Henderson County Industrial Representatives and Members of the Partnership are invited to attend the 2012 Industrial Executives Forum scheduled for Thursday, April 19th at Blue Ridge Community College’s Technology, Education and Development Center from 8:30-11:30 am. The forum is offered at no cost to industry and members thanks to sponsorship support provided by Find Great People International and PSNC Energy.

This year’s forum is a reflection of the planning committee’s focus on the availability of a skilled workforce.  The forum will open with a comprehensive assessment of Henderson County’s labor supply, availability trends, and wages compared to regional and national data, provided by Tom Tveidt of Syneva Economics.

Following the wage and labor benchmarking data, Terry Collins, Director of Human Resources for GE Lighting Solutions, and Bill Medlin, CEO of Legacy Paddlesports, will provide case studies relative to their efforts to identify and hire new production and engineering talent in Henderson County.  Hearing lessons learned from a company with a 55+ year history and one in the process of relocating will shed light on the community’s current workforce and wage status as well as providing some best practices and ideas for other employers.

The presentation segment of the forum will conclude with an introduction to Apprenticeship 2000, provided by Pam Howze, Training Manager for Siemens Corporation in Charlotte, NC.  Apprenticeship 2000 is an employer-driven consortium that includes manufacturers, high schools and the NC Community College System.  The program has operated for 16 years, successfully identifying qualified high school students and providing a four-year technical training apprenticeship program.

Small group sessions will close the event, providing an opportunity for participants to deliver feedback and direction on how HCPED and allies might improve the availability of qualified workers.  Throughout the forum, participants will answer questions by presenters via hand-held device to provide real-time data in aggregate form on a variety of topics.  This feature will make the Forum highly interactive and allow our organization to best understand employer needs.  Please call 828.692.6373 or email [email protected] to reserve your space at the Forum.