A job fair sponsored by the River Valley Technical Center put 27 prospective employers and dozens of locals looking for work together Wednesday at the Dean Technical Center in Springfield.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20130411/NEWS02/704119913
News | Southern Vermont
Job-seekers pound the pavement at RVTC employment fair
By Christian Avard
Staff Writer | April 11,2013
Rutland Herald
A job fair sponsored by the River Valley Technical Center put 27 prospective employers and dozens of locals looking for work together Wednesday at the Dean Technical Center in Springfield.
SPRINGFIELD — Robert Brown of Charlestown, N.H., was all business Wednesday at the River Valley Tech Center Employment Fair.
Brown worked for J.J. Nissen in Brattleboro and was laid off in November when its parent company, Hostess Brands Inc., filed for bankruptcy.
Brown met with eight regional employers that were hiring and sounded optimistic that one of them may offer him a job.
“I’m thinking something like assembly work. I’m hoping for the best,” Brown said. “It’s great to have everything here in one place.”
The River Valley Tech Center Employment Fair, now in its second year, aims to connect local job seekers with seasonal and permanent jobs in the Springfield area. They also offer employment resources and training programs and all employers in attendance were offering jobs at full and part-time levels, according to event organizers.
David Culver, cooperative education coordinator of the River Valley Tech Center, said jobs are available but employers are looking for service-related skills. Many employers at this year’s employment fair included produce and food distributors, health care facilities, nursing homes, retailers and manufacturers.
The new work force will require more person-to-person skills; entry level jobs are available.
According to Culver, it’s a matter of refining those skills over time that can ultimately lead to better jobs and more opportunities.
“If someone has customer service skills, they’re guaranteed a job. That’s an issue we’re fighting from the owner’s point of view,” Culver said. “It’s not that they can’t do rocket science, they must figure out those basic skills, ‘Welcome to my store, how can I help you?’”
Suzanne Groenewold, employment fair co-organizer, said they were hoping to attract up to 200 job-seekers from all over and up to 120 people had met with employers by mid-afternoon.
Last year, the employment fair attracted 20 employers from around the region.
This year’s event attracted 27 employers, seven more than last year, which indicated to Groenewold that the local economy is on the rebound.
“Springfield has a lot to offer to a lot of different people. A fair like this allows employers to see a lot of people at one time,” Groenewold said. “I feel this will help the region get re-employed. A lot of people are unemployed or underemployed right now.”
As for Brown, it’s not only about acquiring skills in the service industry but making connections and putting oneself out there, even if the answer is a “no.”
“It takes a lot of legwork if you’re out there doing it. It’s tough,” Brown said.
What on earth are we doing? Low-paying, part-time/ seasonal work is not a viable option or career. holy crap we're in a lot of trouble with this kind of thinking!
ReplyDelete"Welcome to my store" indeed. I think even Springfield schools could manage to pump out that workforce.
For someone normally optimistic, this is just so sad and makes me want to give up on the area.
Why aren't we training people to be independent instead of going after jobs that will NEVER lead to anything above 'Welcome to THEIR store'.
The reason they can't find 'qualified' (ha!) people is because these jobs stink- the pay, the conditions, the lack of benefits, the awful schedules and no real opportunities for growth.
It really is time to "reinvent" Springfield if this is the best we can offer for employment.
_____________________
Excerpt from the article:
The new work force will require more person-to-person skills; entry level jobs are available.
According to Culver, it’s a matter of refining those skills over time that can ultimately lead to better jobs and more opportunities.
“If someone has customer service skills, they’re guaranteed a job. That’s an issue we’re fighting from the owner’s point of view,” Culver said. “It’s not that they can’t do rocket science, they must figure out those basic skills, ‘Welcome to my store, how can I help you?’”
Better Way, as an employer, let me enlighten you. The local labor pool is that bad. No joke, getting someone with enough gray matter to not be an embarrassment around customers and answer the phone properly is rare. Expecting them to show up on time and be reliable is dreaming. And for this they automatically deserve premium pay? I'm just waiting till Obama initiates the guest worker program, then I wont have to deal with you or your type.
DeleteThe majority of the local labor pool, not the whole one. My husband and I are hard working, college educated, intelligent people who happen to have the misfortune of living here. Most companies around here will not hire us (when we look) because we are over qualified or too expensive. Therefore, even when qualified workers are available...they do not want to pay premium.
