Get-a-Job
Days Helps Businesses
Find Summer Employees
For the fourth year in a row, STEP has helped businesses find employees
to work during the summer months when business seems to “pick up”.
Wanda Lopez, the Get-a-Job Days Program Coordinator, contacts businesses throughout Siskiyou County to get their job orders and hiring requirements so that the youth in the community can get a head start on finding their summer employment.
The students use classroom computers to register with the Employment
Development Department’s Cal JOBS web site. They can create a resume
on this site or use a word processing program. Students reviewed the summer
job listings and received assistance in applying for the positions. Door
prizes were donated by local businesses and raffled off to the students.
At Weed High School 127 students in grades 10-12 participated over 2 ½ days. The Get-a-Job Days program was also held at Yreka High School and are scheduled to be held in McCloud, Etna, Butte Valley and Dunsmuir High Schools.
Lopez praised the local communities for being very supportive of the program, and the high school teachers for setting up the program schedule.
Weed students Phetsmone Thienepheth and Holly Lassen won the grand prizes $50 savings bond donated by Premier West Bank.
Job Shadow Day
The Workforce Connection Business Services Team partnered with the GEAR UP Program at Weed Elementary School to sponsor National Groundhog Job Shadow Day that took place on February 2.
Local businesses from Siskiyou County had the opportunity to have a Weed Middle School eighth grade student come in to their workplace and job shadow for 3 hours.
The students had the chance to complete a Career Guidance System (COIN)
survey on the computer 
during
a GEAR UP class to explore their interests in careers. From the results
of the COIN survey Alisa West (GEAR UP Coordinator) and Josephine Wyatt
(Business Services Representative) were able to determine the following:
- Matching a career to the students’ interest
- Matching up students with a similar business in Siskiyou County
A total of 37 students participated and shadowed at the following business
- Wild Hare Printables — Graphic Designer
- Mt. Shasta Fish Hatchery — Fish and Game
- Panache — Cosmetology
- Weed Press — Journalist
- Schlumpberger Engineering — Engineer
- Jennifer Richmond — Personal Trainer
- KNTK FM 102.3 — Radio Announcer
- Humane Society — Animal Caretaker
- Gazelle Elementary — Teacher
- 911 Command Center — Dispatcher
- College of the Siskiyous — Sports Trainer
- JH Baxter — Manufacturing
- Keen Construction — Contractor
- Dr. Angela Ferrari, DDS— Dentist
- Village Hair and Nails — Cosmetology
- Weed Fire Department — Fireman
- COS Business Office — Secretary
- COS Welding Department — Welder
- Radio Star Studio — Recording Artist
- Hungry Moose — Cook
- U.S. Bank — Bank Teller
- Silva’s Restaurant — Cook
- Siskiyou Child Care Center — Child Care Provider
- City of Weed — Secretary
- Ana’s House — Child Care Provider
- Weed Police Department — Police Officer
- Weed High School — Principal
- Lillies & Latte’s — Florist
Workers' Compensation Reform
The Shasta County Private Industry Council hosted an open forum on March 3, 2004 at the Holiday Inn in Redding, with Insurance Commissioner, John Garamendi.
Commissioner Garamendi gave an overview of the workers' compensation issues addressed in the "Garamendi Plan, Bridging the Gap Between Workers and Employers, Completing Worker's Compensation Reform."
After the Insurance Commissioner spoke there was a Q & A session in which attendees had the opportunity to ask questions regarding the issues of workers' compensation.
The focal point of the Q & A session was very critical of the workers' compensation system as it now stands and how and when will it be changed. Many of the business and professional people that spoke were concerned that reform will not be quick enough to impact their businesses, and many may have to layoff, close or leave California.
Garamendi noted that if a reform package was not finalized by the end of March, Governor Schwarznegger will take the decision of workers' comp. reform to the votes in November.
Rapid Response- Business Closures
June 2003 - April 9, 2004
- California Inspection Stations (Hilt and Dorris)
- Corner Club - Montague (Closed -New Owners)
- Cowling Air - Yreka
- Scoops - Yreka
- Nisers - Yreka
- Nonas - Yreka
- Mt. Shasta Florist
- Yreka Florist
- Daily Grind - Yreka (Closed - Re-opened as Mooscatinas)
- The Cobbler - Yreka (owner/operator)
- The Pizza Place - Weed
- 76 Gas Station - Weed
Hiring & Firing – How to Minimize Your Risk
The W
orkforce
Connection’s Employer Resource Center sponsored the “Hiring
& Firing” employer seminar on March 16, 2004. Sessions were
presented in both North and South County. The presenter was Frank Sanderson
from TOC Management Services. Frank is the Regional Manager for TOC.
Among the topics covered were the Pre-hire and Application Phase, Recruitment, Permissible and Prohibited Pre-employment Questions, Interviewing Basics, and Reference Checking. The Hiring and Firing seminar marked the first of fee for service seminars offered by the Workforce Connection.
The Workforce Connection Employer Resource Center sponsors frequent seminars for the business community. Topics for the coming year include Understanding Leave Laws, California Wage and Hour Law, Workers’ Compensation, and California Legislative Update.
