Training options for businesses

While many large companies have their own training departments, in state’s like Maine, where many businesses fall under the umbrella of “small business,” how are these companies able to upgrade the skills of their incumbent workers, or train for entry level positions?

According to an article in the Wall Street Journal Online’s Small Link section, written by Simona Covel, there are government options out there that can assist in the area of training.

Covel’s article indicates that there is government funding available to businesses, the challenge is tracking it down. This is often the dilemma that small business owners face—awareness that they need to do something—but lacking the time and resources to get to that place.

What I found encouraging about Covel’s tack in her article, is that she obviously has some awareness of workforce development, which seems to be a rare commodity among many journalists, particularly those covering our own state.

• USDOL’s Business Relations Group (phone: 202-693-3949; email: businessrelations@dol.gov)
• DECD (Maine’s own economic development organization; 207-624-9800)
• The Local Workforce Investment Board (In Central/Western ME; 207-753-9026)
• Maine’s Community Colleges
  
  In our region, we’ve partnered with members of the business community to run WorkReady™ trainings, Next Steps programs, as well as being a partner in the NorthStar Alliance, carrying out the WIRED model for workforce/economic development.
  
  So far, these initiatives have been successful and we continue to push the envelope, hoping to build on the success of these programs.