Workforce Solutions, an affiliate of Owensboro Technical and Community College, hosts a variety of courses and programs aimed at addressing local and national labor shortages.
Workforce Solutions provides “hands on” guidance in phlebotomy, nursing, and mechanical and electrical skills.
“We’ll be called the development and research arm of the OCTC,” said Sheri Plain, director of community, human resources and economic development, “which means we’ll try new programs or, especially in healthcare, shorter semester credits that we hope will either lead someone to a job and/or to another college.
“We focus much more on jobs and human resources development, but we are part of the university.”
Workforce Solutions is hosting a job and skills fair on June 7th. The show was requested by Workforce Solutions’ partner, Signature HealthCare, to source potential employees for its long-term care facilities.
Allyson Sanders, industry program coordinator at Workforce Solutions, said they have been working with Signature HealthCare for a number of years and that they are one of the largest long-term facilities in the region.
“That was part of the birth of the job fair,” Sanders said. “They want to work with us… because they know a lot of great students have come out of our program.”
Sanders said the job fair will include incentives like sign-up bonuses and is looking for employees for a variety of positions, including certified nursing assistants, Kentucky medics, licensed practicing nurses and registered nurses.
Antoine Smith-Rouse, employer liaison and careers navigator at Workforce Solutions, said the job fair has multiple purposes.
“Signature and many of our partners are building the talent that they already have, but then they also have external (needs) as well,” said Smith-Rouse.
“You’re always going to need people,” Sanders said. “There will always be a shortage; it will never be enough.”
The job fair consists of five sessions in order to offer participants individual assistance.
Sanders said the job fair isn’t the only thing the college is doing to address the labor shortage.
Workforce Solutions offers tailored courses for individuals to gain qualifications for their current jobs or to advance to the next job. Sanders said the courses are very well attended.
“[Employers]pay to have their students take classes here to become qualified employees,” Sanders said. “Usually it’s a raise, they become more qualified. These people essentially work for (Signature HealthCare and other partners) and give them more than just a paycheck. So it’s really great that they invest in their people and turn to the community college to get their questions answered.”
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