Deletehahaha @8:46- you mean you won't have to deal with highly intelligent, well-educated, independent people who aren't afraid to stand up for what is right for everyone, not just themselves?
DeleteGood luck with that. I'm sure the thought of having to deal with 'my type' does in fact terrify you.
I doubt that any of your hyperbole qualifies as 'educating' me. However, if you'd care to discuss any recent research on economics, or any articles on leadership, good management, or the benefits of respecting, empowering, and supporting employees (you can reference Harvard Business Review, Inc, or Richard Branson, to get you started)I'd be happy to chat.
Your old-school ways and barbaric superiority are coming to an end.
haha when people site things on this website it cracks me up, it doesn't make you smart... It shows that you have too much time on your hands to Google search things..
Delete@9:40- some of us don't need to "google search" everything. Believe it or not, some people actually R-E-A-D and expand their minds. Those items I listed were straight off the top of my head because I R-E-A-D them frequently (well, except Richard Branson- I don't actually read him frequently, but he does have some interesting things to say).
DeleteAnd...I know this might SHOCK you, but... some of us don't feel a need to make anyone think we're smart. We really do just want to share ideas and information. You know, in the hopes that we can all learn and grow a little and make things just a bit better.
Nope, pretty sure you Googled it... Well maybe more of a "binger" but it's all the same!
DeleteYOU work at THEIR store 7:43 huh?
ReplyDeleteA Better Way, you only have the local townspeople to thank for the employment issues in Springfield. We seem to constantly elect Democrat officials who are more interested in increasing "revenue" (euphemism for Taxes) and less interested in growing Springfield back to a dominant employment town in Vermont.
ReplyDelete@10:52- I think you missed my point.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I believe that the best way to grow the economy (and yes, tax revenues) is not through heavy investments and incentives for large employers, but through smarter investments in a broad range of smaller businesses that can provide sustainable, well-paying jobs.
Those jobs do not include big box retailers, entry level service providers (even most 'health care' jobs now are entry level- as we continue to devalue those services and move more and more down the ladder), or large-scale bio-mass plants (which will bring some good but temporary and mostly non-local construction jobs and a few high level executive positions- again, for non-locals- the few jobs that will actually be available to locals are not worth the trade-off in potential environmental and health impacts).
What we need are lots of micro, small and medium size businesses in a range of forward facing fields. It is only that diversity and a focus on sustainability that will pull us out of a rut.
Why can't we (Springfield and Vermont) focus on developing new entrepreneurs and trail-blazing ways to embrace the new economy?
It's time to let go of trying to be a "dominant employment town" and time to embrace how we actually keep people gainfully engaged in their own prosperity- whether working for themselves or for others. A slight shift in perspective that could make all the difference.
Chucky, oh sorry, A Better Way, without getting into a big tiff over healthcare it is your chosen Obamacare that is devaluing the system. And as you like to say “race to the bottom” is where healthcare is today. I digress.
DeleteWhile we do live here in the woods we do not live in a commune. Even little old us are part of what now is a world economy. The baker, butcher and candlestick maker have all been buried. Why you may ask without Googling it? Because they could not survive on the volume of business (or lack off) that a small community can provide. How many loafs of bread do you think would need to be sold before overhead expenses could be paid today? Worst yet at what cost per loaf? Rent or a lease of a store front, operational expenses (ovens, gas, baking supplies, etc), employees. Then of course on top of that taxes. The poor butcher would not even get into business because we are not supposed to kill any animals to eat (thus he would just have a bunch of chickens and cows wandering in his store front, that can’t be good for business).
In addition we live in a now society. Need a loaf of bread at 10pm, run down to the gas station. Need milk at 5am, same trip. So with all that being said how many folks will you get to join and more importantly remain in you commune? Many Ma & Pa shops are gone today because the children had no interest hanging around to live like their parents. In fact they got an education then went out and developed this world economy. Your idea was lived 80 years ago and was working pretty well then. That’s when a trip to a place like Claremont was “miles away” and maybe something you did on Sunday afternoon for a family ride. Not the case today.
Springfield is part of America's problem right now. We are not in the position alone. Instead of focusing on ourselves we need to find a niche that brings interest to the town. Putting up banners saying Springfield Reinvented was quite that niche was it. For now I would maybe focus on convincing folks moving into the region that Springfield is a great bedroom community. Easy on I-91, nicely located between several communities. And the best part, plenty of property for sale, cheap.
Or we can just start a town garden and take turns watering and weeding it.
