Thursday, July 11th at Oeno, 5-7pm. Open to anyone and everyone!

Oeno Directions

The Wichita SHRM Workforce Readiness Committee is looking for volunteers We have been partnering to provide volunteers to conduct mock panel interviews to the Wichita Workforce Center customers since May 2012. Mary Jenkins, Cathy James and Loretta Patterson have volunteered a total of 10+ hours interviewing. The focus to date has been working with Veterans to prepare for interviewing. Due to the successes we have had these past several months, we want to communicate all of 2013 schedules to serve other customers of the Wichita Workforce Center.

Each mock interview is scheduled for 30 minutes, with 15-20 minutes of questions
and 10-15 minutes of feedback for thecustomer. Veterans are provided with a
DVD of the interview to take home for review. SHRM Mock Interview are always from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and the Event Dates are 4/11/13, 5/9/13, 6/13/13, 7/11/13, 8/8/13, 9/12/13, 10/10/13, 11/14/13, and 12/12/13.

To sign up to become a volunteer mock interviewer please go
to http://shrmmockinterviews.eventbrite.com

For questions on the program please contact Christy Harmon, Wichita SHRM Workforce Readiness Director at (316) 677-1717 or email her at charmon3@watc.edu 

You can reach her at aneises@group-benefits.com or 491-2600 x126.

The Kansas Department of Commerce on Work Opportunity Tax Credit was recently reauthorized and will impact quite a few employers.

This is the link to their page: http://www.kansascommerce.com/index.aspx?NID=261 and to the state Live File: www.kansaswotc.com .

On January 3, 2013, President Obama signed into law the American Tax Payer Relief Act of 2012, which authorizes an extension of the WOTC program.

In summary, the Act: 
• Extends authorization for all veterans target groups (including those implemented under the VOW to Hire Heroes Act) to December 31, 2013;
• Retroactively reauthorizes all WOTC non-veteran target groups, from December 31, 2011 to December 31, 2013;
• Does NOT reauthorize the Recovery Act disconnected youth and Recovery Act unemployed veteran target groups. 

The Office of Workforce Investment is working in coordination with the IRS to issue a Training & Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) regarding the legislative extension of WOTC.

In the interim:
• Veterans Target Groups—The WOTC Units can continue with no interruption processing and issuing determinations on WOTC applications for veterans target groups.
• Non-veteran Target Groups—During the hiatus, the WOTC Units could accept applications but were instructed to hold off fully processing those applications pending further legislative action and guidance. With legislative authorization for WOTC now extended, the WOTC Units can finish processing and begin issuing determinations on applications for non-veteran target groups received during the 2012 hiatus.

The office of Workforce Investment is anticipating that the IRS will provide a period of relief from the 28-day timely filing requirement. IRS will be issuing forthcoming guidance that would include any such relief period.

If you have any questions, please email me or call me.

Thank you,

Joyce Heiman
Program Consultant
jheiman@kansascommerce.com  
Phone: (785) 296-7435

Information Provided by

Christy Harmon, Workforce Readiness Director 2013 charmon3@watc.edu  

In 2012 The Wichita Workforce Readiness Committee (WWRC) started the Host a Veteran in Business Day. The program matches employers and Veterans in terms of skills and company employment requirements. The business offers the Veteran an opportunity to practice interviewing with immediate feedback; a resume review and feedback; a tour of the business and interaction with a supervisor or hiring manager to learn about the business and their expectations of employees.

We are actively recruiting both Employers and Veterans for this year as we grow the program. To date Cessna, Foley Equipment, The Arnold Group and the Kansas Department of Commerce have hosted Veterans. TWe are recruiting Veterans from McConnell, VETS programs and Veteran job fairs with a current waiting list.

Please contact any of the following WWRC members if you are interested in participating by hosting a veteran:

Teresa Bengtson 316-291-4013 teresa.bengtson@aghlc.com  

Christy Harmon 316-677-1717 charmon3@watc.edu

Mary Jenkins 316-652-1573 maryj@cprf.org 

Kent Venters 316-946-0088 kent.venters@na.manpower.com  

The Wichita SHRM Diversity Committee has agreed to assist Children First CEO (Children Educational Opportunities) Kansas Inc. with their Future Women in A STEM Career program, which provides a path for low-income girls to choose an aviation or STEM career.  Their current need is for 12 volunteers to help with the interview competition on December 20^th from 6 – 8 pm at Pine Valley Church, 5620 East 21^st Street North, Wichita (on 21^st by Woodlawn). 

The middle school and high school girls will practice shaking hands, introducing themselves and answering a few basic questions.  Each interview is 3 – 5 minutes long.  There will be a rubric provided to score the girls and to provide feedback.

To sign up to help these young girls, email the Wichita SHRM Diversity Director, dsmoot@butlercc.edu or call 316-218-6211.

 For questions on the program, contact Amber Beck at ambercbeck@yahoo.com. 

ADDITIONAL WEBSITE RESOURCES FOR YOUR QUICK CONNECTION:

Some good news about Wichita SHRM members:

Anne Warren has obtained her PHR

Leadership Wichita 2012 contained the following HR professionals:

Kara Hunt, SPHR

Mindy McPheeters

Coleen Tabor, SPHR

Anne Warren, PHR

Kara Hunt, SPHR elected as Leadership Wichita Trustee 2013-2015

Kara Hunt, SPHR  was awarded the BB/BS Big Sister of the Year for Site Based for 2012.