which coordinates events to place these workwork ers in new positions.
HR Roundtable The Chamber sponsors quarterly HR Roundtables where HR persons are invited to gather for lunch to discuss current topics of interest and concern relating to HR issues. These Roundtables are held in different local business locations to give the HR community the opportunity to see and hear different ideas and best practices in order to make their business HR functions run in a more profitable and effective manner.
State of the District Luncheon In the fall of 2008 the Chamber will host the second annual State of the District luncheon, which is designed to give the community the
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2008 Arlington Chamber of Commerce
opportunity to hear directly from the school district about what is happening in their district. It also serves as a forum for the district to hear from the community about their concerns and gives the superintendent the opportunity to directly speak to the community.
Regional Partnerships Local Colleges
The Education and Workforce Development Council works closely with the University of Texas at Arlington and Tarrant County College SE Campus by serving on advisory committees and engaging in collaborative efforts to aid employers with training needs for their existing or emerging workforce.
• Youth Opportunity Center • Tarrant County College District • Arlington Chamber of Commerce Workforce Development Department • Fort Worth Independent School District • Goodwill Industries • The Women’s Center • Veterans Office This center will be a model for the nation on how an employer-driven workforce system can operate. For more information on any of the Quality Workforce Initiatives, please contact Karen Nolen-Rucker at 817-804-4331 or by e-mail at knolenrucker@arlingtontx.com.
Regional Workforce Development Summit
Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Grant
The Chamber is working in partnership with the Fort Worth and Dallas chambers of commerce and the three local workforce development boards to conduct an annual workforce development summit. Employers, educators, and workforce development professionals exchange ideas and information that will help each group meet the challenge of developing a quality workforce in our region. Target industry clusters have been formed to identify critical workforce needs in each industry. The clusters in development now are aerospace, health care, logistics, and semiconductor. Others will develop as interest and champions are found.
In the spring of 2007, the Chamber secured a $1 million grant for the Texas Workforce Commission for Advance Technology and Manufacturing. Partnering with Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, the University of Texas at Arlington, Tarrant County College Southeast Campus, Arlington Independent School District, and the National Association of Manufacturers, the Chamber is currently developing regional plans for the development of job training for and recruitment of additional businesses active in advanced technology and manufacturing. For further information, please call 817-804-4331.
National Initiatives
Ways to Work Program
At the national level, the Chamber has secured recognition of the new Center for Continuing Education and Workforce Development as a participant in the Workforce Innovation Networks Project (WINs). Launched in 1997, WINs is a partnership of the Department of Labor, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Jobs for the Future, and the National Association of Manufacturers Center for Workforce Success. These partnerships improve the ability of a network of local and state employer associations and employer-led organizations to be effective workforce intermediaries. The Center for Continuing Education and Workforce Development is located on the University of Texas at Arlington campus and hosts the following partners: • Texas Workforce Commission • Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County (local workforce development board) • University of Texas at Arlington’s Continuing Education Department • UTA’s Human Resources’ Employment Office
The Arlington Chamber is the first chamber of commerce in the United States to replicate the Ways to Work program. This program offers small, short-term, lowinterest auto purchase and repair loans to working families with challenging credit histories. Ways to Work serves as an alternative source of funding for individuals with a demonstrated commitment to achieving self-sufficiency. The program is operated in conjunction with the McKnight Foundation and utilizes Department of Transportation funds to insure loans that have been made available to Tarrant County residents who meet the eligibility criteria. Referrals to the loan program are made through Chamber member organizations, and services for the recipients include a required eight-hour Financial Literacy seminar. For further information, contact the office of Workforce Development at 817-804-4331.
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