implement this regional campaign to grow interest and application to the many opportunities available within the manufacturing industry in the Alamo area. BioMed/Health Care Industry Cluster Committee The sub-commitees of the BioMed/Health Industry Cluster committee are in planning mode for early 2008. Alamo WorkSource, ACCD and BioMEd SA partnered to submit a $70k National Science Foundation Planning Grant seeking to lay the groundwork for a Regional Center of Excellence. A Spring decision is forthcoming. On the Healthcare side, a sub-committee is exploring beyond the supply side of nursing to include a possible nursing retention project. In addition, Alamo WorkSource has added Helene Williams to our staff to coordinate specifically the activities of the BioMed/Health Care Industry Cluster. Continuous planning, including weekly core team meetings for both industry initiatives is ongoing. Disability Career Expo Brings Opportunity The first annual Alamo Area Disability Career Expo for Persons with Disabilities was held Wednesday, October 17, 2007 from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the San Antonio Central Public Library with seventeen businesses/employers participating and over 500 individuals attending. The one-day event featured a morning session exclusively for businesses/employers, offering a panel discussion forum with representatives from USAA; KCI, Kinetic Concepts, Inc.; R & L Foods, Inc.; Marriott Global Reservation; and Eye Care Centers of America who have had great success in the hiring of persons with disabilities. The morning also offered job accommodation product demonstrations and access to many regional resources and organizations available to businesses/employers to assist them in creating a more diverse workforce. In the afternoon, the career fair opened its doors from 1-4 p.m. with businesses/employers ready to interview and hire persons with disabilities. Companies participating included Washington Mutual, University of Texas Health Science Center, West Corporation, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, Chase Card Services, Mooney Aircraft Company, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, World Technical Services, Inc., and HEB. The event was sponsored by the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, Alamo WorkSource, San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind, Customized Assessment & Training LLC, San Antonio Public Library, The University of Texas at San Antonio and Goodwill Industries. The event was so successful that the partners are anticipating hosting this event at least once a year. In preparation for the career fair, five 3-hour “Pep Rallies” were held for persons with disabilities at three of the Alamo WorkSource Career Centers to help individuals write a resume to bring to the career fair. Presentations on “Making the Most from a Job Fair”, “When to Tell an Employer About Your Disability” and “When to Request Accommodations from an Employer” were included in the sessions to better prepare persons with disabilities for employment opportunities. More than 80 participated in these sessions. For more information on the Disability employment program, contact Mark Haram, Disability Navigator, Alamo WorkSource at (210) 581-1085. Alamo WorkSource unveiled a new marketing campaign for funded workforce programs. The “More Than” concept is a continuous effort by the Communications Department and Board of Directors to build awareness amongst the Alamo region that funded services are available for more than employers can expect for no-cost, more than what job seekers can expect (even those with a degree), and more than what the economic development community can expect. Click below to see the full version of each brochure.
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