Tag Archives: idaho

Apprenticeship Spotlight: Precision Propeller taps veterans to help strengthen its business

Veterans Brandon McCullough and Jeremy Coak, at Precision Propellor Services, work together by giving a propellor the proper parts to make it safe for flight. Veterans Brandon McCullough and Jeremy Coak work together at Precision Propeller Services to make sure a propeller has the parts it needs for a safe flight.

Hiring in industries that don’t require a college degree can be challenging. Certain industries need highly trained individuals to meet job requirements. Registered Apprenticeship programs help meet that need by providing on-the-job training to create a qualified professional.

For Ted Chester, owner of Precision Propeller Services in Boise, the Idaho Registered Apprenticeship program gave his company the talent with the skills they need to learn how to craft various propellers. Chester has been using the program for three to four years to grow his business.

“I was really impressed. The Idaho Department of Labor apprenticeship team walked me through all the steps for creating a Registered Apprenticeship,” Chester said. “It was a good experience.”

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Serve Idaho announces $375,000 in funding for AmeriCorps planning grants

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: May 30, 2023
Media Contact: Renee.Bade@labor.idaho.gov

Idaho nonprofit, educational, community and faith-based organizations, Indian tribes and local governments are eligible to apply for federal funding through Serve Idaho, the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism.

Up to five organizations will receive funding up to $75,000 each for planning grants to explore the feasibility of operating an AmeriCorps program. These funds allow time and financial resources for organizations to determine how an AmeriCorps program and its members could help solve community problems.

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Businesses: Learn how to pay employees and stay in compliance, May 31

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: May 25, 2023
Media Contact: Kandi.Rudd@labor.idaho.gov

Idaho businesses are invited to learn about the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour services Wednesday, May 31 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. (MDT) during an online seminar via Zoom.

Employees are also welcome to attend.

The seminar, featuring Wage and Hour supervisor Artie Holmes, will cover wage and hour jurisdiction, the wage claim process, wage deductions and reductions, wage payment upon separation, paid time off, vacation and sick time, and documentation. Continue reading →

The future of broadband in Idaho

High-speed internet, or broadband internet, once seen as a luxury service, is now understood to be a critical utility that brings equitable economic opportunity to many.

Broadband not only brings social connectivity, but can raise property values, increase job opportunities, boost education access and expand health outcomes through telehealth. [1] However, the difference in access between urban and rural America continues and was especially apparent once the pandemic set in.

This gap, known as the “digital divide,” is a gap rural America is all too familiar with. From 2017-2021, rural households in Idaho have seen smaller percentage increases in internet subscriptions (1.3% fewer) and computing devices (0.5% fewer) than urban households. With the pandemic highlighting this issue to a broader audience, lawmakers are working on closing this gap, increasing economic opportunities for rural households.

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30 employers available in Pocatello at hiring event

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: May 10, 2023
Media Contact: Clinton.Renn@labor.idaho.gov

Nearly 30 Idaho businesses will be available in Pocatello on Wednesday, May 17, from 1 to 4 p.m. to meet with potential job applicants.

The hiring event is taking place at the Idaho Department of Labor’s Pocatello office, 430 N. 5th Ave.

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Summer job opportunities available for teens May 13

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: May 8, 2023
Media Contact: Janalee.Henderson@labor.idaho.gov

Teens and young adults (ages 16 and older) are invited to connect with employers about summer job opportunities Saturday, May 13.

Boise and Meridian employers will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Galaxy Event Center at Wahooz Family Fun Zone, 1385 S. Blue Marlin Lane, to interview teens for job openings.

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Larry Gebert posthumously recognized for volunteer efforts

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Nov. 16, 2022
Media Contact: Renee Bade, renee.bade@labor.idaho.gov

Photo of Larry Gebert holding sign.

Larry Gebert

Former KTVB anchor Larry Gebert was posthumously awarded the 2022 Governor Cecil D. Andrus Volunteer of the Year award during the Idaho Philanthropy Day ceremony. Gebert was recognized for his commitment to volunteerism, philanthropy and support of nonprofits during his 30-year career. His wife, Julie Gebert, was presented with the award in his memory.

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Idaho employers save time, money using SIDES E-Response for unemployment claims.

Idaho employers can save time and money by responding to information requests for unemployment insurance claims filed by former employees in a secure, electronic environment.

SIDES logoSIDES (State Information Data Exchange System) is a simple tool to help employers respond to unemployment insurance requests in a quick, accurate, automated and secure way. The system is operating in 47 states, the District of Columbia and two territories.

“Responding to claims using SIDES E-Response saves Idaho employers hours of time and effort,” said Tyler Smith, SIDES coordinator for the Idaho Department of Labor. “The system is user friendly, intuitive and much more efficient than using paper.”

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Lerandeau, Jones serve as mobile office consultants for Grangeville, Kamiah, Orofino and Weippe

Heather Lerandeau

As a workforce consultant, Heather Lerandeau delivers a wide range of employment services to job seekers and employers who visit the department’s mobile office locations in Grangeville and Kamiah.

Photo: Heather Lerandeau

Heather Lerandeau

Helping Idahoans find jobs and rural employers recruit qualified employees is her favorite part of the job and keeps her busy. Some customers are referred to local education and community resource centers for workforce training or basic needs. For others it means support with navigating the process of filing for unemployment insurance benefits.

Before joining the department in 2021, Heather Lerandeau worked as a surgical assistant for St. Mary’s Hospital in Cottonwood. This helped her prepare for her new role with the Idaho Department of Labor as a workforce consultant assigned to Grangeville, Kamiah and Riggins (opening April 14).

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Idaho Employment Growth Projected to Continue Through 2023

Idaho’s robust labor market is expected to continue in the short term, according to new projections from the Idaho Department of Labor. Throughout 2020 and 2021, Idaho demonstrated consistent labor market resilience, becoming one of the first states to recover its job losses from the COVID-19 pandemic, and ranking – along with Utah – far ahead of all other states in post-pandemic job growth.

This growth is expected to persist through 2023 as in-migration and a growing demand for services continue to support Idaho’s economic strength.

The department’s newest short term projections forecast roughly 34,000 new jobs to be added in the state through 2023 for a growth rate of 2.1% per year. While almost all Idaho industries are projected to see job gains, rapid growth is expected in industries tied to high in-migration levels, such as construction and sectors still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Construction is projected to add 3,000 new jobs for an annual growth rate of 2.7% as demand for new housing remains high. The fastest projected growth rate, however, is in leisure and hospitality, forecasted to grow at 3.7% annually. This sector, which includes hotels and restaurants, was slower to recover from COVID-19 and therefore has room to re-add jobs lost in 2020.

Short-term job growth in Idaho tableSource: Idaho Department of Labor

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