A Perfect Match
Idaho - A Perfect Match
Workforce Success Story Submitted By: Workforce Development, Idaho Department of Labor
Workforce Challenge
A local Aerospace company was able to identify only three skilled applicants in the state of Idaho for a large number of positions quickly needed in Heavy Maintenance Mechanics. Their inability to recruit and hire an adequate number of employees would have kept them from securing a significant contract that would benefit the area's economy.
Workforce Solution
The Idaho Department of Labor proposed several recruitment strategies and scheduled an in-person meeting to further assess the employer's needs. They discovered that the skills and licenses needed by this company matched those recquired for certain military positions, and they developed a collaborative strategy to connect this employer with applicants from Idaho's military population by way of the Jobs For Veterans State Grant/Transition Assistance Program (JVSG/TAPs). The IDOL One-Stop office in Mountain Home is a provider of the JVSG/TAPs program as well as Wagner-Peyser and WIA services. This particular One-Stop Center is also in proximity to the Mountain Home Air Force Base, and many Veterans who might meet qualifications were already registered with the One-Stop. In addition, IDOL decided to tap the broad reach of social networking sites to further expand their capacity to find qualified applicants. Developing a long-term recruitment strategy through these channels was a natural fit to meet both the needs of this employer and to provide critical re-employment services to Idaho's Veterans.
Outcomes & Benefits
Intensive recruitment assistance involving IDOL staff working in the JVSG and WIA programs resulted in this company's ability to hire 50 new employees in one month and, therefore, to secure a significant contract which would have a positive impact on Idaho's economy. Several of these hires were also transitioning service members and/or WIA participants, who were able to receive support from the WIA program for tools needed to return to work in industry and become viable members of the private labor force.
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