Your Business is Our Business:
Utilizing the Public Workforce System
Massachusetts Business Conference
Devens Common Conference Center
31 Andrews Parkway
Devens, MA 01434
September 24, 2015
8:00 am-3:30 pm
AGENDA
8:00 AM –8:50 AMREGISTRATION AND NETWORKING BREAKFAST
8:50 am –9:30 AMWELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS
Kevin Madden, Chair, Massachusetts Workforce Professionals Association (MWPA)
Rick Lord, President, Associated Industries of
Massachusetts (AIM)
Holly O’Brien, Region 1 Administrator, US Department of Labor-Employment and Training Administration
Byron Zuidema, Deputy Assistant Secretary, US Department of Labor
9:30 AM-10:45 AMPLENARY SESSION: GET THE COMPETITIVE EDGE WITH MASS BIZWORKS
Ronald Walker II, Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development (via video)
Mass BizWorks Panel: Businesses go through highs and lows in the business cycle. Learn how to potentially save time and money by using Mass BizWorks services.
10:45 AM-11:00 AMJay Ash, Secretary, Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development
11:00 AM-12:15 PMSESSION 1 WORKSHOPS
12:30 PM-1:15 PMLUNCH
1:30 PM-2:45 PMSESSION 2 WORKSHOPS
All Session 1 Workshops will be repeated during Session 2
2:45 PM-3:00 PMNETWORKING BREAK
3:00 PM-3:30 PMRonald Walker II, Secretary, Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development
3:30 PM-3:45 PMWrap-Up
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WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS
Workshops A-E are suggested for Business Partners, while workshops F-H are designed for Workforce Development Professionals. However, all workshops are open to all registrants.
BUSINESS PARTNER WORKSHOPS
Workshop A:“Understanding the Unemployment System and Workshare”
Gain information about Massachusetts’Unemployment Insurance Law, how to use the online system, and how to reduce payroll costs while maintaining a valuable workforce during a temporary slowdown in business.
Presenters: Robert Cunningham, Director, Department of Unemployment Assistance; and Richard Carney, Director of Revenue, Department of Unemployment Assistance
Workshop B:“Implementing Earned Sick Time Law in Massachusetts”
This workshop will provide an overview of the newly enacted Earned Sick Time Law. There will be an opportunity to for Q&A's regarding the law's purpose and eligibility requirements with a representative from the Attorney General’s Office.
Presenter: Mike Firestone, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Office of the Attorney General
Workshop C: “Strategies for Using the Massachusetts One-Stop Career Centers to find your Skilled Workforce”
This workshop will provide insight and understanding about how the 32 Massachusetts One-Stop Career Centers (American Job Centers) can positively affect your bottom line by saving you time and money in your quest for qualified candidates. Hear about effective partnerships, practices and services that are available to you through listening to success stories.
Presenters:
Workshop D:“Your Bottom Line: Don’t Miss Out on Talent Right in Front of You”
Tapping into the potential of young people who are not in school or working is not about charity –but about good business practices. This workshop will describe how employers can provide employment pathway models that can build pipelines of skilled talent customized to match employer needs. This workshop aspires to ensure employers don’t lose an opportunity to increase their productivity, efficiency, and competitive advantage.
Presenters: Jonathan Hasak, Associate Director, Metro North Regional Employment Board; Anne Berrigan, Director, Youth Employment Initiatives, Commonwealth Corporation
Workshop E:“Workforce Training Fund Program: Grant Opportunities for Massachusetts Businesses”
Learn about the broad array of grants available through the Workforce Training Fund Program. This will include an overview of the grants and application process. This program provides resources to Massachusetts businesses to train current and newly hired employees. Effective and timely employee trainings increase productivity and marketplace competitiveness.
Presenter: Robert Duncan, Director, Workforce Training Fund Program, Commonwealth Corporation
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOPS
Workshop F: “How to Build Connections with Businesses through
Relationship Marketing”
As a Workforce Development Professional it is important to understand how to balance and coordinate using technology and personalization (face-to-face interaction) to assist employers throughout the business cycle. This workshop will discuss strategies on how to build relationships through high touch activities with businesses; how to establish, evaluate and determine the return on investment from these activities; and how to connect with the business cycle through relationship marketing.
Presenters: Hari Narayanan, Workforce Central, Business Services Representative and Kathleen Brant, Boston Career Link, Business Services Manager
Workshop G: “Social Media: The Benefits to the Career Centers”
Learn how to use social media to market to and leverage job seekers and businesses. Understand when and why to utilize the different social media channels such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. This workshop will explain the benefits to Workforce Development Professionals of engaging and marketing online. Attendees will gain an understanding of the present and future marketplace of social media, and how to leverage it to build high touch relationships with businesses effectively.
Presenters: Briana Pena, Career Center of Lowell, Business Services Representative and Kevin Lynn, FutureWorks Career Center, Executive Director
Workshop H: “MOSES/JobQuest* Discussion: Ideas on Improving User Efficiency”
This workshop is a brainstorming session that invites thoughts, ideas and insights on what works in the MOSES database and what can be improved based on participants’needs, input and commentary. Focus will be on helping Career Center staff to extract from the database information to best assist the employer/business with sourcing viable candidates to fill vacancies (Job Matching); and document what services have been provided to employers for follow up and best practices.
Presenters: Tom Cartier, Department of Career Services, Program Coordinator II and Joe Mello, Regional Rapid Response Coordinator, Department of Career Services
* Database used by Career Centers and Employers
THE MASSACHUSETTS WORKFORCE PROFESSIONALS ASSOCIATION strives to build a highly skilled workforce by leading and advocating for its members within the national and state workforce communities. As a voice for the local public workforce system, the MWPA focuses on promoting and enhancing the skills and employability of all Bay State residents to ensure businesses have the talented labor force to compete across the globe. Members develop and implement innovative lifelong learning employment programs and services from a youth’s first job through adult careers.