HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-12-02, Page 10Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, December 2, 2009 - Page 9
Chamber seeks public input for Spirit of Success awards
— — Danny scoff
signal -star staff
The Spirit of Success Awards are coming,
and that means its time to celebrate small
businesses in our community.
Presented at a gala dinner on January 29 at
6 p.m. at Sanford Hall, the awards recognize
businesses and events that impact the com-
munity in a positive manner.
Presented by the Chamber of Commerce,
the event features ten unique awards, focus -
Skills trailer to
highlightjob needs
Susan Hundertmark
sun media
Jobs available in Huron, Perth, Bruce or Grey
will soon be on the road and visiting job hunters
and students in a new skills development trailer
developed by the Four County Labour Market
Planning Board.
With a three-year grant of $195,200 from the
Trillium Foundation, the planning board created
an interactive trailer that focuses on the region's
labour market and the different skills needed.
"We want to get the information out to where
the people are," says Huron director Dave Hem-
ingway. "People tend to decide on jobs based
on their own interests or the interests of their
friends or parents but they're not all getting the
same information," he says. "We're trying to
communicate about the jobs of the future."
Hemingway says the plan is to get the skills
development trailer into community parades,
fairs, schools, plant closures and any other event
where people might be interested in learning
about the regional job market.
The back door of the trailer is a ramp opening
up to more than 400 square feet of displays on
local healthcare, construction, manufacturing,
energy and agricultural jobs in the four -county
region.
Six kiosks are positioned in the trailer so that
job seekers can follow a zig-zag trail through
the displays where computer screens are set up
to provide information about the various careers
needed in the area. A map of the four counties is
also connected to a wall full of pamphlets out-
lining apprenticeships available in construction,
industrial, motive power and the service sector.
Healthkick Huron organized the kiosk outlin-
ing the healthcare jobs needed in the region with
a touchscreen computer that displays informa-
tion about the occupations currently in high de-
mand.
"The concept is that most people will have
about three minutes to look at the display so we
provide a card people can take home with them
and find us on the internet on our website," says
Healthkick Huron manager Laura Overholt.
Healthkick's display provides job descrip-
tions of various occupations with demograph-
ics, main duties, work environments, employ-
ment requirements, education, future outlooks
and salaries.
The display also provides links to schools and
professional associations related to the jobs.
ing on business and personnel attributes like
promoting sustainable business through the
four R's to excelling in customer service.
The forms for the event have gone out to
businesses in the Chamber of Commerce,
however it is open to anyone and everyone
outside of the Chamber, according to to
chief executive officer Judy Crawford.
"We want the public to come up with
things that they feel are worthy and have
made an impact on the community," Craw-
ford said, adding that non -chamber busi-
nesses are also welcome to be submitted for
the awards.
"It's an opportunity to celebrate good busi-
ness practices, whether they're in the Cham -
ber or not."
New to the awards this year is the Com-
munity Impact Award, sponsored by The
Goderich Signal -Star. This award is the first
award to focus on a community event and
not a business. The nominations are open to
anyone, and the award will go to an event
that has positively impacted the communi-
ty. Examples of these events are the Celtic
Festival, Communities in Bloom, Westcoast
Bluesfest, the Relay for Life, and the Santa
Clause Parade. As the Chamber covers the
Goderich and the surrounding area, events
from other centers, such as Clinton's Pluck -
in Fest and the Blyth Thresher Reunion are
also eligible.
"People need to come out and vote,"
Crawford said. "They need to tell us which
event they think is really deserving of this
recognition. The whole system requires
public participation."
The birth of the awards, according to
Crawford, came from the fact that there was
so little to do to recognize the contributions
of businesses in the area.
"Everyone works so hard and has so few
opportunities to celebrate," she said. "This is
that opportunity."
Voting and nomination forms are avail-
able at the Chamber of Commerce at 56 East
Street in Goderich, and on their website at
www.goderichchamber.ca.
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