Tag Archives: Career

Multi-Employer job fair in Boise takes place Feb. 27

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Feb. 20, 2025
Media Contact: Darlene.Carnopis@labor.idaho.gov

A job fair will be held Thursday, Feb. 27, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the State of Idaho Chinden Campus, 11351 W. Chinden Blvd. The job fair will be in the Les Bois Conference Room. This room is located between buildings 3 and 4, and is accessible through the Les Bois Café.

Employers planning to attend include Idaho Bankers Association, Home Instead, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Veterans Services, YMCA, City of Boise, Equus Workforce Solutions, Bogus Basin, Idaho Division of Occupational Licenses, Idaho Transportation Department, Dabella, Personnel Plus, CP Audio and more.

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Twin Falls event combines community engagement and career exploration

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: June 14, 2022
Media Contact: Kent.Oltrogge@labor.idaho.gov

An event June 18 at Twin Falls City Park, located at 400 Shoshone St., E., will showcase area community organizations to encourage engagement with residents while providing information on potential careers.

The Community Engagement and Career Event, hosted by the Idaho Department of Labor, runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will involve local and state government agencies, nonprofits, first responders and community providers. 

Among first responders will be Magic Valley Paramedics, the city of Twin Falls Police and Fire departments, Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office and Twin Falls Search and Rescue Team. Some of the equipment they use will be on display, such as an ambulance, a ropes rescue vehicle, police, sheriff and fire vehicles. Continue reading →

Idaho youth continue growing through Idaho Job Corps

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: April 4, 2022
Media Contact: Tina Polishchuk, Ed.D, tina.polishchuk@labor.idaho.gov

When Idaho Job Corps welcomed its first group of students in October 2019 at its first location in Nampa, it was a three-year national demonstration project, piloting a new approach to serving youth. Idaho Job Corps is now readily accessible to Idaho’s youth in four locations across the state.

The overall goal? Eventually Serve 750 income-eligible students, ages 16-24, by training them for the workforce.

photo: girl sitting at computerToday, the program is thriving. Idaho Job Corps and the Idaho Department of Labor partner with the College of Western Idaho, College of Eastern Idaho, College of Southern Idaho and North Idaho College to deliver education, training and a whole host of wrap-around services to low-income students with barriers to employment.

To date, some 145 students have already moved through the program, and Idaho Job Corps is serving 195 students throughout the system – 43 of those enrolled just this year. Continue reading →

Idaho Labor Seeks Youth in Need of Employment, Career, Education Support

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Nov. 22, 2021
Media Contact: Georgia Smith, georgia.smith@labor.idaho.gov

Out-of-school youth between ages 16 and 24 now have numerous opportunities to learn new skills and increase their earnings through apprenticeships, on-the-job and vocational training and much more thanks to a federal program managed by the Idaho Department of Labor.

“Qualified individuals have so many options with this program,” said Keith Whiting, career planner.

We can open doors to new skills, job opportunities and better pay!Hundreds of young people are already benefitting from the program, with more than 1,000 served during the past two years. The state of Idaho receives annual funding – around $2.8 million in 2021 – in Idaho Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds to offer these services.

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Labor Seeks Out-of-School Youth for Employment, Training Programs

Idahoans who are out of school and between ages 16 and 24 can learn new skills, discover more job opportunities and earn better pay through two federal programs managed by the Idaho Department of Labor.

Each program has unique characteristics, qualifications and offers on-the-job and vocational training, apprenticeships and advanced education to low-income youth.

Workforce consultants meet with the job seekers to identify interests, goals and develop an individual career plan. Sometimes the plan involves finishing high school or earning a GED. Other times it means skills testing, advanced training and education and paid work experience. Continue reading →

Apprenticeship Training Opens Door to Auto Restoration Career

One day a few years ago, Chrissy Combs walked into Boise Mobile Equipment with her father, who was a welder there. She remembers him saying, “Anyone willing to train her?” Dean Bridwell accepted the challenge and that set Chrissy on a career trajectory leading to where she is now, in the middle of a three-year apprenticeship with McDowells Specialty Repair, an auto, furniture and upholstery service in Boise.

Though she didn’t know it at the time Chrissy would be trained as an auto-body repair tech at BME where she and Dean became good friends. She stayed for nearly eight years until she had to move on due to the economic downturn of 2008.

She landed a position with a bath installation company in the Treasure Valley. Doing this work Chrissy learned to match the paint colors of chipped and cracked bathtubs and tile. When she applied for the apprenticeship at McDowells, this is where owner Bert McDowell saw potential.

