One Stop Activities

Featured Business

The all-new Teen Zone in Uptown Susanville at the corner of Main and N. Lassen streets had its grand
opening on April 26. It is an accessories store, including products from belt buckles to handbags. 
Owners Mike and Susan Baxter state that they have been open now for 1 month and have done quite
well.  They have 3 part time employees and plan to hire a 4th.  Currently their business hours are
Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm.  They are expecting to extend their hours for the
summer to be open Monday through Saturday. 
The staff at AFWD have been out to visit the new business and welcome them to the community. 
Owners Mike and Susan plan to work with us in the future as they grow their business and hire
more employees.

 

Career Expo 2008
Be the next Career Idol!

AFWD, Lassen Works, and the Employment Development Department joined together to facilitate
this yearly event that brings together businesses and job seekers face to face to explore job openings
and career opportunities. Our theme this year was based on the very popular American Idol. The Job
Fair was themed, “Be the Next Career Idol”. The Career Idol themed 2008 job fair was attended by 27
employers and 250 people looking to obtain full time or part time work, or research other career
options. With so many jobs available job seekers were able to meet with employers, ask questions
about the jobs and organizations, and in some cases, actually interview on the spot.

Initial feedback from job seekers and employers was both immediate and very positive.
Several employers including  Starbucks, Lear Siegler, Susanville Supermarket were looking to
immediately fill current job openings. In addition, Sierra Army Depot, Lear Siegler, California
Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, and Diamond Mountain Casino were recruiting to
build their applicant pools for anticipated business expansion. Including government jobs, there
are hundreds of career opportunities available in Lassen County! Another success was the addition
of community organizations seeking volunteers, the Veterans of Foreign Wars representatives on
hand to assist veterans, and, the Clothes Closet offering job seekers the opportunity to try on and
take home work appropriate clothing.

Employers appreciate the opportunity to meet with job seekers in an environment away from the
day-to-day operation of their business. “I attend the job fair yearly and interview candidates on site.
I will end up hiring several people from the job fair this year,” stated Todd Eid, manager of Susanville
Supermarket. “The job fairs hosted by Lassen Career Network are a very valuable service for
employers and assist in meeting our recruiting needs.”For more information on job fairs and
other events visit, http://www.afwdhr.org/

 

Getting Started with Government Contracting

A workshop was held by The Federal Technology Center on Wednesday May 21, 2008 at Lassen
Career Network.  The workshop was entitled:  Getting Started with Government Contracting.   Ten 
businesses met in the Lassen Conference Room from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.  

Jayne Murnane was the spokes person who shared the basic profile of the program.
Ms. Murnane has been providing these valuable workshops at Lassen Career Network for 6 years.   
Ms. Murnane  provided a well laid out plan on how to get started with this Small Business Program. 
Along with good visuals off her lap top she provided many helpful handouts which included step by
step instructions/web links for getting started in doing business with the government.

 

 

Small Business Development Center Workshop-Financing Your Business

On Wednesday May 14th, 2008 at the Lassen Career Network, Indria Gillespie, Program Manager
for the Sierra College Small Business Development Center and David Castaneda, Marketing &
Outreach Specialist for the Small Business Administration partnered with AFWD giving a free
workshop on Small Business Financing at which 17 were in attendance.  The workshop covered
the steps to take in order to get funded for new and existing small businesses.  SBA provides a
number of financial assistance programs for small businesses including 7(a), 504 and disaster
assistance loans. They gave a review on eligibility requirements, SBA’s loan programs, surety bonds
and the role of SBA, equity capital topics, special purpose loans, SBA partner topics and 7(a)
lender programs. Though the SBA does not provide grants to start a business, they gave information
on organizations and sites that can assist in locating special purpose grants.  SBDC provides
management assistance to current and prospective small business owners.  SBDCs offer
one-stop assistance to individuals and small businesses by providing a wide variety of information
and guidance in central and easily accessible branch locations. The program is a cooperative
effort of the private sector, the educational community and federal, state and local governments
and is an integral component of Entrepreneurial Development's network of training and
counseling services.

Business Services Presentation

On Tuesday, May 6th AFWD presented an overview of services available at the Lassen Career Network
for Sierra Cascade Family Opportunities Head Start .  

Head Start is a federally funded preschool program for 3 and 4 year old children with a focus on family
involvement. Head Start provides children the opportunity to learn self-help and social skills.
Reading readiness activities are part of the daily program.  We spoke to approximately
10 parents and 3 staff members.  We handed out our Pathways to Success booklet,
AFWD brochure and a few WIA applications.   We emphasized that we are the “go to” place
for job seekers and businesses.  We spoke in detail about our applicant Pool, Customized training,
hiring & retention tools. We described our annual Job Fair.  How many local employers and job
seekers participate in this annual event.  This event fills staffing vacancies ranging from
temporary/seasonal to full-time .  The presentation went well.  We were invited to come back and
speak again toward the end of the year.

Alternative Energy Update

The alternative energy company, Renegy, has leased the Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) co-generation
facility in Susanville, CA . The permitting process for the Company's idle biomass plant is currently
underway. Renegy is working diligently in its efforts to have the existing air permits reinstated so that
it may commence refurbishment activities at the plant site during the third quarter. If successful in
expediting the permitting process, the Company currently anticipates the plant could be restarted by
early 2009. However, if Renegy is required to secure new air permits for the plant, this will likely delay
plant commissioning until late 2009.

Renegy is also in the process of purchasing the SPI biomass plant located in Loyalton, California,
which currently sells 10 MW of its electrical power output under a power purchase agreement with
Sierra Pacific Power, a leading electric utility company serving northern Nevada and Northeastern
California. The transaction has the potential to close in mid-2008, subject to Renegy's completion
of final due diligence, entering into definitive purchase agreements for the plant, securing necessary
financing, and other closing conditions.

