Resources for Businesses/Employers
The State of Arizona provides workforce support to businesses/employers through a number of agencies. Assistance is primarily offered by the following 3 agencies: the Arizona Department of Commerce, the Arizona Department of Education and the Arizona Department of Economic Security; but there are a total 7 partners in Arizona's workforce development system that can be called upon for help. Below is a brief overview of the services and programs offered to businesses/employers.
How can Arizona support your workforce business development? Are you looking for...
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Assistance postings jobs? Contact the One-Stop Centers for help. There are a number of centers across Arizona: click here to find the one closest to you. You may also want to consider using the state's free website: Virtual One-Stop (VOS).
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Rapid Employment Initiative: The Arizona DES Employment Administration put together a presentation explaining the Rapid Reemployment Initiative (RRI) or you can access Arizona's RRI portal directly by going to http://www.jobcentral.com/rapid-reemployment-initiative.asp?en=az.
- Recruitment assistance? Contact the One-Stop Centers for help. There are a number of centers across Arizona: click here to find the one closest to you. May we suggest a Job Fair. Periodically the One-Stop Centers host job fairs to help spread the word. Another resource when recruiting employees is the Employment Service division at the Arizona Department of Economic Security.
- Training Programs? Surely you have heard of the Job Training Grant Program, but what about the Apprenticeship Program? Both of these programs are administered by the Arizona Department of Commerce and provide unique opportunities for training employees. For companies in the IT industry, consider the AzIT program. For Arizona's southern region, a new initiative was developed; it's called Innovation Frontier Arizona. There are also a number of certified training professionals that you may want to contact. The list is on the Arizona Department of Education's website: arizonaheat.
- Layoff aversion assistance? As part of the required rapid reponse plan Local Workforce Investment Areas provide services that can help you and your employees through this difficult time. Contact one of the One-Stop Centers to assist you with this response. There are a number of centers across Arizona: click here to find the one closest to you.
- Tax Credit Programs? The Arizona Enterprise Zone Program and the federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit program are available to qualified companies.
- One-on-one Consulting Services? The Arizona Department of Commerce and the Arizona Department of Economic Security both offer free consulting services.
- Unique employment opportunities? When hiring, there are several groups that are currently underutilized, consider the following employment opportunities:
- Employment Laws? Local employment laws can be found at the Industrial Commission of Arizona. There are also federal employment laws that businesses need to be aware of. These federal laws can be accessed at the United States Department of Labor.
- Unemployment Insurance? The Arizona Department of Economic Security handles unemployment insurance issues.
- Research Information? The Arizona Department of Commerce provides a variety of statistic, reports and other valuable research information on the Workforce Informer website.
- American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Stimulus Opportunities? Did you know that the ARRA also known as the Stimulus Package of 2009 offers special workforce opportunities for businesses? Visit www.doleta.gov/USWORKFORCE/ for more information. The United States Department of Labor also provides an outline of the ARRA funds.
- Employee Skills Assessment Tools? There are a few tools on the market that provide employee skills assessments. One of the tools available is Workkeys.
One-Stop Centers help businesses by providing free services including; securing qualified talent through recruitment and screening, provide training to new and existing employees, and they offer layoff aversion resources and transition strategies.
Arizona Rapid Response Information System (ARRIS) is implemented by Local Workforce Investment Areas at the One-Stop service center(s) in the county. These rapid response activities are conducted to plan and deliver services to assist dislocated workers in transitioning to new employment as quickly as possible following a natural or other disaster, a layoff or permanent closure resulting in job dislocation.
Local Employment Laws - The Industrial Commission of Arizona oversees occupational safety and health issues, compliance responsibilities for youth employment laws, resolution of wage disputes under $2,500, vocational rehabilitation for injured workers and licensing of worker's compensation pools.
Federal Employment Laws - elaws stands for "employment laws assistance for workers and small businesses." The elaws website was developed to help employers and workers understand their rights and responsibilities under the federal employment laws administered by the United States Department of Labor.
- FirstStep Employment Law Advisor is designed to help employers determine which federal employment laws administered by the U.S. Department of Labor apply to their business or organization, what record keeping and reporting requirements they must comply with and which posters they need to post. The Advisor can help all employers, including non-profit organizations, private sector businesses and government agencies.
Enterprise Zone - offers two benefits to businesses located in an enterprise zone; tax credits and property tax reduction. The tax credit program provides up to $3,000 for each net new employee. The property tax reduction can reduce business property taxes by approximately 40-60%.
Job Training Program - is a reimbursable grant program that supports the design and delivery of job-specific customized training. Businesses can apply for grants that return up to 75% of the costs of training net new employees. Training that upgrades the skills of your existing employees can be reimbursed up to a maximum of 50%. The program is streamlined, flexible and tailored to meet the specific needs of each employer, create new jobs and help increase the skill and wage levels of employees in Arizona. Unfortunately, this program is on hold until further notice. Updates will be posted at http://www.azcommerce.com/Workforce/Job Training/ as they become available.
Apprenticeship Program - is a training method that combines supervised on-the-job training with related classroom instruction to full-time employees. It's sponsored by employers who are committed to providing full-time jobs to individuals that are willing to be trained in a specific industry.
Innovation Frontier Arizona - is a newly created Southern Arizona initiative to align education, workforce development and economic development with the needs of the region's industries.
AzIT - provides training in the areas of Software Testing, Software Development and Engineering Quality into Software Development. The program is available through an instructor led course at Northland Pioneer College and Mesa Community College or for free online at www.azworkforceconnection.com/azit.
Business Outreach Program consists of a variety of specialized programs that encourage business development, growth and retention. Benefits to small and medium sized businesses can include: one-on-one coaching, utilization of broadband (high-speed internet), open roundtable discussions, introductions to strategic partners and more. By conducting business assessments we are able to increase our understanding of the workforce needs of the local businesses and identify any issues that may be impeding business growth. Additional questions can be directed to Roz Boxer at (602) 771-1185.
Employment Service - Is a network of public employment offices providing placement services to job seekers and labor force recruitment services to employers.
Unemployment Insurance - replaces part of the income an individual loses when a person becomes unemployed. This benefit is available to job-seekers, who are out of work through no fault of their own.
Work Opportunity Tax Credit - is a federal tax credit of up to $9,000, that can reduce employer's federal tax liability when they hire job seekers who have traditionally faced significant barriers to employment. WOTC joins other tax credits, education, and job training programs that help American workers with barriers to employment prepare for good jobs; ease their transition from job to job; benefit from the creation of effective regional economic development strategies; and create high performance workplaces.
The realization that mature workers bring a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and professionalism to the workplace is leading employers to re-think traditional retirement. Many of those employers are focusing on recruitment and retention of mature workers within their organizations. By developing a dialogue among the mature workforce, businesses, government, education, and local communities, opportunities for mature workers and employers to interact are being created. While employment is not guaranteed, the resources and tools provided on this website and through the Arizona Mature Workforce Initiative may be helpful to job seekers and businesses alike.
Federal Bonding Program - provides Fidelity Bonds that guarantee honesty for "at-risk", hard-to-place job seekers. The bonds cover the first six months of employment. There is no cost to the job applicant or the employer. In most states the bonds are made available through the state agency responsible for workforce matters.
Visit Arizona's Virtual One-Stop Center at: www.arizonavirtualonestop.com. Hosted by the Arizona Department of Economic Security, this site provides all of the information you'd find at a physical One-Stop Service center, but in digital format. You can get help selecting employees, posting jobs, and locating suitable education or training. Help is only a click away!
Arizona Workforce Connection