Businesses to benefit from Wednesday workshop

The City of Harrisburg is reaching out to interested area businesses with an employer informational workshop Wednesday.

Mayor Eric Gregg is hosing the Meeting Business Needs event at the Harris-Pruett Building which begins with an 8:30 a.m. registration and the workshop starting at 9 a.m. and ending at noon.

Gregg describes the event as, “Probably one of the most important things I done since I’ve been mayor.”

“I would encourage every business in Saline County to send a representative,” he said.

Representatives of the Illinois Department of Employment Security, Illinois Department of Economic Opportunity and Southern 14 Workforce Investment Board will speak on an array of topics including:

Employment services, unemployment insurance services, labor market information, information on retaining businesses and employees, skills assessments and training options to help sectors of growing employment and demand.

Gregg said he had been envisioning such an event since before he became mayor and would have organized it earlier, but the Feb. 29 tornado made it less of an immediate priority.

Normally businesses with questions have to seek out the agencies represented at the workshop; Wednesday they will be under one roof.

“They will show them what tools are available to them at the state and federal level,” Gregg said.

The information on help with training is one important aspect businesses will learn about.

“A lot of times the businesses here local don’t know what to do or how to take advantage of these things. This will afford them the opportunity to do that,” Gregg said.

For more information and to RSVP people may contact Gregg at 926-5063.