Western Mass Employment Collaborative

For Employers

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Are you looking for talented job candidates? 

Finding qualified, reliable employees is essential to the success of any company. For you to achieve your business goals, it's crucial that you have a diverse, skilled workforce behind you every step of the way. The Western Mass Employment Collaborative can connect you with talented and committed candidates.

WMEC works with companies like yours across the Western Massachusetts area to connect you with an untapped market of qualified job candidates. Our pool of candidates includes individuals across 80 local cities and towns who experience varying types of disabilities. Candidates range in terms of skill sets, level of education, and interests, but share one common trait – the commitment and desire to enter the workforce and contribute positively to a local employer.


Putting ABILITIES to work.

Individuals with disabilities represent a rich pool of qualified workers. By recruiting and hiring these individuals, you can help your business maintain a competitive advantage through: 

  • Reduced turnover rates
  • Work Opportunity Tax Credits for employers
  • Access to the market share of individuals with disabilities and their families
  • A unique perspective to guide the development of your services or products
  • An enriched and diverse workforce

 
How we work with you.

Partnering with the Western Mass Employment Collaborative comes with no cost to employers. By working with us, you'll save thousands of dollars typically spent on print advertising, online job boards, and recruitment fees. Our Employer Liaisons will meet with you to learn about your staffing needs and requirements, and will help determine how we can best fill your current job openings. 

“Enterprise Holdings seeks and values people of all backgrounds because every employee, customer,  and business partner is important. The Western Massachusetts Employment Collaborative (WMEC) understands the type of dynamic and team-oriented individual we look for, and the organization has been a true business partner in helping us to find top talent that diversifies our workplace. The team at WMEC is efficient, has excellent follow-through and makes the process of finding a top candidate seamless. I have really enjoyed getting to know the individuals at WMEC over the past year and I look forward to continuing our relationship.”
   – Christina Semenza, PHR, Talent Acquisition Manager, Enterprise Holdings

“Our relationship with the Western Mass Employment Collaborative has enabled CVS Health to partner with local agencies in the commonwealth to drive awareness of opportunities throughout CVS Health in a structured and impactful manner. Aligning ourselves with WMEC has allowed us to reach qualified job seekers and match them to career opportunities at CVS Health. The collaborative approach offers an organized pipeline of talent that is unmatched.” 
   – Jonathan DaSilva, Regional Learning Center Manager, CVS Health

“Working with the Western Mass Employment Collaborative (WMEC) has been a wonderful experience – we value the partnership that we have built with them and look forward to continuing our relationship. As our Vision statement states we work together with our customers, our colleagues, and our communities. In the infamous words of Charlie D'Amour, our COO and President, ‘We are better together.’”
   – Kecia Bossie, Employment Supervisor, Big Y Foods, Inc.

 Learn about our recent partnership on a statewide hiring program with Sodexo.
 Press release: http://www.riversidecc.org/news/employment-collaboratives-partner-sodexo/


Please call us today to learn more about the Western Mass Employment Collaborative and how we can help you hire qualified, responsible employees. We work with many employers including:

99 Restaurants
Baystate Health
Big Y
Bruegger’s Bagels
Chick-fil A
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Coca Cola
Cumberland Farms
CVS Health
Dunkin Donuts
Enterprise Holdings
FedEx Ground
Home Depot
Lowe’s
Macy’s
MGM Springfield
Pelican Products
Salvation Army
Sodexo
Staples
Statewide One Stop Career Centers
Target
Tedeschi
TJX Companies (TJ Maxx, Home Goods, Marshalls)
United Personnel
University of Massachusetts/Amherst
UPS
Wendy's
YMCAs

 

JDN Meetings- what they are and how employers can benefit from them 

A key piece of the Employment Collaboratives success is the Job Developer’s Network (JDN) meeting. JDN meetings are held in all the State’s Regional Employment Collaboratives, and meet every other Tuesday, typically from 10:00-11:30am.

A JDN meeting is essentially a networking and information sharing opportunity lead by the Collaboratives staff for people whose job it is to place their job seekers in positions that match their interests, skills, and abilities. In addition to open discussions on relevant topics and skill building, JDN members share and learn about open job opportunities and the experiences of job developers with specific employers.

One of the most anticipated experiences at a JDN meeting is when an employer is scheduled to attend the meeting in their area. Not only do employers discuss their open positions with JDN members. They also share information about workplace culture, application and assessment procedures, base level expectations and requirements, and other information they feel needs to be communicated.

While job developers find value in being able to ask employers questions about their companies, employers find value in sharing this information in an organized but comfortable setting to a room of 15-20 job developers, each of whom represent a range of 25-100 candidates each. It is a unique and valuable way to reach numerous possible candidates in a short period of time, with an added benefit of reaching DEI set goals.

After the JDN, follow up for interested candidates is usually directed through the single point of contact (Business Account Manager) for the Collaborative to the employer. At the employers request, prescreening can be applied at this point ensuring an increased likelihood of qualified candidates. A single point of contact is often preferred and valued by the employer, cutting down on duplication and confusion.

As Jonathan DaSilva, who is the Workforce Initiatives Advisor for CVS Health says, “Riverside (The Regional Employment Collaboratives) serves as my chaos management department. From an engagement standpoint and a team impact standpoint it’s a big win for us”. Simply put, we provide simplified access for employers to more candidates.

To find out more about JDN meetings and how to arrange a day to attend and present, please contact any one of the Employment Collaboratives and we will be happy to work with you!