MEMBER NEWS
Workforce system delivers for Norpac employees
What none of us can do alone we can do together. This phrase best defines the effort and outcome of the work that took place in late 2019 when the news that Norpac was closing its doors hit the public workforce system in the Mid-Valley. Staff members from throughout the area dropped what they were doing and got to work serving the hundreds of employees impacted. This included scheduling Rapid Response sessions and job fairs to help the employees affected by the Norpac closures in Salem, Brooks and Stayton. The efforts of over 17 different units/organizations garnered positive results. Rapid Response is the technical term used for sessions where impacted employees learn about services and opportunities available to them during and after the layoff occurs. There were a total of 18 different Rapid Response sessions offered in different languages including English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Marshallese. When all was said and done, over 615 individuals took advantage of these opportunities. Three different job fairs were held, all full of energy and excitement. One job fair ran out of space inside the room, so an employer positioned a bus outside in the parking lot to discuss
bus driving employment opportunities! More employees took advantage of the job fairs; 713 employees participated. The job fairs were attended by a total of 97 different businesses, and more were interested! Unfortunately, space allowed for a limited number of employers. This demand reflects the low unemployment rate in the region and the interest of local employers in hiring hard working, committed employees. An employee of Willamette Workforce Partnership shared this: I was approached during the job fair at Norpac’s Stayton facility by one of the employees who was losing her job. She said to me, “I have worked at Norpac for over 20 years and I was feeling scared and worthless; I didn’t think anyone would want to hire me. I have already had two job offers today and I have hope that I really am valuable and these companies want me to work for them. Thank you for putting on this job fair, it means a lot to all of us.” This sentiment was not unique. Based on all accounts, through both verifiable and anecdotal information, most Norpac employees are gainfully employed two months later.
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FDIC
Salem ���������� 503-363-0698 Dallas ���������� 503-623-3119 Silverton ������ 503-874-8808
18 Enterprise Spring 2020
Jake Stamas
VP & Dallas Branch Manager
The Ag Issue
