Business Solutions
We bring together businesses, training and education providers, government agencies and economic development partners to address the workforce needs of local companies and industries.
Programs we funded help businesses recruit, train and retain the employees they need and provide people the skills and training to find work or advance in their careers.
Your business may benefit from the following programs and services provided through WSW and its partners.
Employee Recruitment & Retention
Finding and hiring the right people can be time consuming. Once you have the right people, keeping their skills current so they remain productive and your company is competitive can be challenging.
Whether you have a full human resources team or one person wearing many hats, WSW-funded programs may provide the solutions you need.
Business Growth
WSW is dedicated to connecting our local businesses with resources to ensure sustainable growth. Whether you need technical assistance with government contracting, process improvements, capital, a larger location or export growth, WSW can help you make the connections you need.
To learn more, contact:
Darcy Hoffman, Director of Business Services at dhoffman@workforcesw.org or 360.608.4949
Targeted Industries
When job-producing industries thrive, so does the community. Ensuring that high-growth industries have the skilled workers they need for their high-demand jobs is vital for the prosperity of those businesses and the health of the region’s economy.
WSW invests in training to prepare people for current and future jobs in industries projected to grow in the next few years. Our goal is to ensure businesses have the workers they need and everyone that wants to work has a job.
Learn more about the region’s targeted industries, including:
Hiring Young People
SummerWorks
Click here for an overview of our SummerWorks program.
SummerWorks connects your business to young adults for 100-hour paid summer jobs.
The program provides your company with:
- Qualified, prepared and motivated talent ages 16-21
- Talent that is pre-screened to fit with your company and ready to start work
- Young adults to assist with a diverse array of general tasks or project-based assignments
Hiring a young person for a summer job provides your company with a unique opportunity to invest in your future workforce and help create a trained and experienced candidate pool.
Click the image to download a SummerWorks flyer
Future Leaders Project (FLP)
Companies now have a homegrown source for new talent. Through the Future Leaders Project (FLP), businesses can access up-and-coming talent through 200-hour internships of WSUV juniors and seniors.
Businesses gain access to students with diverse backgrounds and new perspectives by providing students from historically underrepresented communities with paid internships and professional and leadership development opportunities, enabling the students to build social capital to further their careers.
Companies participating in the FLP are committed to strengthening and developing diverse leaders for our region by providing pathways along with professional development opportunities for students of color, individuals with disabilities, and other non-traditional aspiring leaders.
The FLP is an initiative of Workforce Southwest Washington (WSW), Columbia River Economic Development Council (CREDC) and Washington State University Vancouver (WSUV). It was developed to help students from historically underrepresented and marginalized communities advance, not only in college but in their future professions.
Businesses interested in learning more about the FLP and hosting interns, please contact our Director of Business Services Darcy Hoffman at dhoffman@workforcesw.org or 360.608.4949.
WSUV students should contact Bill Stahley, WSUV Student Resource Center Manager at bstahley@wsu.edu or 360.546.9273.
Apprenticeships, Internships & Other Business + Youth Programs
Young adults are your company’s workforce of tomorrow. Interacting with them today can benefit your business by ensuring the best and the brightest are aware of your company, what you do, why it matters and how they can be part of it.
To get involved and learn about opportunities to connect with young adults, contact Miriam Halliday, Director of Programs, at 360.567.3183 or mhalliday@workforcesw.org.
