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Supported by the Office of Vocational and Adult Education
of the U.S. Department of Education
The Workforce Alliance for Growth in the Economy (WAGE)
Highlights
Introduction
Background
Wage and Its Partners
Partners For Outreach And Recruitment
Partners For Job Placement
Conclusion
Complete Profile (PDF, 229kb)
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A WAGE participant at work in a partner business in El Dorado

WAGE AND ITS PARTNERS
Partners For Job Placement

Businesses

With a few exceptions, all of El Dorado's largest employers are active WAGE partners; roughly 10 to 20 local businesses are involved at any given time. They attend the advisory group meetings, have hired or hope to hire WAGE graduates, or are using WAGE's workforce education services for their current workforce training needs. These businesses include a light fixture factory, a factory producing rubber parts for automobiles, a chemical manufacturer, a paint factory, and Benchmarks, a business that hires disabled people for assembly tasks. Each business has agreed to give preference to WAGE graduates when hiring; one company recently hired six WAGE graduates.

WAGE's business partners benefit in many ways:

  • WAGE employers get access to qualified, competent, and motivated job seekers who have received training in the specific competencies the employers need.

  • WAGE employers not currently hiring but wanting to upgrade the basic skills of their workers have access to on-site training in academic skills with a "functional hook" tailored to their needs.

  • WAGE employers can get a detailed assessment of their workforce literacy needs through the LTA.

  • WAGE employers can get special assistance from WAGE. For example, one business had its training manuals rewritten by WAGE staff to align more closely to the skill levels of their employees.

  • WAGE employers attending the monthly advisory group meetings are informed of WAGE and local workforce development activity and can network with their counterparts in other businesses and organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce.

THE WAGE SEAL OF APPROVAL
One WAGE business partner observed, "WAGE acts like an inspection sticker. If an applicant arrives with WAGE on their resume, the employer already knows this person is dedicated, driven, and hard working. Also, upon receiving one of the certificates, the employer is guaranteed the applicant has already mastered the skills needed for any entry-level position at their company."

Business-Related Organizations

WAGE also forms partnerships with organizations that represent or serve businesses, such as the Chamber of Commerce and the Department of Economic Development (DED). The latter supports WAGE by referring businesses seeking to hire or to upgrade their workforce. DED staff appreciate being able to tell businesses interested in locating in Union County about what WAGE can do for them. WAGE is a distinct asset to DED's work in recruiting and keeping businesses in town.