Small Business: Work force kit details strategies, practices

It's no secret that work force issues have risen to the top of most employers' priority lists. However, how to deal with this low-unemployment situation does seem to be the best kept secret around.

Savvy business owners and managers are slowly coming to the realization that they're going to have to change the way they do things if they hope to maintain a well-trained, productive team of employees.

But knowing how to proceed can be difficult.

The good news is that there is help available for those seeking assistance on how to adjust or enhance their work force management practices, and a good starting place is the new Workforce Tool Kit, published by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Inside you'll find practical information on expanding, training and restructuring your work force.

It also discusses strategies for financing your work force and accessing other work force resources.

Here's a summary of the issues addressed by the Workforce Tool Kit things you, as an employer, should know as you position yourself to succeed in this changing work force environment.

First, if you haven't already, you're probably going to have to begin looking to some nontraditional sources for employees.

Youth, laid-off workers, older workers, welfare recipients, veterans, persons with disabilities and ex-offenders are all possibilities that you may not have considered.

The tool kit provides information on what you can do to tap into these sources, and includes descriptions of government programs that are in place to facilitate your access to this nontraditional pool.

The second issue identified is that of training your work force.

If you're going to be successful in today's marketplace, chances are that you are going to have to assume some added responsibility for training your employees.

So it follows that you should be familiar with the many public programs available to help.

The kit directs you to federal programs that deal with training, apprenticeships, building productivity and skills, and fighting substance abuse in the workplace.

The tool kit also addresses issues relative to managing major changes in your work force.

The time may come when you need to engage in layoffs, downsizing and restructuring in order to adjust to changing technology and industry fluctuations.

You should be familiar with programs that provide assistance to both employers and workers to manage these changes and lessen the impact on your employees and community.

The tool kit describes Rapid Response services and identifies sources of financial and training assistance for employees during times of change.

Did you know that help is available from government programs to help finance your work force?

If you hire low-income workers such as welfare recipients, high-risk youth, veterans, food stamp recipients, vocational rehabilitation referrals and ex-felons you may qualify for certain tax credits.

The kit describes these opportunities along with other financial tools designed specifically to help manufacturers, small businesses, and employers in rural and inner-city areas.

The Workforce Tool Kit was developed through what is known as America's Workforce Network, the new national system of employment and training services that has come about as a result of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998.

It is a partnership bringing together business, government and the community utilizing the one-stop concept for providing work- force related resources.

In addition to everything else described, the tool kit also provides information on one-stop services and on other sources for recruiting skilled employees, even in a tight labor market.

The Workforce Tool Kit is available online in PDF format at the U.S. Department of Labor Web site, www.dol.gov.

(Sonja Chasteen is the business assistance manager for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.)