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Eight Idahoans Finish Carpentry Apprenticeship Program

For Immediate Release: April 18, 2021
Information Contact: Caroline Merritt, executive director, NARI of Idaho, (208) 322-8191, caroline@idahotruenorth.com

Eight Idahoans who enrolled in a two-year, residential carpentry apprenticeship program received their certificates this month and are fully employed.

Receiving their USDOL Registered Apprentice federal certifications for “Residential Carpenter” are, from right to left, Gajge Porter, Andrew Croce, Rafael Caballero, Eli Bowser, Roderick Johnson, Kohl Kesner (in back), Jon Sallee, Peggy Behrens (NARI President), Lyndell Kline (Advisory Board Member), Christina Allen and Teri Ottens (Program Administrator).

Federal funds provided to the National Association of Remodeling Industry by the Idaho Department of Labor were used to set up the program and were matched by association operating costs. Fees paid by the sponsoring employers helped pay for the training and education.

The eight apprentices graduated from the program after they completed more than 250 hours of classroom training and worked full-time at continuously-elevated hourly wages based upon course completion.

Upon graduation, the apprentices received their federal designation / certification as a “Residential Carpenter,” and qualified for their OSHA 10-hour Construction Safety certification and as a NARI Certified Carpenter, a certification program through their national association.

The graduating apprentices and the sponsoring employers honored were:

  • Christina Allen – Boyd Construction
  • Eli Bowser – CCH Design Remodel
  • Rafael Caballero – Wood Windows
  • Andrew Croce – CCH Design Remodel
  • Roderick Johnson – CCH Design Remodel
  • Kohl Kesner – Strite Design+Remodel
  • Gajge Porter – Strite Design+Remodel
  • Jon Sallee – Strite Design+Remodel

The program was made possible through a partnership between the Idaho Department of Labor, the National Association of Remodeling Industry (NARI) and the U.S. Department of Labor.

Interested businesses and job seekers can learn more about the Idaho Department of Labor apprenticeship program at https://ApprenticeshipIdaho.gov

Idaho Launch Connects Workers to Job Training

Many Idahoans who lost their jobs or experienced reduced hours because of the pandemic continue to need support in finding work or retooling for a new career.

Idaho Launch LogoEnter Idaho Launch, a new program designed to connect those Idahoans with funding, education and career planning resources essential for rejoining the workforce. The program’s intuitive navigation guides users to research training opportunities by industry, region or skill.

Based on a statewide survey of more than 800 Idaho employers who identified skills they need in workers, the Idaho Workforce Development Council (WDC) developed SKILL SYNC, a tool on the Idaho Launch website for job seekers to match their skills to employer needs. On the website, users can search hiring trends, discover employer needs, see regional employment snapshots, research training opportunities and apply for training funds.

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Manufacturing in Southwestern Idaho Offers Opportunity

Launching a new career, or considering changing a current one, can be daunting and even more so during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. But In spite of the negative effects of the pandemic on many industries, manufacturing  can offers opportunities.

Manufacturing is an evolving industry, especially in southwestern Idaho ranging from semi-conductor chip manufacturing to potato chip manufacturing. The skill levels of the workforce over the past couple of decades have changed dramatically as manufacturing is more automated and less physically demanding in many cases. Markets have changed with more global opportunities for Idaho products.

The highest level of manufacturing among Idaho’s six regions is in southwestern Idaho with more than 30,000 jobs across its 10 counties – 47 percent of all Idaho manufacturing jobs. South central Idaho has the next largest share at just 15 percent. The southwestern region’s 10 counties are diverse and include the state’s largest metropolitan area, Boise, remote small counties with logging traditions and vast counties citing its greatest population density as sagebrush and four-legged beef cattle. The share of manufacturing jobs in southwestern Idaho is higher than the nation’s by 4 percent but ranks fifth in share among Idaho’s six regions — the other five regions have significantly fewer total jobs than southwestern Idaho. The trend is showing some downward movement due to reduced production by large tech employers such as HP and Micron.

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Workforce Experts to Discuss Benefits of Youth Apprenticeships in Online Event

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: June 9, 2020
Media Contact: Georgia Smith, georgia.smith@labor.idaho.gov or Gina Robison, gina.robison@labor.idaho.gov

Idaho businesses, educators and career counselors are encouraged to participate in Expanding Youth Apprenticeship in Idaho, a free virtual apprenticeship accelerator, June 18, 11:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. MT.

The web-based event will focus on how youth apprenticeship can help businesses develop a talent pipeline while providing youth with hands-on training and instruction leading to industry-recognized credentials and a career.

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