Community Coordinator Report
October - December 2002
Traci Holt, Alliance for Workforce Development, Inc.

Sierra Army Depot Resurgence
The Depot was established in 1942 as a military ammunition site. Sixty years later, the Depot has expanded its services and continues to be a viable employer in Lassen County. In late October nearly 75 previously classified temporary employees received promotions and some of them obtained permanent status. An additional 40 new general warehouse jobs were created. According to Larry Rogers, Public Affairs Officer, there could be another 100-200 jobs within a year.

1st Friday's
1st Friday's are free informational workshops scheduled the first Friday of each month to address the needs and interests of today's business owners and managers. For a list of topics, please call Traci Holt at 530-257-5294 or email questions to tlholt@ncen.org

October - How Domestic Violence Impacts the Workplace
Lisa Sanchez from Lassen Family Services discussed the many issues relating to Domestic Violence. She educated the participants on being flexible in supporting victims, how to refer people who need help and how to secure the workplace.

November - Recruitment to Hiring to Retention
Janis Trueblood, Personnel Manager for AFWD introduced the participants to the 8 stages in recruiting, hiring, and retaining employees. She provided valuable information on the importance of the job description, interview questions, and reference checking.

Janis Trueblood presents to the 1st Friday participants.

December - Business Tax Changes for 2002
Jeff Trump, CPA from Haws, Theobald & Auman, informed the participants about the many tax law changes for 2002. Some of the changes included 30% bonus depreciation, Section 179 Expense, Extended Business Credits, Teacher Deductions, and the change in the Method of Accounting.

Thank You to all of the Presenters!!

Staff prepare for One-Stop City
The staff at Lassen Career Network were busy planning for One-Stop City, a 3 day life skills workshop aimed at providing the youth participants with valuable information about renting an apartment, banking, maintaining positive credit, interview skills, dressing for success, resume writing, and many other life skills. With the support of the community, we were able to make this workshop very close to reality. We thank the following representatives for their support and dedication to this project:

Lassen County Clerk
Bank of America
Public Health Nurse
Susanville Florist
Mt. Lassen Properties
Independent Living Program
Edge Wireless
Lassen Family Practice
Susanville Real Estate
Susanville Motors
California Highway Patrol
Lassen WORKs
High Desert State Prison
Alliance for Workforce Development Staff

Officer Marchant preparing to give a "ticket" for speeding. AFWD's Tammy Bedillion taking photos for drivers license.

New Staff at Lassen Career Network
We would like to welcome our new staff member Deborah McClure. She joined the team in November as the Service Coordinator. All the staff at Lassen Career Network are ready to assist our community with all their workforce needs.

Staff Respond to 2 Business Closures in Lassen County
Our staff provided assistance to the Reiber Corporation and Cashman Equipment, both located in Susanville, on October 17th. The AFWD staff together with EDD and Lassen WORKs, introduced them to the many services available to them.

Federal Bureau of Prison Update
Representatives from the Louis Berger Group, a firm hired by the Bureau of Prisons, visited the One-Stop on November 21st to discuss the employment outlook. Staff from AFWD, Lassen WORKs, EDD, and the Lassen County Community Development Department met with them and provided valuable information regarding the current applicant pool, ways to assist the Bureau in fulfilling their staffing needs, and how the One-Stop can assist in their recruiting efforts.

The new prison is scheduled to open late summer. The warden and related staff are expected to be hired in the spring.

6th Annual NCEN Partnership Conference
On October 23rd, I had the privilege of presenting with Janis Trueblood, Personnel Manager for AFWD and Ken Theobald, business owner and WIB representative from Lassen County. I presented the Ultimate Employer software package, which covers how to write a personnel policy and job descriptions. Janis presented on recruiting and hiring the right employee. Ken spoke about motivating and retaining employees. For more information on Ultimate Employer, you can email me tlholt@ncen.org

Upcoming Events

February 7th - 1st Friday - 2003 Labor Law Update
February 12th - Website Initiative
March 7th - 1st Friday - Safety in the Workplace
March 15th - Tech Day sponsored by Lassen Community College
April 4th - Career Expo
April 5th - 1st Friday - World Wide Web
May 2nd - 1st Friday - Group Health Insurance
May 12th-16th - Celebrate Small Business Week

For more information about Lassen Career Network, click here.

Other One-Stop Employment Centers operated by AFWD include
Employment & Training Center - Plumas County
Modoc Employment Center- Modoc County