Montgomery County Business Services Helps Businesses Build Their Workforce

Montgomery County Ohio is serious about supporting and propelling area businesses to realize their full potential and success. Workforce Development, offered free of charge, is a key component of this support. Based in the Job Center, the largest one-stop employment and training center in the United States, Workforce Development brings employers, educators, and social service agencies together to find innovative solutions for workforce development issues. 

“We’ve done a lot of outreach to promote our programs, but there are still many companies who don’t know how these programs can help attract and retain employees,” said Garth McLean, Interim Director of Workforce Development. “I’d encourage any company to check out our website or contact us at (937) 225-5627.”

With the multitude of workforce development services offered, it is useful to sort them into three categories: recruitment help, funding for training, and physical space in the Business Solutions Center.

Recruitment

The Talent and Recruitment Services division offers a number of tools to assist in attracting, hiring, retaining, and advancing quality employees. Free services offered to support recruitment include employee assessments, testings, screenings, interviews, workforce planning, and outplacement services. Employers can work with their online systems or a specialized staffing analyst can provide assistance. The division also hosts job fairs throughout the year for little or no cost to employers.

Talent and Recruitment Services works closely with area businesses to help them make important connections with job seekers. Local companies can contact them with open positions, and they will do the recruiting for them from their extensive distribution list of job seekers. Their Workforce Specialists have a pulse on the talent in the Dayton region, so businesses can target compatible, qualified applicants quickly: spending less time shuffling through resumes and more time interviewing and hiring candidates. 

“Recently, we introduced our Workforce Mobile Unit, which is a 38-foot Freightliner filled with the technology we need to connect people to jobs remotely,” said McLean. “We are using this to go out to businesses to help them hire, as well as taking it into communities to help people in their job searches.”

Funding for Training

When a business can’t find the ideal candidate to hire or needs to train up current employees but can’t afford the cost, Workforce Development is ready to help. Businesses can take advantage of multiple incentive programs designed to help them meet their workforce needs. Partnering with Workforce Development gives businesses quick access to county, state, and federal job training programs, as well as the expert guidance to locate funds for hiring, training, and more.

“With unique programs like Project Hire and Incumbent Worker Training, we are helping our local businesses build their workforce, while also giving our residents opportunities to learn new skills,” said McLean. “We want to constantly improve our residents’ skills, making them more attractive to employers and giving our businesses the skilled workers they need to grow and stay in Montgomery County.”

• Project Hire — Covers up to 50 percent of eligible new employees’ wages during a training period of up to six months to help defray costs associated with hiring someone who requires training. Workforce development can also help set up an on-the-job training plan to maximize a new employee’s skill set.
• Incumbent Worker Training — Defrays the cost of improving current employees’ skills by covering between 50 and 90 percent of training costs.

Business Solutions Center

Besides housing the economic development professionals and Workforce Specialists who can facilitate hiring and training solutions, businesses can use the facilities for meetings and networking free of charge. The Center is a place where business owners can plan, hold presentations, and build for the future. 

• Montgomery County Event Room — With room for up to 96 people, the event room is fully equipped with five projection screens, white boards, Wi-Fi, and audio capabilities.
• Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce Board Room — Projecting a professional image, the board room seats 18 people with two 65” TV/monitors for presentations, white boards, and a phone line.
• United Rehabilitations Services Cafe — The cafe is a convenient place to go between meetings to catch up on email, buy a cup of coffee, or have a short meeting or call. Plus, you will be supporting the quality of life for children and adults with disabilities or special needs.

The Business Solutions Center is like a free concierge service for local businesses; assisting with all of their hiring and training needs. Not only is it a meeting place, but it’s also an incubator for future hirings, collaborations, and partnerships. Employers can take advantage of on-site counseling for recruitment, workforce planning, tax credits, energy cost savings, market information, government regulations, permits, licensing, and more. Connect with their staff by filling out a contact form here or calling (937) 225-5627.