Missouri Customized Training funds available w/new budget year beginning in July

February 21, 2012 By KCMN

Missouri Customized Training Program

The Missouri Customized Training Program provides assistance to Missouri employers for the training and retraining of new and existing employees. Your company may apply for funding to cover costs related to classroom training, such as curriculum development, instructional salaries, and training materials.

Eligible Applicants
Your company is qualified to apply if it meets the following criteria:

provides permanent, full-time employment to Missouri residents;
is creating new jobs in the state above the company’s peak employment level in the past year; or
is retraining existing employees as a result of a substantial new capital investment.

Application Procedure
Your company should contact the MCC Institute for Workforce Innovation 30 days prior to the start date of training or hiring to initiate the application process. The Missouri Division of Workforce Development staff will review the application and then notify you as to whether funding will be awarded and at what level. Training may be provided by a Local Education Agency such as MCC, a private vendor, or company personnel.
For more information, contact Jessica Craig – jessica.craig@mcckc.edu 816-604-1560

Filed Under: Resources

Resources for MO companies facing layoffs

December 19, 2011 By KCMN

Lay off – It’s never a pleasant time mainly because of the uncertainty each employee feels. As a Rapid Response Coordinator, Duke Crosswhite will meet with the company HR manager and provide materials that the affected employees can use to determine their next step. Resources that Duke can bring and explain to the affected workers includes Missouri’s Unemployment Insurance procedure; United Way 211 information; and Local Labor Market Intelligence. The Missouri Career Centers are conveniently located within the counties of Platte, Clay, Cass, Jackson, and Ray to assist displaced workers. For more information call Duke Crosswhite – 816-838-0776.

Filed Under: Resources

Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAAF) for Manufacturing Firms

November 3, 2011 By KCMN

TAA is a grant through the U.S. Department of Commerce to assist firms negatively impacted by competition from foreign imports.  TAA Centers assist firms through each phase of the program-from application to project completion.  Basic parameters for entering the program include declines in sales and employment at least partially due to import competition.  For more information call the TAA Center below.

MID-AMERICA TAAC
664 SE Bayberry Lane, Suite101
Lee’s Summit, MO 64063
Phone: 816-246-1555
Fax: 816-246-9860
800-551-8222 (AR, KS, MO)

Filed Under: Resources

Greater KC Chamber of Commerce 2011 Manufacturing Summit Presentations

September 20, 2011 By KCMN

Made in Kansas City – Manufacturing Your Future

Manufacturers and distributors are  becoming increasingly optimistic  about the future. Changes forced  by the recession are taking hold and  companies are hiring more, exporting more, and spending more on innovation  and advancement.
The Manufacturing Summit was held on October 25.

Featured presenters:
• Jay Timmons, President and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers
• Karen Kurek, National Manufacturing & Distribution Practice Leader at McGladrey Download the presentation here
• Dr. Chris Kuehl, Economist and Managing Director of Armada Corporate Intelligence  Download the presentation here

Sarah Manning, Senior Account Planner, VML : Digital Acceleration for Manufacturers Download the presentation here

Filed Under: Resources Tagged With: innovation, KC Chamber, manufacturing summit

Does Innovation Make You Uncomfortable?

January 26, 2011 By KCMN

From the blog Innovate on Purpose, the author argues that managers who are programmed to be process and control oriented do not embrace innovation due to it’s uncertain outcomes. Interesting analogies, including the comment that companies who focus on cutting 5% from their bottom line every year will cut themselves out of business in 15 years. Check out the article here.

Filed Under: Resources Tagged With: innovation

Lean Confusion?

September 1, 2010 By KCMN

As we launched our Lean Benchmarking Group, this was a central issue – how do we define what Lean is? Brian McCarthy shared this article with me, and it’s a great summary on the issues surrounding Lean – how do you define it, and who is implementing it. Ultimately, the article summarizes the challenges of Lean, and proposes that employee buy in at all levels is the key to sustaining gains.
Link to the article: http://www.industryweek.com/articles/lean_confusion_22538.aspx

Filed Under: Resources Tagged With: Lean