Page 13 - SKILLS Workforce Development Guide 2021

Harrison’s firm is reimbursed up to 50 percent of the new employee’s weekly wage to compensate for the cost of the time and additional supervision related to the training. For the bookkeeping position, OJT usually lasts six months.
Companies in different sectors within the county are eligible to apply for the program and Harrison believes the One Stop OJT is a win-win situation
for him and his employees. The reimbursement helps offset the cost of spending on external training and helps employees build new skills and rapport with their co-workers.
CANDELA SYSTEMS CORPORATION On-The-Job Training
Education is one of the core values
at Hawthorne-based Candela Systems Corporation, an electrical contractor
that prides itself on providing the
highest quality energy-efficient lighting technology to its customers. In an ever- evolving industry, education is crucial for keeping employees and their job sites safe. “We have education as one of our five core values because we are always striving to help better each individual and make them more knowledgeable, which makes our company stronger and safer as a whole,” notes Marissa Grande, a human resources assistant at the company. Grande notes that electricians need many years in training and ongoing education to maintain their licenses.
For training purposes, some of the industry certifications are mandated
by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and others by the interNational Association of Lighting Management Companies (NALMCO). But Candela employees receive training above and beyond what the industry requires. For example, the company had several new employees come on board for a specific job, and before they started, one of Candela’s experienced technicians walked everyone through the different aspects of lighting retrofit.
Employees are required to pay for online courses themselves, but Candela provides discount codes and cost- sharing options if tuition is a financial hardship for the employee. Candela
Systems reimburses its employees after they pass the exam.
Candela’s required educational track is designed to create highly educated, skilled, and safe professionals. Employees are compensated when they receive advanced certifications
— whether through a raise or by being assigned to a specific high-profile project, which may have a higher pay rate. “As a family, we want everyone to go home every night. Having a healthy understanding and respect for the work being performed ensures that,” notes Grande.
STEW LEONARD’S
Leadership Bootcamp
Graduates from Stew Leonard’s decade-old Leadership Bootcamp “are high-performing individuals within the company who show great potential,” notes Ellen Story, vice president of human resources. As part of the six- to nine-month program, employees who are at the managerial level or higher are mentored by senior leadership across the company’s seven stores and in different sectors of the organization, such as marketing or finance.
A hallmark of the program is the group project, where the program
Opposite page: Candela Systems Corporation prioritizes training for its electrical workers to ensure safety on the job. This page: Graduates of Stew Leonard’s Leadership Bootcamp in 2019 (top) and 2020 (above).
What’s Hot. What’s Next. What’s Needed. SKILLS 11
© Courtesy of Stew Leonard’s
© Courtesy of Stew Leonard’s