August 2011

Save the Date: Hiring Heroes CONFERENCE AND JOB Fair, September 22, 2011

The Hiring Heroes Conference and Job Fair is a free event that is open to all employers and to veterans and their spouses that are actively seeking employment or training. Employers will find out how their businesses can add the strategic advantage of hiring former military service personnel. Veterans and their spouses will learn how they can capitalize on their military experience and how their expertise can transfer to the civilian workforce.

Event Details:
Thursday, September 22, 2011
8:30am– 3pm
Conference Center at McLennan Community College
4601 N. 19th, Waco, Texas 76708

Event Features:

• Networking Breakfast from 8:30 -10 am – open to Employers and Vets
• Keynote Address from 10 - 10:30 am - Hiring Veterans Success Stories from a local business executive
• Veterans Job Fair from 10:30 - 2:30 pm
• Three breakout sessions:
  • Veterans Access to post 9/11 G.I. Bill and other educational benefits
  • Tools to translate military experience into sought after job skills
  • Financial benefits of hiring Veterans for Employers
• Closing remarks from a top entrepreneur from 2:30 – 3 pm; Uplifting remarks about veterans as assets
  

 
Sponsored by Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas in partnership with the Greater Waco Chamber, Texas Veterans Commission, Veterans Coalition for the Heart of Texas, McLennan County Veterans Service Office, the Texas Veterans Leadership Program, and Blue Star Moms. Participating Colleges: Texas State Technical College, Baylor University, and McLennan Community College.

Veterans – No preregistration is required. Employers – please register for your FREE Employer exhibit booth space (6’skirted table and 2 chairs; box lunch provided). Space is limited, so contact Rene Clayton at 254-296-5388 or visit Hiring Heroes Conference and Job Fair.

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Workforce Solutions for The Heart of Texas Releases New Job Seeker Self-Service Activities Website

Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas has developed a new Job Seeker Self-Service Activities website  that offers job seekers free online, self-directed resources. Job seekers accessing the online resources can choose from various stages of their job search, from filing for unemployment insurance to understanding their skills and interests. Tutorials and templates are available for creating a resume and cover letter, and include information on basic computer skills and educational opportunities. “The website is currently in its testing phase and we want to hear from job seekers on how we can make the site more useful to them,” says Melissa Briske with Workforce Solutions, “so, we encourage job seekers to try the site out and give us their honest feedback.” To access the new Job Seeker Self-Service Activities website, visit http://www.hotworkforce.com/Jobseeker/

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Local Child Care Center Recognized as Small Business of the Year

Aunt Rosie’s Day Care Center, located in Mexia, recently received the Small Business of the Year award at the Texas Small Business Forum Waco Regional Conference on August 9, 2011 at the Waco Convention Center. The Small Business Forum, produced in partnership with the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development & Tourism, the Texas Workforce Commission, the Heart of Texas Economic Development District,  Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas, McLennan Community College, TSTC-Waco, Bellmead Economic Development Corporation, Cen-Tex African American Chamber of Commerce, Centex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Temple College, is part of a series of meetings held throughout the state. It provides some key presentations from the Texas Workforce Commission and presenters focused on local business issues.

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TWC Revokes Approval for 22 ATI Career School Programs

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is revoking Certificates of Approval for 22 programs being taught at career schools in Texas owned by ATI Enterprises, Inc. (ATI), following the discovery of substantial misreporting of graduate employment rates in those programs.
  
To ensure students enrolled in these programs receive the assistance to which they are entitled, TWC is requiring that ATI refund the cost of tuition to these enrollees or offer them options to complete their training in compliance with TWC. Additionally, current students in any of the affected programs must be provided with the programs’ revised and accurate graduate employment rates.
  
As part of TWC’s terms for ATI to continue operating in Texas, ATI now must provide a letter of credit sufficient to cover the cost of refund or completion of training for all students currently enrolled in any of the 22 affected programs. ATI also must provide credit to cover the costs of those who may enroll between now and when the verification is completed, in the event that any remaining programs are revoked.
  
As part of an enforcement action, TWC has established terms, agreed to by ATI, requiring the company to ensure accurate future data reporting in order to maintain the license to operate career schools in Texas. Accurate reporting is crucial for students considering career schools to make informed decisions about whether to enroll. The terms of this action will minimize the impact on current students.

To read the full press release from the Texas Workforce Commission, click here.

To read a fact sheet for current ATI students, click here.

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TWC Reminds Employers: Compliance Posters are Free of Charge

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) urges employers to be aware of unscrupulous business operators who may try to coerce employers into purchasing required workplace posters. Obtaining these compliance posters through TWC, as always, is free.

All workplace compliance posters required by law can be obtained free of charge from the TWC website at http://www.twc.state.tx.us/ui/lablaw/posters.html. Employers do not need to purchase these posters from private vendors. Furthermore, government-issued compliance posters do not have to be laminated to satisfy an employer’s regulatory obligation. Employers should never pay for a government service that is free.

TWC has investigated reports of vendors claiming to be state contractors, inferring that employers are not in compliance with state law and urging employers to buy the posters from the vendor. TWC advises employers to disregard these vendors and consult with TWC directly to determine which posters are needed.

To read the full press release from the Texas Workforce Commission, click here.

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