The Monthly e-Newsletter for Catawba County's Existing Industries

 
In a recent visit with a local company, the HR Director made the suggestion, "If you ask 10 CEOs their biggest concern - 10 out of 10 will tell you talent."  Quickly scanning this month's Industry Pulse, you see talent is on our mind as well. 
 
I would urge you to check out some of the unique talent offerings "bootstrapped" by this community - everything from hearing about best practices from fellow companies ("Tapping into Talent") to recruiting transitioning military and spouses to the Catawba County community ( www.HKY4Vets.com).  
Tapping into Talent Symposium  
(Best Practices in Talent Development) 

Monday, October 21, 2019
8:00AM - 1:30PM
Hickory Metro Convention Center
$45 - Business Leaders; $0 - Educators
Breakfast and lunch included with registration
 
This half-day symposium hosted by the Catawba County EDC, Catawba County Chamber, K-64, Catawba Valley Community College and Lenoir-Rhyne University aims to bring together leaders in business and education to spotlight local resources and efforts by leading companies in talent attraction, retention and development.
 
Building from last year's Tapping into Talent Symposium, this year's event includes "deeper dives" into:
  • Work-based learning (apprenticeships, internships, etc.)
  • Engaging the next generation of talent
  • Organizational culture
  • Generation Z in the workplace

The event will also feature a keynote talk by Meghan Grace, generational researcher, author of Generation Z: A Century in the Making & Generation Z Goes to College, thanks to the generosity of Lenoir Rhyne University.

 
You can see the full agenda for the day by clicking here.
HKY4Vets Update
(Talent Attraction & Retention) 
   
The EDC, the Catawba County Chamber and many others continue to invest time and attention to assisting transitioning military and military spouses find successful careers and a "home" in Catawba County.  This partnership of companies, governmental organizations and non-profits has formed HKY4Vets ( www.hky4vets.com) to nurture this military talent pipeline.
 
Thanks to the financial support and time commitment of 15 local companies and governments, we are pushing forward on several new initiatives in the coming months, including:
  • A 24/7/365 online connection for the latest employment opportunities specifically geared towards military and spouse talent. The effort is called HKY4Vets Talent Connect and is expected to go live in the next 2 weeks.  An "under construction" version of the website is up at www.hky4vetsjobs.com.
  • A heavy marketing plan through Summer 2020, with significant focus given to the 7,500 military families transitioning annually from Fort Bragg.
  • Potential new partnerships with organizations on-base at Fort Bragg like Heroes Make America, an 8-week, intensive course for soldiers/spouses/veterans interested in pursuing careers in manufacturing.
  • A local professional networking group for veterans already working and living in our community
If you would like to learn more about HKY4Vets or becoming a HKY4Vets Talent Connect partner, please check out our website or contact Nathan Huret ( [email protected]; 828-267-1564).
 

Vol. 11, Issue 2 - 

September 2019     
In This Issue
Tapping into Talent
HKY4Vets Update
NCSU Engineering Interns
mfgCON 2019
NCSU Engineering Interns: Summer 2020
(Talent Attraction & Development)

The NC State College of Engineering is currently in search of companies that would like to host engineering student(s) for internships in Summer 2020.
 
The initial deadline to submit an employer interest form is coming up quickly, October 11th. 
 
This is an awesome opportunity to move engineering projects forward at your company, as well as  
provide you access to the latest pool of engineers before they enter the post-graduation job market.
 
To be considered, NC State is looking for the following companies:
  • A willingness to pay the intern a minimum of $10/hr for 10-12 weeks (40 hrs/week); NC State will actually match the company provided pay up to $10/hr.
  • A willingness to provide interim and post internship feedback
  • A willingness to provide 8 hours of compensated time to participate in community service
To learn more about the program ( click here) or for assistance applying to the program, please contact our local Industrial Expansion Solutions Manager, Gene Beneduce ( [email protected]; 704-369-9019).
mfgCON: November 5-6  
(Manufacturing Best Practices; Talent Development) 

Now in its fifth year, North Carolina's premier manufacturing conference will feature the most up-to-date and relevant topics from North Carolina's most influential manufacturing thought leaders. 
 
This year's conference will feature 24 breakout sessions and four tracks with topics that aim to address the concerns of today's manufacturers:
  • Optimizing Operations
  • Talent Development
  • Leading for Success
  • Strategic Growth and Marketing
You can view the full agenda and register for the conference by clicking here.  Register prior to October 1st and take advantage of the $100 off early bird admission ($299; $399 after October 1). 
Thank you for your time and interest,
Nathan Huret
Director, Existing Industry Services 
Office - (828) 267-1564          Cell - (828) 244-3085