Businesses in Lincoln need skilled workers. But with unemployment rates being at a historic low, finding employees isn’t easy. In Lincoln, there are multiple agencies and organizations that now work together to connect clients to in-demand career pathways to achieve personal and family stability.
The goal of the Lincoln Business Task Force is to improve communication across agencies to meet employer needs. The Task Force achieves this goal in three ways: sharing information about employer needs, building relationships with human resource and recruiting leads, and hosting case manager job tours.
First, members of the Task Force meet with area businesses to understand needs and share program information such as paid training, case management, and other services. Each Task Force member speaks about their own program as well as the programs of other agencies. This way, the business does not need to meet with each member, yet becomes aware of all area services. All information is shared across agencies electronically and at monthly meetings.
The Task Force includes nonprofits and government agencies including Veterans Affairs, Res Care, Nebraska Department of Labor, Vocational Rehabilitation, Lutheran Family Services, the Commissions for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Proteus and the American Job Center/One Stop Operator.
Brittany Urias, Lincoln’s Regional Manager for the Nebraska Department of Labor, helped to draft the Task Force’s charter. “Previously, agencies were talking to the businesses separately,” she explained. “Now, we are respectful of their time by finding ways to present collectively to an employer.”
The Task Force also builds relationships with area human resources staff through on-site meetings, inviting employers to attend Task Force meetings, and organizing case manager job tours. The group can also share career pathways with the more than 300 case managers in the Lincoln area via its own listserv.
Cabela’s is one business that has seen the benefits of the Lincoln Business Task Force’s case manager tours. “As a recruiter, you are always looking for ways to expose your company’s job opportunities to new groups of people,” Vance Allison said. “We had 15 case managers from multiple organizations tour our office. Through a connection made during that tour, the Y.E.S.S. (Youth Employment and Support Services) representative referred a qualified candidate.” That candidate was hired and is still employed at Cabela’s.
Bryan Seck, Prosper Lincoln Employment Skills Developer, said, “The Task Force is an amazing example of Prosper Lincoln in action. It has become the go-to group for employers to identify ways to efficiently access government and agency programs and find employees for in-demand career pathways.”
The Task Force completed tours of Duncan Aviation and Bryan Health with scheduled tours for Lincoln Fire and Rescue and Lincoln Industries. Would your agency or business like to plug in? Contact Bryan at bryan.seck@prosperlincoln.org.