You may not know that your local Career Center offers free services to businesses, and that you can look like a hero just by recommending them.
For some inspiration, we spoke to Alcian Lindo, Program Manager at the Tri-Valley Career Center in Pleasanton. She shared how the Career Center collaborates with local Chambers of Commerce to provide talent pipelines for employers, free upskilling for employees, and information on new wage and hour laws and other regulations that affect businesses.
Talent Pipelines: The Tri-Valley Career Center works with the Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore, San Ramon, and Danville Chambers of Commerce to spread the word about these free services. The Chambers collaborate on an annual Fall Job Fair, helping to advertise, providing incentives and subsidies for members to participate, and contributing raffle prizes. Chamber volunteers from Pleasanton and Livermore offer drop-in life coaching for job seekers and lead workshops on how to use LinkedIn professionally. These partnerships bring the business community and job seekers together to help connect businesses with qualified talent.
Upskilling: The Career Center has also offered free upskilling services to local employers, training their current employees in OSHA 10/30, forklift, and, in one case, going on-site to offer soft skills training. When team members at a manufacturing company in Livermore were preparing to compete for management opportunities, Career Center staff reviewed their resumes and conducted mock interviews.
HR Updates: Finally, the Career Center has teamed up with Insperity to offer a monthly in-person “lunch and learn” for local businesses to educate themselves on new laws and regulations and other important topics. Topics have included the recent workplace violence prevention plans required by the State of California and cybersecurity resources. Alameda County and Contra Costa County Workforce Development Boards also offer a free HR hotline that provides expert guidance from the California Employers Association.
If you’re looking to connect with a local Career Center and explore more employer resources, check out the EASTBAYWorks website.