Harry, this made a lot of sense. The only flaw I see in your bedroom community idea is that typically those looking for a bedroom community are young families who value good schools. Unfortunately here in Springfield, we do not value good schools. We vote down budgets by huge margins, but then re-elect the leaders that put forth said budget by even wider margins. Or we bicker about school problems and complain about performance, but when it comes time to provide some guidance and leadership no one steps forward so the leaders that have been leading are left to hopelessly lead again.
DeleteThose looking to settle into a bedroom community also want it to be safe community. How are we doing there?
Having lived in other bedroom communities, aesthetics also play a role, how are we doing there? Weathersfield and Chester have us in spades.
I do think the bedroom community idea has merit, but A LOT of things would need to happen first.
Nice to hear from you, Harry Byrd! I wasn't A Better Way, though.
ReplyDeleteI think the ma &pa stores started to die when gas was 25 cents a gallon. Sure, we run down to pick up a loaf of bread or a pound of coffee, but now a trip to Market Basket in Claremont costs me over $5 in gas alone, and with hidden costs it's almost $20. And we don't let it bother us! As some writer put it in Barron's back in the very first gas crisis, "Gasoline is to us what opium was to the Chinese," and nothing's proven him wrong in the last 39 years.
Good point about finding the niche! I hope you were present at the community potluck at the Congo last night; a lot of people had a lot of good insights and suggestions, although mine for turning the old J&L plant into the HQ for the World Jell-O Wrestling Federation didn't get very far. With any luck, we'll hear more about what came out of that evening.
well, Mr Byrd- I am not Mr. Gregory.
ReplyDeleteIf you think the race to the bottom for healthcare started only since Obama, you are delusional. The race to the bottom is, and always has been, fueled by greed from the insurance industries.
Also, regarding your 'baker' analysis: just to be clear- Vermont has cottage industry rules which make the overhead for baking breads and such nearly nonexistent. Even with lower overhead, it is unlikely that they can compete with the fake foods that flood our supermarkets. Would you spend a bit more to support someone baking you fresh bread in small batches every week? There are a few around who I'm sure would be happy to serve you.
I'd go with a sleepy little bedroom community if it was full of cottage industries and a vibrant downtown. (vibrant meaning full of interesting things to see and do- not just a few new signs or paint job). Of course, you'd also have to deal with the hangin' out your pants/ hangin' in the streets groups. You could put them all to work baking bread and selling it and serving the hungry. Guess that's a bit socialist of me, but seems you could take care of a number of problems with that approach.
As for chuck gregory: what meeting took place- sounds interesting (and what on earth is the Congo, assuming it's some local reference and not the actual Congo).
A Better Way, first off I am delusional, therefore you are not calling me any names. And to confirm I am delusional I still live in Springfield for no reason at all. I happen to agree with you on the health care issue, but since our President is so proud of possibly finishing off what the insurance industry started we shall proudly use his name as he does. Without his help many Doctors would not be retiring and looking at larger patient herds in the near future. Talk and listen to people in the health care profession. Dealing with an insurance company was bad enough, but insurance companies did not carry the power of the government (I know you could debate that). One would hope that with all to come it will be good, my sense is it will not. A better read on what is happen would be to talk to companies that provide supplies to hospitals and doctors. Overall I have no fight with health care and would refuse a debate on it.
DeleteTo build on my bedroom community thought if you have more people in town, as in living, then there would be a need for more private business. More people mean more restaurants, more demand for bread, gas and staples. I for one was glad to see a business such as the Hole in The Hill open, it gave us another option, now for it to only survive. Professional folks, and that is what a bedroom community would attract, want and will frequent local business and support a downtown. Yet I doubt a downtown could supply all the needs or offer enough choice.
Would I support the baker, yes I would. In return I expect a quality product that I’m willing to buy. If they cannot produce that, then no deal. And that would not even fall under the Socialist label.
Pardon the Chucky label but I still may not be convinced.
A Better Way~~ Yay for your comments and outlook! The Congo is the Congregational Church; Pastor Jean O'Bresky pulled it together, with great help from her congregation and the Springfield Prevention Coalition. If you'd like, I can send you the summation of the ideas: rrtl(a)sover.net. Put "summation" in the subject line.
DeleteHarry Byrd~~ you should talk to some GP's-- Dr. Marvin Malek of Barre would fill your ear with how incredibly bad health insurance companies are: "Dr. Malek, you've had Patient Z in the hospital for four days now; you're going to have to get her out." He's actually had patients divorce so that one of them would be eligible for care under health industry rules! Any general practitioner in town or in the state would back him up.
