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Annual Workforce Service Awards Recap The Alamo WorkSource Annual Awards recognizes other aspects of workforce development beyond employer contributions. Categories include Workforce Profession of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Community Collaboration, Innovation and Individual Achievement. These organizations and individuals were also honored at the Crowne Plaza celebration on October 18, 2006. City of San Antonio Department of Community Initiatives employee, Lynn Stewart, was awarded the Workforce Professional of the Year. As a 20 plus year veteran of the workforce services industry on a local, regional and state level, Stewart has worked diligently to promote youth and adult workforce and literacy programs. The Adult Education/Workforce Conference for ESC Region 20 and the Plaza Comunitaria Program received the Community Collaboration and Partnership Award. This award recognizes the collaborative efforts of two or more partners that have made a positive impact on the Alamo WorkSource system. The Plaza Comunitaria Program was established in 2002 as a partnership between the City of San Antonio’s Department of Community Initiatives, St. Mary’s University and the Consulate General of Mexico to provide educational alternatives to adults in the Hispanic community interested in pursuing their basic and secondary education in Spanish.
The Educational Service Center – Region 20 developed an adult education and workforce committee in 2005, which has since convened annual two-day conferences aimed at highlighting the community’s workforce programs and opportunities to leverage resources. The conferences will continue, as the committee has shown a commitment to bringing together these professionals for evaluation of the region’s workforce issues. The award for Workforce Volunteer of the Year was given to Rev. Dr. E. Thurman Walker. Walker is with Antioch Missionary Baptist Church and has shown a commitment to community service and served as a positive role model in workforce development. When the hurricanes of 2005 displaced thousands of people, Walker volunteered countless hours to assist Alamo WorkSource in reaching out to those in San Antonio. He and the Anitoch staff helped Alamo WorkSource supply evacuees with the information they needed to find new jobs in San Antonio or elsewhere. San Antonio Metro Parole Complex was honored with the Excellence Through Innovation Award. The Parole Complex received the award for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Project RIO, an innovative program aimed at reintegrating ex-offenders into the workforce. The Parole Complex, which held its open house in April 2006, is a “one-stop” for these individuals and is the first facility of its kind in Texas.
Maria Hilburn, Charles Martin, Tammy Palencia, Marisa Saccio and Mark Tovar received this year’s Excellence Through Individual Achievement award. The award recognized these individuals for their use of the services and programs of the system to excel in their chosen fields and serve as role models in the community. Nomination submissions for the 2007 workforce awards will be available on the Alamo WorkSource website in July 2007. San Antonio Manufacturing Association Job Fair Gets Computerized The San Antonio Manufacturers Association held a Job Fair on September 13, 2006 with hundreds of jobseekers interested in positions with more than 35 employers, including Mrs. Baird’s Bakery, Frito-Lay, DPT Laboratories and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas. To enhance the event this year, Alamo WorkSource set up an online computer lab allowing employers to direct interested jobseekers to their online application process for immediate submittal. In addition, Alamo WorkSource provided the latest HOT MANUFACTURING JOBS available on www.WorkInTexas.com. Jobseekers took advantage of the opportunity to review other manufacturing job opportunities with employers not in attendance.
For more information on incorporating the Alamo WorkSource Computer Lab into your next job fair, contact Eva Esquivel, Communications Coordinator or call (210) 581-1110. San Antonio Metro Parole Complex Job Fair A Success Since the integration of Parole Services from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice with local workforce services-- Project RIO (ReIntegration of ex-Offenders)-- in the SA Metro Parole Complex earlier this year, the convenience of the one-stop concept has been a great success for ex-offenders seeking to reenter the job force. To support the partnership and highlight both the jobseekers and employers working within the system, a Job Fair was held onsite in October. Ten employers participated and hundreds of jobseekers attended.
Project RIO is based on the theory, supported by evidence, that if inmates can find a decent job as soon as possible after release, they are less likely to return to a life of crime and to prison. The RIO office in the SA Metro Parole Complex offers job search workshops, one-on-one assistance with job placement, use of a resource room (including computers with job listings, telephones, printers, faxes, etc.) and post-placement follow-up.
Parole Officers and Employment Specialists work together to meet the needs of their clients with a single goal: placing ex-offenders in jobs to save the State money by reducing recidivism. RIO Employment Specialists match specific clients with specific job openings on the basis of skills and temperament. More than 12,000 employers across Texas participate in hiring RIO clients.
The biggest incentive for companies to hire RIO clients is that employers know what they are getting as opposed to an open call for applicants. Many employers cite dependability as an added value with reports of RIO referrals staying longer on the job and showing up for work on time. Other employer kudos include the prescreening process of applicants, efficiency of hiring, support services available after hire, tax credits, and an opportunity to do their part for the community. For more information on Project RIO, contact Mark Milton, Workforce Services Specialist at mark.milton@twc.state.tx.us or call (210) 272-4360, ext. 1097. Future Job Fair: MLK March Expects Thousands Alamo WorkSource is helping spread the word on the 2007 MLK March Job Fair to be held Monday, January 15, 2007. Local companies who want to participate in the job fair must complete an application for a booth. Applications can be downloaded here or obtained by e-mailing mlk2007jobfair@yahoo.com. For more information, companies may call Lisa Juarez at (210) 364-7377. Details:
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