Organizations providing solutions for small businesses and employees

OUACHITA PARISH, La. (KNOE) - Workforce Board 81 has partnered with school districts, universities, and local chambers of commerce to help small businesses and employees. They have joined to create nelaworks.org to help owners find solutions for some of the problems they have.

Adam Alexander, the program director for Workforce Board 81 says they are ready to help.

“Everything from training, to attracting, to retaining their current staff in the concept of retention,“ Alexander said. ”I think a lot of that does come with helping to alleviate the burden of how do I train this staff member? Or how do I keep this person here and some of that’s going to be working with them around their culture and making sure that they do have the employee-centric culture.”

These programs are available at a low cost to employers. But there are also resources for employees as well.

A welding student at Louisiana Delta Community College, Charles Wise, says this would help people looking for jobs locally.

“There’s not a lot of places right now you can just go and look and find local jobs. Everything that you go and search for, you know, seems to be out of town or traveling,” Wise said.

Kristopher Kelly, West Monroe/West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce Executive Director says these programs help everyone.

“We’ll help them with a list of job opportunities and try to do a little matchmaking, plug them into a community free of charge,“ Kelly said. ”Take advantage of those programs that are already here with Workforce Board 81 and brag on what already exists in our community.”

This will help retain families in the area as well to help boost the economy.

Ladarius Johnson, a student at Louisiana Delta Community College, who earned his certificate in heavy equipment at first, is also going through the welding program after he found out he enjoyed it more.

“I decided to go ahead and go into welding. I did a lot of research on it. And once I started with the class, I noticed that I enjoy a lot more than I actually thought I would,” Johnson said.

He also likes the possibility of finding paid internships to earn extra money while attending classes on the side.

“You’re learning, and you’re getting paid to learn. And once you complete your internship, you got a job,” said Johnson.

Internships also help students discover what career is the best fit.

“So it’s just as valuable to know what paths don’t appeal to the student as what do,” Kelly said.

The programs through nelaworks.org are helping both the employers and employees while keeping families in the area to grow the economy.

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