Federally funded job training program works for employee
Final in a three-part series
“A born and bred, true Butler girl” is how Jackie Shorts describes herself.
So when her job of 14 years selling and supporting large, corporate accounts for a local telephone service provider moved to Ohio in 2015, she did not go with it.
All of Shorts' family is nearby, as is her husband's job as a union cabinet maker. And, Shorts said, it would have been a challenging time to uproot her then 10-year-old daughter.
“Moving was never an option,” Shorts said. “I loved my job. My coworkers were like a family, and the pay was excellent. But it is what it is.”
With a severance check in hand, Shorts first spent some time being a stay-at-home mother before returning to the work force. The first job she took, customer service for an East Butler manufacturer, was eliminated within two years when the company downsized.
“That's how I ended up on unemployment,” said Shorts, who has a degree in public relations from Slippery Rock University. “I was actively looking for a job, and going to the different meetings at Career T.R.A.C.K. (Training, Resources and Career Knowledge).”
Shorts said the telephone service provider had given her professional re-employment assistance when she first left. But, she said she actively attended re-employment opportunities at Career T.R.A.C.K. because she found the networking not only engaging and valuable but eye-opening as to the number of her neighbors also job hunting.“Even though they keep saying the unemployment rate is low, once you are not collecting unemployment, you aren't counted,” she said. “But you still need a job.”Shorts said she applied for an office administration job at Martin Sales and Service because the fireplace, poly lumber furniture and grill specialty store on Route 8 in Center Township is just minutes from her home.And, “Martin's is a family business. You feel like family here. I was done with corporate America,” she said.Store owner Adam Martin asked Shorts if she'd try to qualify for the federally funded “On The Job” training program.Martin knew about the program, which reimburses businesses 50 percent of an employee's hourly pay during a training period, because he'd utilized it once before. About a year ago, Martin hired a service technician using the program. That person, he said, continues to be a valued employee well past the expiration of the reimbursement funding.“This program is not designed for companies looking for temporary help,” Martin said. “It truly is made for companies looking to hire anyway.”Martin said to participate, a job candidate must pass pretesting and training requirements.
For its part, Martin Sales and Service had to identify five new skills Shorts would learn at her new job: accounting software, ledger software, advertising software, email campaign programs and a Point Of Service program.Career T.R.A.C.K. determines how long a particular job requires training based on an on-site visit and a job code reference. That dictates the amount of reimbursement a company receives for a new hire.In Shorts' case, her full-time job qualified for funding reimbursement for six months. She started May 1.Both employer and employee say the agreement is working well.In addition to the family feel, Shorts said Martin Sales and Service lets her utilize her love of crafting by decorating and staging the showroom. And she gets to apply her skills as an amateur photographer updating the company's social media.“I also do the company deposits and make sure the registers are good,” she said. “There's email I respond to. I answer the phone, set up appointments, update inventory … I do really like this job. And this is a great program.”To read more articles in Butler County Business Matters call 724-282-8000
