The entry-level workforce: three key programs that can help your business.

If your business needs help recruiting and training qualified entry-level workers, here are three employer-based workforce initiatives you need to know more about.

The Learning Network

Founded in 2000 under the aegis of the Detroit Regional Chamber's Business Education/Training Alliance (BETA) and sponsored by the Hudson-Webber Foundation, the Learning Network is a consortium of local organizations that meets on a regular basis to tackle difficult employment problems. At these meetings, participants discuss and dissect problematic issues like employee retention, goal setting, corporate policies and training, as well as "soft skills" like communication. Then the employers are challenged to carry proposed solutions back to their organizations, implement them and report back to the group on any successes--or failures.

"In our Learning Network group, we shared stories and coaching models that helped us become aware of the best practices to use relative to the target population we're going after," says Trinee Moore, director of the Visiting Nurse Association Training Institute in Southfield. "This helps employers find and retain employees. But ultimately, the major reason the Learning Network works is that it helps companies create a career path for its entry-level employees, which makes them want to stay."

For more information on the Learning Network, contact Vonda Turner, director, entry-level employment initiatives, Detroit Regional Chamber at [phone] or e-mail [e-mail].

Work Keys

When you hire a new entry-level employee, there's almost always an element of risk. The Michigan Department of Career Development (MDCD) can help increase the likelihood that you've made the right decision. Its Work Keys career development system offers a number of assessment tools to measure employees' skill levels so workers can be matched to the job that suits them best, thus increasing their chances of long-term success.

One such tool is Work Keys' job profiles, which analyze jobs and identify skill levels needed by employees. Job profiling allows students and workers to make appropriate decisions about jobs and identify their strengths and weaknesses as they pursue their education and career goals. Defining skills this way makes it easier for employers, as well. They can identify employees' strengths and weaknesses, then either assign workers to the appropriate position or train them to take on a different job for which they show promise.

Another valuable service offered through Work Keys is its assessment program. These tests measure skills in eight different disciplines, including applied mathematics, applied technology, listening, locating information, observation, reading for information, teamwork and writing. Because these skill levels are generally considered crucial for employability, testing is a viable way to ascertain employees' capabilities quickly and fairly. Once these capabilities are determined, it's much easier to figure out where to place employees so they'll grow and thrive professionally.

For more information, visit www.act.org/workkeys or contact your local Michigan Work Keys Service Center. Work Keys assessments are administered through 34 service centers located at Michigan's 28 community colleges and six of the state's intermediate school districts. For a list of sites, visit the Michigan Department of Career Development's Website at www.mdcd.org.

Job Ladder

Offer a person a job, and he or she is likely to stay with you until something better comes along. But offer that same person a career, and you increase the likelihood of creating a loyal, long-term employee.

That's the rationale behind the Job Ladder program, a Chamber/BETA initiative that improves retention rates by moving entry-level workers into higher-paying careers. Job

Ladder may actually prepare employees to move into jobs outside of the company that originally hired them. But because every move to a higher rung on the job ladder is considered a success when it comes to entry-level jobs, employers actually encourage and applaud such advancement.

At a recent employee conference coordinated for her company by Job Ladder, Yvonne Knox, a McDonald's owner/operator in Detroit, said she has such faith in the power of the Job Ladder program that she strongly encourages all of her employees to become involved, and even includes the organization's enrollment form with her new hire paperwork.

Another important component of Job Ladder is its ability to connect employees with selected community agencies whose members have pledged to offer personal support and mentoring.

For more information on the Job Ladder program, contact Vonda Turner, director, entry-level employment initiatives, Detroit Regional Chamber at [phone] or e-mail [e-mail].

Online workforce links

www.michworks.org--A comprehensive job-matching system for employers and job seekers. Click "Employers" to sign up for a free account.

www.miinternship.org--A high school and postsecondary internship matching system for students and employers. Click "Employers" and start e-recruiting.

www.mycareereducation.org--Lets individuals shop for education and training programs. Go to www.mycareereducation.org/geosearch.asp to for a complete list of training providers across Michigan. You can do a geographical search by county, region and ZIP code.

www.mivu.org--Michigan Virtual University's portal for Web-based training and course catalogs of Web courses at Michigan postsecondary institutions. Click "Corporate Learning Services" for programs specifically geared to businesses.

http://medc.michigan.org--Michigan Economic Development Corp. Website. Click "Employers" to post a job and find workers. You can start free but there is a cost to upgrade.

www.nationjob.com--Nation Job Network, a toprated resource for both employers and job-seekers.

www.act.org/workkeys--Michigan Work Keys program's Website. For a list of sites, refer to the Michigan Department of Career Development's Website at www.mdcd.org.

www.talentfreeway.org--Michigan Talent Bank, a labor exchange system where employers can post jobs and read employee resumes for free.

Visit the Detroiter online at www.detroitchamber.com for a list of Website links to companies and organizations offering products and services related to this section's topic. Click "Detroiter" on our home page.

Eileen Figure Sandlin is a freelance writer.