In Arkansas, hundreds of individuals depart U.S. navy service annually and begin looking for their subsequent job, and a few face problem as a result of their navy abilities do not all the time match neatly onto a civilian profession path. There is a new useful resource for them in Northwest Arkansas.
Transition Overwatch helps veterans make the transition from active-duty navy to civilian work by way of its Army Apprenticeship Hubs.
Sean Ofeldt, founder and chief govt of Transition Overwatch, mentioned the latest hub is in Fayetteville, certainly one of 4 all through the nation to handle the challenges of each veterans and employers.
“We’ve a number of totally different apprenticeship applications which might be accessible to navy members for gratis,” he mentioned, “and we have established what we name Army Apprenticeship Hubs or ‘touchdown zones’ at key areas throughout the U.S., with the aim of attracting navy members into these areas after they transition out.”
Ofeldt added that the group goals not solely to assist folks make the transitions to so-called “new-collar” careers, but additionally to assist employers develop a extra various native expertise pool with the talents required for at present’s enterprise calls for.
Arkansas is the location of a number of navy bases and coaching camps, and the U.S. Division of Veteran Affairs mentioned the state is house to greater than 211,000 veterans. Ofeldt added that the unconventional apprenticeship applications are a grouping of various providers that exist to learn navy members and corporations prepared to rent them.
“We then go in, we work with workforce growth boards, financial growth boards and comparable, and actually set up a local people or a neighborhood ecosystem of employers and companions which might be prepared to assist navy transition by way of apprenticeship,” he mentioned. “So, that is at the moment what we’re activating in Northwest Arkansas.”
Ofeldt mentioned Transition Overwatch goals to assist veterans who could also be struggling to determine what they wish to do for work, the place they wish to reside, and methods to acclimate to the civilian workforce.
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Metropolis of Richmond workers have filed to vote on their first union contract, and whereas they’re nonetheless within the early levels of creating a union in Virginia’s capital metropolis, it has been an extended street to get up to now.
A regulation handed in 2020 lastly allowed public workers to be eligible for collective-bargaining rights. For the town of Richmond, a 2022 collective bargaining ordinance let workers start establishing a union.
David Broder, president of Service Workers Worldwide Union Virginia 512, mentioned the town council was desirous to collaborate and take heed to staff, so they may develop a good collective bargaining ordinance. As workers put together to go to the bargaining desk, he detailed what they’re searching for from their first union contract.
“Staff are searching for a good wage that may enable them to reside within the metropolis. Staff are searching for inexpensive well being care. Staff are searching for paid-leave advantages that may enable them to deal with themselves and their family members as they deal with the town,” Broder outlined.
In line with a report from the Commonwealth Institute, one in 12 full-time workers can’t afford to assist themselves on their metropolis wage.
The report additionally discovered excessive turnover charges will not be restricted to a single company within the metropolis. In evaluating knowledge from 2016 and 2020, the median turnover charge was just a little over 11%, costing the town greater than $6.7 million per yr.
Broder thinks one of many largest challenges will probably be getting sufficient folks to hitch the union. Though polls present there’s an amazing quantity of assist for unions, the winding street to creating one is usually a deterrent.
Given the dedication of Metropolis of Richmond staff, he feels the union will come by way of and be inclusive of all staff’ wants.
“Staff have been working very exhausting, by way of the ordinance debate and past,” Broder identified. “Staff will proceed to do this. They will be surveying their co-workers speaking about what points are most important to them. They have been doing that for effectively over a yr and can proceed to do this.”
Richmond workers will not be alone in working to type a union. Workers from different cities equivalent to Alexandria, Newport Information and Virginia Seashore are both working to type a union or have already got one in place.
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This week, a Minnesota Senate committee will think about a plan supporters mentioned would make it simpler for staff at small companies to have retirement financial savings plans.
The invoice follows issues a couple of rising financial savings hole. The Minnesota Safe Selection Retirement Act would supply an automated payroll deduction, with the collected retirement funds managed by a state board. Staff would have the choice to be enrolled, and no employer contributions can be wanted.
Cathy McLeer, state director of AARP Minnesota, which helps the proposal, mentioned it could assist these and not using a nest egg take management of their monetary outlook as they age.
“We all know that there’ve been declines and employer-sponsored pensions,” McLeer identified. “We all know {that a} lack of financial savings actually impacts an individual’s capacity to realize that safe retirement.”
AARP mentioned practically one-third of Minnesota staff do not need entry to a retirement plan by way of their job. And greater than 42% of Minnesota retirees depend on Social Safety for half their revenue.
The proposal has been floated earlier than. It’s unclear how far it’d go this session. Opposition in different states has centered across the affect on private-sector plan suppliers.
Invoice supporters say this can also make small companies extra aggressive, eliminating the prices to arrange a retirement plan for employees.
Erik Forsberg, president and CEO of Overlord Hospitality, which operates a handful of eating places within the Twin Cities, mentioned it’d end in not having to place a lot time and vitality into recruiting and retaining staff.
“Hiring and coaching and going by way of all that’s costly, in any business,” Forsberg noticed. “If you get into our business, and there is a lot turnover, it might actually add up.”
Forsberg added many individuals could make a profession within the hospitality sector, however must weigh a number of exterior elements. He thinks placing retirement financial savings on their radar can be an enormous plus.
“They must deal with issues like transportation and youngster care, however in terms of really planning to your future, that is not normally part of their dialog,” Forsberg defined.
Disclosure: AARP Minnesota contributes to our fund for reporting on Finances Coverage & Priorities, Shopper Points, Well being Points, and Senior Points. If you need to assist assist information within the public curiosity, click on right here.
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Iowa lawmakers have superior a invoice to tighten the principles for individuals who obtain unemployment advantages.
The Legislature already handed limits final yr on how lengthy an individual who’s out of labor can obtain assist, and beneath the brand new measure, folks can be required to do extra to get it. Senate File 1159 would mandate unemployed Iowans to finish “extra aggressive” job searches, with as much as a half-dozen purposes each week, relying on what number of jobs can be found.
Sen. Nate Boulton, D-Des Moines, thinks the measure can be unhealthy for workers and the businesses they go to work for.
“And telling folks they should settle for positions or danger dropping their unemployment advantages; you are placing strain on folks to take jobs they’ve zero intention of staying into for any lengthy time period,” Boulton contended.
The invoice would additionally eradicate waivers from present Iowa regulation permitting folks in seasonal jobs to make use of unemployment throughout layoff intervals earlier than they’re rehired. These jobs have sometimes been in development and agriculture. Critics of the invoice say it’s going to make it even tougher to fill seasonal jobs, and make Iowa much less pleasant general to potential employers.
That is the second transfer to tighten the principles for folks searching for unemployment advantages. Iowa lawmakers have already minimize the time somebody can keep on unemployment from 26 weeks to 16, and tightened the requirement to simply accept what the state known as “appropriate work.” Boulton argued such adjustments drive folks into jobs for which they could be underqualified or overqualified.
“It is simply one other step within the misguided effort to get extra folks off of unemployment and into work, however not connecting the dots to work that is sensible for each the employer and the worker,” Boulton asserted.
The measure strikes subsequent to the complete Senate.
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