Employment

Consumer Stories

Re-engaging CSRA’s workforce

Area Chambers of Commerce and technical schools are doing their part to train, recruit, and develop our workforce in the CSRA. A local Human Resource chapter wants to bridge any possible gaps there might be by bringing all stakeholders to the table on September 12th. Tony Welch is the Director of Workforce Readiness and Committee Chairman for the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) event. He also serves as the HR Director of the Department of Health. He is excited about SHRM taking the lead on the first-of-its-kind conference. “We’re

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Consumer Stories

Job Skills Training Program receives grant

Bank of America (BoA) was instrumental in the creation of the Salvation Army’s Job Skills Training Program and they continue their support through volunteerism and funding. The Salvation Army’s Job Skills Training Program is a four-week program that empowers individuals with the knowledge they need to achieve self-sufficiency and career success. The Bank of America will present a check for $8,400 tomorrow at 1:00 pm during The Job Skills Training Program graduation at The Kroc Center. The Salvation Army’s four-week program empowers individuals with the knowledge they need to achieve

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B2B Stories

Simon Says: 3-year high—CSRA jobs update

The national unemployment rate in June hit 4.1%. While still historically low, it represents the first time in 30 months that the unemployment rate exceeded 4.0%, going back to November 2021. In the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has also risen recently. It hit 4.0% in June, up 0.4 percentage points since March. The last time the unemployment rate was 4.0% was three years ago in June 2021 (see graph below). Across the counties of the MSA, unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) have increased quite dramatically

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Consumer Stories

CSRA professionals needed for high-paying jobs in Aiken and elsewhere

ABD readers looking to advance in their administrative careers are encouraged to apply this Thursday at a career fair organized by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the managing and operating contractor at the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site, and Fluor. Those with the following professional experience are encouraged to attend: Engineers, Estimators, Procurement, Information Technology, Human Resources, Operations, Business Services, Project Control, Construction, Quality Control/Quality Assurance, Safety and Security Professionals, and Program Managers. Positions located in Greenville and Aiken. Recruiters will be on hand to handle the hiring needs

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Consumer Stories

Tapping into underutilized workforces

Someone formerly incarcerated who successfully transitions back into society as a productive employee is something Goodwill has seen up close in Augusta. In 2013, Sean Walker was hired at Edgar’s Grill as a server assistant. Twenty years earlier, he was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for the murder of his fiancée. Ultimately, Walker was promoted to banquet server at the Snelling Center. “This gave me the opportunity to meet Goodwill’s President and CEO, Jim Stiff, who continually encouraged me to strive for excellence. So, I

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B2B Stories

Leading the way in workforce development and education

Editor’s note: As Dr. Rick Franza reported, Georgia is once again getting high marks as one of America’s Top States for Business. This story follows up on how Augusta is plugging into the Education and Workforce rankings. Two of Georgia’s highest rankings put the Augusta metro at the forefront of the Education and Workforce categories with rankings of #8 and #4 respectively. “Workforce, obviously from the Chamber’s perspective, it’s comforting to see that we ranked fourth overall in the workforce,” Russell Lahodny, President and CEO of the Columbia County Chamber

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Consumer Stories

Helping build a workforce pipeline for individuals with a criminal record

Two organizations have joined to create a series of specialized workshops to help previously incarcerated individuals reintegrate into meaningful employment. Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA and ReNforce, an Augusta-based nonprofit organization dedicated to helping justice-involved individuals, will use existing programs and services to create pathways to employment by offering job readiness training workshops. “They cover things like time management, customer service, conflict resolution, skills, preparing for your interview,” Leah Pontani, Senior Vice President of Career Development at Goodwill, explained for ABD. “If you’re incarcerated for a number

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Consumer Stories

Transitioning from incarceration to employment

A local organization that works to help individuals who have served jail or prison time find employment held an informational meeting at the Golden Harvest Food Bank’s Community Room. Called the Inclusive Hiring Huddle, it was presented by ReNforce, a non-profit organization that works with those previously incarcerated who need employment and businesses that need employees. “The Inclusive Hiring Huddle is just a space for businesses and community organizations to come together, to huddle, to have a conversation with myself as the coach and a couple of other leaders that’s

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Awards/Celebrations

Grant boosts support of CSRA dental program

The Aiken Technical College Foundation has been awarded a grant through the BlueCross® BlueShield® of South Carolina Foundation to support the college’s expanded duty dental assisting program. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of dental assistants is projected to grow 7 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations. About 55,100 openings for dental assistants are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations

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B2B Stories

More than 80 employers hiring at Fort Eisenhower career fair

The annual Hiring Our Heroes Career Summit and job fair for military-connected job seekers starts tomorrow, June 27, at the Eisenhower Catering and Conference Center. More than 80 employers are looking to fill 100,000+ positions in the industries of cybersecurity/IT, defense contracting, administration and general management, and project management. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes and the Fort Eisenhower Transition Assistance Program (TAP) hosts the event and while the hiring fair is primarily intended for military members transitioning out of the service and military spouses, it’s open to

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