Dayton, Nevada- The Dayton Chamber of Commerce, Lyon Human Services, JOIN Inc, and Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon and Storey Counties partnered to sponsor a panel presentation for area employers on August 12th in Dayton.
Panelists, including Heather Benson, Kathy Halbardier, and Patty Sanborn described a number of financial incentives for employers to hire Veterans, youths, recipients of Supplemental Security Income benefits, SNAP, etc.
Topics included the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), Lyon County Employment Program and its career enhancement referral system, Comstock Youth Works, JOIN, Inc, Silver State Works, the Federal Bonding Program, and other financial incentives for employers. If your group would like to host a similar panel of speakers in your community, contact Quest Lakes at HCC at 287-7598.
Heather Benson, Division Manager of Essential Services with Lyon County Human Services, oversees the county’s adult service programs (including employment, housing and disability) with an emphasis on crisis intervention/prevention and stabilization. She described the Lyon County Employment Program, a service that can benefit employers by increasing in-demand job skills in the local workforce. It focuses on identifying job-seekers’ strengths, and builds on skills in resume development, good work habits, professionalism, etc. Referrals for career enhancement through Job Connect, Vocational Rehabilitation, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program, etc., and support in navigating the ever-changing world of employment, are integral parts of the program. The program can also help with needs such as work clothing and interview clothing. In addition, if employers have a valued employee who is experiencing personal or family crisis that is preventing them from coming to work, the Program may be able to help that employee find the resources they need to stabilize and return to work, or stay at work with no interruptions. For more information about the Lyon Employment Program, call (775) 577-5009 x 3302.
Heather also gave an overview of the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation’s (DETR) Federal Bonding Program, as well as the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), and the Silver State Works incentive for Nevada employers.
WOTC rewards employers who hire eager-to-work individuals who may nevertheless have a hard time securing employment, such as Veterans, summer youth employees, ex-felons, recipients of Supplemental Security Income or Social Security, TANF, SNAP (food stamps), etc. Through the WOTC program, employers who hire people from such target groups can see a reduction in their employer’s federal income tax liability by as much as $9,600 per employee hired. Employers decide who to hire and can receive the tax savings on an unlimited number of employees hired under the program. WOTC can be used in combination with the Silver State Works incentive as well. The WOTC coordinator in Nevada can be reached at (775) 684-0321.
Employers who qualify for Silver State Works can get up to $2,000 per employee in incentive reimbursements or training allowances for new hires. Services include Employer-Based Training (allows laid-off workers who qualify for unemployment insurance benefits to simultaneously receive on-site workplace training); Employer Incentive Job Program (employers can be reimbursed up to 50% of the employee’s gross wage for a contract period); or Incentive-Based Employment (provides a wage and training subsidy and a wage retention supplement averaging about $2,000).
And under DETR’s Federal Bonding Program, employers can receive, at no cost to them or the employee, a Fidelity Bond (business insurance policy) that protects the employer in case of any loss of money or property due to employee dishonesty. The bond is given to the employer and serves as an incentive to hire the job applicant who has a risk factor in their personal background. For more about Silver State works or the Federal Bonding Program, contact the Nevada JobConnect office at (775) 284-9660.
Kathy Halbardier, Regional Manager for JOIN, Inc, a private nonprofit, described the agency’s many services for adults age 18 and older. The career training agency provides free skills assessment and trains Nevadans for lasting employment, with a goal of upward mobility and well paying jobs. It serves eligible residents of 13 Nevada counties, working collaboratively with many state agencies, school districts, colleges, apprenticeship programs and private contractors to produce trained and work-ready employees. They also help connect employers with job-seekers who match their needs. In our region, JOIN, Inc has offices in Carson City and locations in Fernley and Fallon, serving Veterans of all ages, people with disabilities, dislocated workers, those working at jobs with nonlivable wages who would like to increase their skill set, etc. JOIN has Spanish language outreach staff as well. A few examples of the job training opportunities through JOIN include training to become welders, Certified Nursing Assistants, CNC machinists, etc. For more information about JOIN in our region, call the Carson office at (775) 283-0125 or the Fernley location at (775) 575-1222.
Patty Sanborn of Healthy Communities Coalition (HCC) described yet another opportunity for area employers. Comstock Youth Works (CYW), funded through HCC, gives teen interns a chance to learn on the job each summer and work hard for employers in the Dayton, Mound House, Yerington, Silver Springs, and Fernley regions. CYW covers the teen’s hourly wage, workers comp, and liability insurance. Employers are asked to evaluate the interns work 3 times over the summer. Patty noted that the program has existed for many years, and often employers are so pleased with the service that they apply for CYW interns each year, and some even hire the interns full time once they’ve graduated from high school. The CYW receive training through Healthy Communities on interview skills, resume writing, professional attire, organizational skills, teamwork, academic skills, etc. Denise Crites of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce noted that the CYW intern at the Chamber this summer was very helpful. She said that the intern’s skills “bloomed” as she answered phones, greeted visitors, and took on a number of Chamber office projects. For more information about CYW, call regional coordinator Anji Winebarger at HCC at (775) 246-7550.
About the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce: Located inside the Greater Nevada Credit Union building, the Chamber promotes local businesses and civic organizations/non-profits through various services. They promote local businesses and organizations through Chamber Mixers, Ribbon Cuttings, social media campaigns, their Referral Program, etc. Goals include stimulating local business development; enhancing economic vitality; and increasing tourism, public awareness, and Chamber membership.
About Healthy Communities Coalition: Recognizing that people are co-producers of thriving communities, rather than simply consumers of programs and services, is key to the work Healthy Communities does in partnership with communities. The Coalition – composed of dozens of local, state, federal and tribal groups and hundreds of volunteers of all ages – provides more ways for people to become involved with their neighbors, to learn and use skills, and to take an active role in building their visions for their own communities. The result – action that increases access to health care; to affordable, locally grown food; and to higher education, job skills and leadership training.
Panelists Patty Sanborn of HCC, Kathy Halbardier of JOIN, and Heather Benson of Lyon Employment Program are pictured with Denise Crites of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce and one of the employers attending the workshop, Melissa Fischer of First and Ten restaurant.