We hope this month's Industry Pulse finds you doing well and staying safe
We continue to seek out resources that may prove helpful to your company at this time - with this month's issue highlighting several opportunities with approaching deadlines or that may require quick action on your part.
If our office can assist you with any items mentioned below or if you have other needs at this time, please feel free to contact Catawba County EDC any time.
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Supporting Working Parents:
Crowdsourcing Ideas
"Supporting Working Parents": Idea Crowdsourcing Discussion
Monday, August 10th: 12:00-1:00PM
Free to Attend - Attendance will be limited to Owners/CEOs, Senior Execs/HR Leaders
The back-to-school 2020 season is looking very different for families and caregivers, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to health and safety concerns, navigating education and childcare options are adding logistical and financial hurdles on top of the usual child care struggles that working parents have always had to manage.
Join a cross-section of business leaders from across the region for a 50-minute "crowdsourcing" session in order to benefit from collective expertise on this significant barrier that employers are facing. Ideas for creative solutions on how businesses can accommodate and support working parents shared during this active discussion will be captured and raw data will be shared with participants who register and attend.
Attendees are asked to come with ideas to share and contribute. Due to limited seating, please email Nathan Huret for a link to the registration.
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Labor Market Survey & Reshoring Survey Open
The onset of the pandemic shed a new light on the importance of companies' supply chains and potential vulnerabilities along those linkages. Conversely, those vulnerabilities present economic opportunities as there is, and will be, increased private and governmental efforts to "reshore" and increase US domestic capacity in certain sectors to strengthen those strained supply chains.
The CRBA, in partnership with area counties like Catawba, has recently launched a Supply Chain and Reshoring Survey,
with the goal of identifying supply chain gaps that might present opportunities for area manufacturers or the recruitment of new companies to the region.
Open through September 7th, the survey takes about 15 minutes to complete, with participants receiving results. The most likely individual to complete the survey would potentially be within your purchasing department or manufacturing operations.
In addition to the Reshoring Survey, we routinely field requests for up-to-date wage and benefits information. We thankfully have a substantial amount of detailed wage information available quickly, but often lack any insight into the employee benefits other companies are offering in the area.
Therefore, if you would like to participate and receive detailed information that can help wage and benefit planning for the future, HR-related staff at your manufacturing company can complete the separate Manufacturers Labor Market Survey (for HR staff to complete) open right now as well (thru September 7th). The survey is fairly detailed and takes approximately 35 minutes to complete.
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NC4ME Virtual
Hiring Event
Established by Governor Pat McCrory in 2015, NC for Military Employment (NC4ME) leverages existing workforce development resources and technology to implement an employer-centric strategy designed to make NC the number one state for military employment.
During the midst of Covid-19, NC4ME continues to work towards this mission, holding a series of virtual hiring events throughout the Summer. NC4ME will hold their final virtual hiring on August 19th, with a registration deadline of August 11th.
Like the group's live hiring events, this virtual event (FREE to participate, registration REQUIRED) will utilize web-based technology to connect your company's hiring managers and recruiters face-to-face with transitioning military, military spouses and military veterans actively seeking new opportunities.
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Vol. 12, Issue 13 -
August 2020 Special
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Job Retention Grant:
Opening Soon
On July 1, 2020, Governor Roy Cooper signed into law House Bill 1023 to create the Job Retention Grant (JRG) program. The JRG program utilizes the Coronavirus Relief Fund to provide economic relief to North Carolina businesses and nonprofits negatively impacted by the public health emergency.
The grant program is not open yet, but additional guidance and application materials are expected soon. The program funds are expected to be depleted quickly, so our office will be sure to provide immediate notice when the program does open.
Eligibility Requirements
An employer, including both private businesses and certain types of nonprofits, may be eligible for a grant under this program if it meets ALL of the following conditions:
- It employs at least ninety percent (90%) of the number of full-time employees during the COVID-19 period (March 1, 2020 - May 31, 2020) in North Carolina as it employed in North Carolina for the pay period ending on or about February 28, 2020.
- It demonstrates that it experienced an economic loss in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic as follows:
- For a business, its sales for the COVID-19 period (March 1, 2020 - May 31, 2020) are at least ten percent (10%) below its sales for the same period in the preceding calendar year.
- For a nonprofit, its gross receipts for the COVID-19 period (March 1, 2020 - May 31, 2020) are at least ten percent (10%) below its gross receipts for the same period in the preceding calendar year.
- It DID NOT participate in the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the federal Main Street Lending Program, or the North Carolina Rapid Recovery Loan Program.
Grant Amount
The maximum grant amount may be up to two months of the eligible entity's average monthly payroll costs from 2019 plus an additional 25% of that amount. The grant amount may not exceed $250,000.
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Leader Talks:
Area School Superintendents Discuss Opening Schools
Tuesday, August 11th
11:30AM - 12:30PM
Free to Attend
The reopening of area schools has been followed very closely in recent weeks by parents/students, educators and companies alike. Tough decisions have been made and it appears now all of the area systems have cemented their plans for the beginning of this year.
Next week is an opportunity to hear directly from the Superintendents of four area school systems (Alexander County, Catawba County, Hickory City and Newton-Conover City Schools) on their steps to reopen and what they foresee for this upcoming year.
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