Vermont could, under a global single payer system, have the following benefits, which only specialists would balk at, since they make their money by generating business rather than serving those who need their work:
1. They would treat patients as they saw fit, not according to bureaucratic guidelines.
2. They would not fight over billings.
3. They would be guaranteed income for all their work.
4. They would not be pressured to generate more patients.
5. They would be able to deal over the phone with patients questions and not require them to make an appointment in order to be paid for serving them.
6. They would not have to cope with uninsured patients.
7. They would be rewarded for changing their patients' habits for the better.
Chuck,
DeleteHijacking the post again for his self serving socialistic Obama care is the best agenda.
What does healthcare have to do with a job fair other than you think everyone should get the same quality care regardless of what they pay.Never going to happen.
If our health care is so bad then go to Canada.
Or better yet China, any where in Africa or what used to be known as the USSR.
I know what their healthcare systems are like having experienced them first hand .I know you havent.
Trust me you will be back here in no time.
Good to know you're healthy, 7:13, with no pre-existiing conditions. Wait until the egg hits the fan for you under the present system. I know too many people who had health coverage, got too sick to keep working, lost their health coverage, couldn't afford Catamount, kept too sick to get another job, lost their savings, their home....
DeleteLead, follow, or get out of the way!
Cite your sources other than what YOU say for your "I know too many people who had health coverage, got too sick to keep working, lost their health coverage, couldn't afford Catamount, kept too sick to get another job, lost their savings, their home....
DeleteCan you show me facts and figures of people who had insurance to start with then lost everything after losing their job then had NO where to turn?
How many can you name that you actually PERSONALLY know that this has happened to where they lost everything.
Cite your sources other than what you have "heard".
To say Lead follow or get out of the way makes it sound you have a plan.
If its the same old story of a one payer health care where everybody pays into one pot for the same level of care take a look where it happens right now .
Chuck , I honestly feel if you are so unhappy with the way things are here why not move 300 miles north?
Lead the pack north or follow the pack headed north or please move over so those that are so unhappy can get on their way.
And again Mebbe this page was on jobs but you keep wanting to side track it off course.
http://truth-out.org/news/item/15680-the-question-of-socialism-and-beyond-is-about-to-open-up-in-these-united-states
DeleteSuck it.
nice reply
DeleteHave a temper issue?
Mebbe ,
ReplyDeleteMebbe I sound crude but survival of the fittest may apply then for 7:13.If he or she is fit then they continue. The weak will fall so others may live,isnt that a rule of nature?
When the bear chases mebbe and I in the woods I dont have to be fast,just faster than mebbe......
3:45, I work with HealthCare4All and have met dozens of individuals who fit the situation I described. If you were involved in it, you'd know them, too. Various Republicans are coming around to accept and protect the rights of GLBT people as they find out they have a child who is gay. I hope you don't change your stance as a result of having a medical expense hit home for someone you love.
ReplyDeleteWhy move to a better country when I might be able to do some good improving this one? And why should you settle for second best in the country you live in?
We'd like to think America is #1 in education; actually, it's 17th (www.ibtimes.com › Media & Culture › Education)
We think it's #1 in health care, but actually it's 37th (http://www.businessinsider.com/best-healthcare-systems-in-the-world-2012-6?op=1)
We like to think of it as the #1 for opportunity, where income differences don't hold people back from achieving their dreams, but with a Gini Index of 44.5, we're no better off than Argentina, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guyana, Uganda, Venezuela. Just a few of the countries where people are more likely to get ahead: Switzerland (33.7), Germany (28.3), Canada (32.6), Australia (30.5), or the UK (30.4) (The World Bank Gini Index for November 2011)
We like to think we're #1 in Quality of Life, but we're 13th (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality-of-life_Index)
We like to think we're the #1 peaceable nation, but we're 99th in intentional homicides, just below Surinam and tied with Thailand .(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate)
And we like to think that we're #1in terms of avoiding or else detectding and punishing corruption: but we're 20th, just ahead of Chile. (http://cpi.transparency.org/cpi2012/interactive/)
longevity: 51st (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html)
Now, if you like being #17, #37, #99, and so forth, fine; you've got the America you want. It's just not the America I want.
"Some people look at what is and ask 'Why?' I look at what could be and say, "Why not?' "
--Robert Kennedy