Acquiring these plants would further expand Renegy's penetration into the growing California renewable
energy market. “Our focus in 2008 is on building our core business and positioning ourselves to
capitalize on the growing market opportunities for renewable energy," stated Bob Worsley, Chairman
and CEO of Renegy. "This includes establishing an asset base of operating biomass power plants,
beginning to build a significant generation presence by acquiring additional plants, exploring locations
for new greenfield projects in strategic fuel zones, expanding our fuel procurement infrastructure to
support future facilities, and enhancing our expertise in plant operations and refurbishment. Our
progress over the past few months demonstrates solid advances toward these operational objectives."

Alliance for Workforce Development, Inc, will be working with Renegy to provide workforce development
and human resource services to assist them in recruiting, hiring, and training employees for the Susanville
and Loyalton facilities. In addition, Renegy has expressed interest in participating with the WIRED and
STEM project components such as mentoring, and internships to ensure that there is a job ready skilled
workforce able to take the high skilled jobs that will be created by the company’s bio mass operations.

“The alternative energy industry is growing with companies working to opening facilities in Lassen
and Sierra counties. AFWD stands ready to assist these companies with their workforce and human
resource needs,” stated Holly Schirmer, Director of Business Services for AFWD. ‘We see the need
to train a highly skilled workforce and will be working with Renegy, other companies, and local
educational institutions to build training programs to provide people with the necessary qualifications
for jobs created by the alternative energy industry.”

Annual Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) Conference

Held in beautiful downtown Chicago on June 22 though June 25, 2008, the 60th SHRM annual
conference, was the largest gathering of human resource professionals in the world to date.

During the 4-day event, over 18,000 attendees gathered to listen to motivational speakers
including the keynote speaker, Sidney Poitier who spoke about his life growing up in Jamaica and
how he made his way to Florida, New York and on to Hollywood to become the first black person
to receive an Academy Award for best actor.

Alliance for Workforce Development Inc.’s Director of Business Services, Holly Schirmer, and
HR consultants, Bobbi Moore, Amee Albrecht and Dianna Simar attended this year’s conference to
learn about the latest in human resource trends, legislative updates, resources available to HR
professionals, and to enhance their knowledge, skills and abilities in the HR field. The SHRM
conference offers the most comprehensive and relevant human resource programs. “This was
my first SHRM conference and I have learned so much that I will be able to use to assist both
business and job seeker clients,” said Bobbi Moore. “I look forward to applying information on
topics including motivation, HR law, and time management to enhance AFWD services for all
of our clients.”

In addition to the key note speaker, the conference offered a full range of sessions on HR topics
ranging from effective recruiting, managing a multi-generational workforce, HR law update, HR's
role in strategic planning, preventing harassment and discrimination in the workplace, compensation
and benefits, to “Enjoying the Ride,” a session focused on getting the most out of work and life.

SHRM’s mission statement is to: serves the needs of the human resource management
professional by providing the most essential and comprehensive set of resources available. In addition,
the Society is committed to advancing the human resource profession and the capabilities of all human
resource professionals to ensure that HR is an essential and effective partner in developing and
executing organizational strategy.

For further information on SHRM please visit
www.shrm.org

Effective Communication Workshop for Nevada-Sierra Regional In Home Supportive
Services Public Authority

On June 19, 2008 Alliance for Workforece Development, Inc. was invited to present a 2 hour
workshop to service providers and supportive service consumers for the Nevada-Sierra
Regional In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority. The workshop was aimed at enhancing
communication skills between the service providers and consumers.
AFWD HR Consultants Bobbi Moore and Cathryn Sorenson, and Director of Business Services,
Holly Schirmer covered the following five components of effective communication.

These objectives were delivered in an interactive program utilizing a variety of hands-on learning
techniques to engage the attendees and help build skills.
The workshop was very well received by the 20 participants. “I was very pleased with the training and
the way the participants took part in the role playing activities. I think that they will be able to more
effectively communicate based on what they learned today,” stated Amber Hodges, Plumas-Sierra
Registry Specialist. “Thank you to AFWD for their assistance in improving our in-home supportive
services"

Computer Lab Upgrade

In April, 2008 the Lassen Computer Lab was upgraded with re-purposed computers and monitors. 
The computers were upgraded to Windows XP and Microsoft Office 2007.  The latest versions of
Mavis Becon Teaches Typing and WinWay Resume were also installed.  The computer and software
upgrades provide the clients of Lassen Career Network with a state-of-the-art computer lab. The
computer lab offers access to ten computers and a printer.  Three additional computers are available
in the Lobby.  The computers are available Monday – Friday, from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.
Universal and AFWD clients use the Lassen Computer Lab for job search activities.  Activities
include registering for CALJOBS, creating a resume, obtaining a typing certificate and completing
on-line job applications. Merit Systems (Lassen County), Wal-Mart, Dollar Tree, Safeway, Lear Siegler,
and the Sierra Army Depot use on-line job applications exclusively.
 
The Computer Lab also offers the following free computer classes:

Introduction to the Computer (Windows XP)
Introduction to Internet/E-Mail
Introduction to Microsoft Word
Introduction to Microsoft Excel
Self-paced typing/10-key tutorials
How to apply on-line for Lear Siegler and the Sierra Army Depot
How to apply for a California State Job/Exam (Office Assistant/Technician & Correctional Officer)

The Computer Lab has also been used by employers such as the Diamond Mountain Casino and
the accounting firm of Haws, Theobald & Auman for pre-employment testing.  Various departments
of Lassen County have used the lab for Microsoft Excel training.  New Horizon’s Computer
Training Center provides the trainer.