The Business Council of Fairfield County

NEWS & EVENTS

The Business Council, The WorkPlace and Congressman Shays District Office Mobilize Regional Employment Leaders to Meet Upcoming Hiring Needs

Stamford, Connecticut; August 2, 2004- - This fall, three new employers in Stamford will add approximately 650 jobs to the region’s economy. Courtyard by Marriott, Target Stores, and Burlington Coat Factory will all open Stamford operations between mid-September and mid-October. In advance of these openings, merchants in The Stamford Town Center will be hiring for the back-to-school season. Overall, as many as 1,000 full and part time jobs will need to be filled in the next 90 days.

The Business Council of Fairfield County, The WorkPlace Inc., Southwestern Connecticut’s Regional Workforce Development Board, and the district office of Congressman Christopher Shays convened a series of meetings in July to bring together hiring managers, municipal officials, non-profit community service agencies, skills training providers, business organizations, transportation providers, and colleges to discuss how to meet the challenge these jobs represent to the labor market. “Stamford’s healthy 3.3% unemployment rate still leaves more people unemployed than the number of jobs being created. However, the city’s unemployed are unlikely to have the right mix of skills, experience and residency status to be able to fill these positions without extra effort,” stated meeting chair Catherine Candland. Ms. Candland is CEO of the Stamford-based staffing firm Advantage Human Resourcing, and serves as board chairman of The WorkPlace and Corporate Secretary of the Business Council's Board of Directors. “These business openings present a regional challenge as well as an opportunity.”

The WorkPlace Inc. has committed $25,000 to assist the three new employers with incumbent worker training through the local community college system and other educational providers. President and CEO Joseph M. Carbone commented, “The WorkPlace is committed to developing strategies to help these companies build their workforce and design training plans to ensure their workers receive employer specific and sector specific training opportunities.”

In addition to the three conveners, organizations participating in the meetings included Bridgeport Regional Business Council, Career Resources, Inc. (Bridgeport), CTE (Stamford), the Office of Economic Development for the City of Stamford, Family ReEntry (Norwalk), Housatonic Community College (Bridgeport), MetroPool (Stamford), Norwalk Community College, Progressive Training Associates (Bridgeport), the Stamford Chamber of Commerce, Stamford Town Center, The Urban League of Southwestern Connecticut and UCONN-Stamford.

"New jobs in Stamford is good news for the city and the region,” stated Congressman Christopher Shays (R - Bridgeport). “To ensure these businesses succeed we must pull together resources in Stamford, Bridgeport and Norwalk in a way that has not been done before. I am pleased to be working with this consortium of groups to help strengthen the local economy."

Plans were developed to assist with communications, recruitment, skills assessment, employee training, commutation, and English language training. Printed and web-based employer information resources will also be developed and distributed.

“The sheer number of jobs means that no one source can meet every employer’s needs,” said The Business Council CEO Christopher Bruhl. “But, with everyone coming together in a resource network, the City and region can meet the challenge.”

For more information on The WorkPlace’s Incumbent Worker Training program, please contact Adrienne Parkmond, at The WorkPlace, Inc., 203-576-7030 x309. For additional information please contact Lisa Mercurio of The Business Council at 203-359-3220.

The Business Council of Fairfield County
One Landmark Square, Suite 300
Stamford, CT 06901-2679
General Phone: (203) 359-3220
Fax: (203) 967-8294
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