Stewards of Good Works

Whatever you do, work heartily,

as for the Lord and not for men.

(Colossians 3:23)

I have said it before, but I am blessed to operate in many dimensions, which allows me to develop perspectives from opposite sides of many situations. The morning after my last blog post on skills training programs from a job seeker's viewpoint, I was invited to visit an employer looking to improve the skills of their existing workforce. I had this ride along experience in conjunction with my new friends at the Workforce Investment Network.

My first impression of the company: This is a family owned business, employing around 300 employees. Some of the entry level jobs are material handlers or warehouse related, but the organization employs more skilled trades such as machine operators, maintenance workers, CDL drivers, etc. Located in a low-to-moderate income community, the company is known for its stewardship. They offer on-site GED classes for some of their employees who did not finish high school. The justification is to provide avenues for growth for employees looking to advance into higher wage jobs internally as a deterrent to experienced staff leaving.

For the record, these are not low wage jobs. This particular WIN business services manager was there to inform the employer of state grants available to offset training costs. She spoke of one of the on-the-job training initiatives to retool employees making less than $15 for internal advancement, and the company leadership proudly shared that few people in their organization made less than $15/hour. This company prided itself for its retention record. Once people were hired on, they rarely left because the corporation provided opportunities for team members to learn in order to earn more. In this case, the employer was looking for support in finding a provider of custom training for on-site maintenance skills development program. They wanted technical training on their processes and equipment for their incumbent staff.

Similar to something I said in a post a couple of weeks ago, this is a company that I would not have noticed as a potential employer when I was younger. The brand does not have a catchy jingle or a recognizable logo. The company does not make a product that I would ever come across in retail. However, the work environment is clean, safe, and most importantly, theirs was a company culture of teamwork and stability. It is the type of company I wish I could have worked with to gain shop floor experience.

My takeaway of this employer visit is that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of small businesses like this. Those who have the privilege of working for the company know the leadership as stewards of the community. Perhaps not a major employer in the region, the company exists as an employer of choice in the community in which it operates by those who know. They provide incentives for training and advancement not simply because they are told to; they do it because it is the right thing to do. Who are some of the stewards of good works and good jobs in your community? Feel free to comment or send me an email to latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.