2. Berks County Business Services
How did we start?
What makes us unique?
Where did we go?
How did we get there?
Where are we now?
3. How did we start?
For Berks County, the approach was
driven by the WIB’s strategic priority
for a strong, employer-connected,
demand-driven One-Stop.
4. Essential Early Decisions
■ Current partner staff levels were busy with
normal customer flow.
■ They needed a full-time sales staff who
were not tied up with order fulfillment.
■ Integrate into PA CareerLink structure and
place under PA CareerLink Administrator’s
management.
5. The Decisions
■ Well-defined roles and tasks
■ Face-to-face employer contacts
■ Generate defined high-quality job orders
■ Target employers (cluster, new and expanding
companies, high growth, key occupations, etc.)
■ Set numerical targets
■ Market PA CareerLink and other services
6. The Beginning
In 2005 EDSI’s Business Services Team
(BST) was completely focused on
developing a new employer base
We are now the employer’s main point-of-
contact to all the CareerLink services
The employers now have a “face” for the
CareerLink
7. What Makes Us Unique?
We only work with the employers
We do NOT meet with job seekers
Our vision:
– To reach out to employers; listen to their
specific needs and match the right services to
the employers’ needs.
We must strive to create enthusiasm in our clients, see
through their eyes, understand their needs and deliver
more than they expect
8. The Model
Business Services
Representative
Employer
Business Services Business Services
Representative Representative
9. Definition of Employer Relationship
The ongoing cultivation of an employer
through various means of communication
and customer service
– Phone Calls
– Visits – Scheduled and Unscheduled
– Tokens of Appreciation
– Follow Up on Everything
– Emails or Mailings
– Going the Extra Mile
11. 1000
1500
2000
2500
0
500
4/4/2005
4/18/2005
5/2/2005
5/16/2005
5/30/2005
6/13/2005
6/27/2005
7/11/2005
7/25/2005
8/8/2005
8/22/2005
9/5/2005
9/19/2005
10/3/2005
10/17/2005
10/31/2005
11/14/2005
11/28/2005
12/12/2005
12/26/2005
1/9/2006
1/23/2006
2/6/2006
2/20/2006
Job Order Goal
Actual Job Orders
3/6/2006
Stretch Job Order Goal
Job Posting Goal: 884 ; Actual: 2259
April 2005 to April 2006
3/20/2006
12. 100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
0
50
4/4/2005
4/18/2005
5/2/2005
5/16/2005
5/30/2005
6/13/2005
6/27/2005
7/11/2005
7/25/2005
8/8/2005
8/22/2005
9/5/2005
9/19/2005
10/3/2005
10/17/2005
10/31/2005
11/14/2005
11/28/2005
12/12/2005
12/26/2005
1/9/2006
1/23/2006
2/6/2006
2/20/2006
3/6/2006
Employer Visits Goal
Actual Employer Visits
Stretch Employer Visits
Employer Face to Face Goal: 364 ; Actual: 391
April 2005 – April 2006
3/20/2006
13. The Strategy
Sales and Customer Service
Blitzing
Key Industry Clusters by Representative
County Separation
Research
Focus on the Employer's Needs
Employer Information Resource Binder
Follow Up
14. Key Industry Clusters by
Representative
Industry focus
Representatives become experts
Participate and present at industry
partnerships meetings
15. Industry Partnerships
Partnered with:
– Rory Stevenson – Project Manager of
Advanced Materials and Diversified
Manufacturing
– Gina Kormanik – Project Manager of
Transportation and Logistics
– Bob Pozesky– Project Manager of Plastics and
Food Consortium
16. Industry Partnerships
Act as a resource to all employers within
the partnership
– Assist with CWDS
– Speak about the advantages of CWDS
– Market WorkKeys® and On-the-Job Training
17. Research
Labor Market Tools and Data
CWIA (www.paworkstats.state.pa.us)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
(www.bls.gov)
26. Marketing
Blitzing
Employer Information Resource Binder
Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce and
Industry
Berks County Television
Reading Eagle Newspaper
Berks Economic Partnership Television Show
Senator’s Awareness
Social Media
27. Marketing
On-the-Job Training
{Video} Capitol Connections
28. The Evolution
In 2009, additional responsibilities were added to
the BST
– Job order solicitation and maintenance of employer
business folders to include:
Contacting employers without a FEIN
Entering/Reviewing/Approving/Rejecting all pending
employer folders, contacts, job postings
Prescreening and forwarding resumes of matched or self-
referred customers
Reviewing/maintaining fully-referred and hold job postings
Following up to determine viability of staff-assisted job
postings, closing job postings, and obtaining hire
information.
– Provide website technical assistance to employers
29. Additional Responsibilities
2 certified WorkKeys® profilers
Members of the Job Fair Committee
Schedule and invoice employers for onsite
recruitments
Create mini job fairs at the CareerLink
Proctor WorkKeys ® assessments for
OJT’s (backup only)
OJT applications, gap analysis, training
plans, site visits, invoices, evaluations
30. OJT
Work one-on-one with the employment
planners
– Review WIA application
– Assist with the scheduling of the individual
– Obtain verification of eligibility
– Obtain signed gap analysis
33. The Connection
Employer Contact Team (ECT)
– BST, EARN Job Developers, Employment
Services Team
– Meet on a monthly basis
– Match Jobs with People
Open Communication throughout the
CareerLink
34. Then vs. Now
2003
– 88 New Employers; 1466 New Job Orders
2004
– 88 New Employers; 1656 New Job Orders
2005 (EDSI has the Business Services Contract)
– 147 New Employers; 2425 New Job Orders
2006
– 195 New Employers; 3476 New Job Orders
35. Then vs. Now
2007
– 59 New Employers; 1753 New Job Orders
2008 (Recession)
– 109 New Employers; 1822 New Job Orders
2009
– 92 New Employers; 1643 New Job Orders
2010
– 162 New Employers; 2095 New Job Orders
2011 (so far January through June)
– 90 New Employers; 1484 New Job Orders
36. 1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
0
200
400
600
800
7/5/2010
7/19/2010
8/2/2010
8/16/2010
8/30/2010
9/13/2010
9/27/2010
10/11/2010
10/25/2010
11/8/2010
11/22/2010
12/6/2010
12/20/2010
1/3/2011
1/17/2011
1/31/2011
2/14/2011
2/28/2011
3/14/2011
3/28/2011
4/11/2011
4/25/2011
Job Order Goal
5/9/2011
5/23/2011
Actual Job Orders
6/6/2011
2010/2011 Job Posting Goal: 1350; Actual: 1850
Where are we now?
Stretch Job Order Goal
6/20/2011
