Developing a Quality Workforce!

January 2019
Vol III, Issue 1
Mark Your Calendars
The Workforce Development Board of Madera County is planning two important events this spring. The Eastern Madera Job Fair on March 14th, in Oakhurst and the Madera County Job Fair on April 4th, in Madera . If you would like to participate and reserve a booth free of charge, please complete one or both registration forms below and email it to jespinosa@maderaworkforce.org
Madera County Unemployment Rate
The unemployment rate in Madera County was 7.1 percent in December 2018, up from a revised 6.3 percent in November 2018, and below the year-ago estimate of 7.5 percent. This compares with an unadjusted unemployment rate of 4.1 percent for California and 3.7 percent for the nation during the same period.  

View the unemployment trend for the past six months and all Central Valley Counties' unemployment rate for December 2018 by clicking HERE.
Sexual Harassment Training Mandated by
California Law AB 1343
SB 1343 (Chapter 956, Statutes of 2018) requires that all employers with five or more employees provide 1 hour of sexual harassment and abusive conduct prevention training to non-managerial employees and 2 hours of sexual harassment and abusive conduct prevention training to managerial
employees once every two years.
Existing law requires the training to
include harassment based on gender identity, gender expression and sexual
orientation, and to include practical examples of such harassment and to be
provided by trainers or educators with knowledge and expertise in those
areas.
3 Employment Screening Trends to Know Before You Hire in 2019
Employers are ramping up their use of social media screening and real-time employee monitoring in 2019. The demand for workers in a tight labor market will push more companies to consider applicants they may have once ignored: those with criminal records. Read more...
Workforce Training Programs Investment
In 2018 the Workforce Development Board of Madera County invested $189,437 in direct assistance to local businesses through the provision of wage reimbursements and subsidies via our On the Job Training, Paid Work Experience, and the Transitional Job Training programs.

Click HERE to view a comparison from previous year.
Business 30-Second Training Series and Resource Guide
The Business 30-Second Training Series and complementary Business Resource Guide were developed with a business focus and designed to educate businesses, hiring managers and supervisors about proven strategies and easy-to-use resources that can assist in retaining and accommodating existing employees who experience onset of a disability.


Age Discrimination
50 Years After Age Discrimination Became Illegal, It Persists
More than 50 years after Congress made it illegal for employers to discriminate against workers age 40 or older, a new data analysis by the Urban Institute and ProPublica shows that  more than half of older U.S. workers are pushed out of longtime jobs  before they choose to retire, suffering financial damage that is often irreversible.

Workforce Media
In this Workforce Media Podcast episode, you’ll discover hiring challenges and opportunities from a small water company, and the benefits of partnering with the workforce system.

Fourth Annual Madera County Compact Mixer 
The Madera County Compact will hold its Fourth Annual Madera County Compact Mixer on Thursday, March 21, 2019, in the Madera County Superintendent of Schools Conference Center at 1105 South Madera Avenue from 5:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m.  This is an event for those 21 years of age and over.

The Compact Mixer will highlight past Crystal Tower Award winners and showcase our Innovative Careers Build Successful Communities Compact actions over the last few years. This event will provide a setting in which the Madera County Compact’s goals and accomplishments can be shared, while also providing an opportunity to network and share the amazing opportunities in Madera County while we sip local beers and wines provided by Reedley College, Riley’s Brewery and San Joaquin Winery. We plan to nibble on appetizers provided by Madera High culinary students and learn more about these projects:
  • Crystal Tower Awards Luncheon
  • National Manufacturing Day
  • Madera Youth Conference “Health Careers Start Here”
  • Middle School Summer Ag Camp
  • Middle School Summer Health Camp