Here are some important details to note:
- Training must be completed within 6 months, and should lead to the acquisition of industry-recognized certifications/credentials, supervisory and managerial skills training, process/productivity improvement, and/or in-demand technical and occupational skills.
- Private for-profit businesses in the nine-county Finger Lakes Region (including Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, Wyoming, Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, Seneca and Yates counties) may apply. Employees to be trained should work or live in the nine-county region.
- Applications may not exceed $25,000 or be below $1,000.
- Employers must pay at least 50% of the total cost of training. Matching funds can include wages while training.
- The Application AND Budget Worksheet must both be submitted for review.
- Organizations with poor performance outcomes on previous training initiatives will not be awarded funds.
- Public employees (i.e., federal, state, county, and municipal employees) or publicly funded organizations are not eligible for training with these funds.
ACT NOW! Eligible industries include: Advanced Manufacturing, Alternative Energy, Bio/Life Science, Business Services, Engineering, Food and Agriculture, Health Care (including not-for-profit Health Care Organizations), Information Technology and Optics/Imaging.
For assistance, please contact us at (585) 345-6868 or email Lina LaMattina, The BEST Center Director at lmlamattina@genesee.edu
Great Things are Happening at UMMC in Batavia!
In October of 2007, UMMC completed an extensive training program with The BEST Center at Genesee Community College in Batavia. The project was employee driven, fully customized by The BEST Center and included training over 750 staff and management members in the art of Delivering World Class Customer Service. The entire program was held off site at the Conable Technology Building on campus.
The results--terrific! The training helped the Leadership Team to establish and communicate a clear performance "bar", identify and coach under performers and even introduced a whole new language among the staff. It's not unusual now to hear people talking about whether or not a staff member's performance warrants "giving them the pickle"! It might sound a bit odd, but the introduction of this concept injected humor and allowed everyone a common standard by which to measure performance. As a matter of fact, some managers gave their staff members a pickle for the holidays to help perpetuate the message!
Another aspect of the program included conducting Train-the-Trainer sessions for designated UMMC staff in an effort to sustain the training internally. This has proved valuable as new staff is hired and is oriented. In addition, these newly trained trainers are used to conduct monthly courses in an effort to continue to sharpen everyone's customer service skills throughout the organization.
The bottom line is this training positively impacted hospital deliverables. The UMMC Emergency Room has elevated their customer service rankings from being in the 40th percentile to being in the 15th percentile of the NYS Emergency Departments rankings. The program also provided a valuable framework for hospital leadership to revisit the training and built an infrastructure to better hold staff accountable for their performance.
As a result of all their hard work, UMMC was named Business of the Year by the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce in 2007!
To UMMC from The BEST Center - Congratulations on a fantastic year!!
HR Series--Employee Health & Wellness: A Smart Business Decision
Maximize the health of your employees and you'll maximize the wealth of your organization!
With healthcare benefit costs soaring, creating a "culture of health" is a smart preventative move and wise business decision. Employees' health problems can cost a company, not only in the form of lost productivity at work, but also in the consequences related to illness both present and future. It's important for organizations to think strategically in the area of health and wellness for its employees. Many HR professionals are working to manage these risks.
Join us Friday, March 7 at 8 a.m. (continental breakfast at 7:45 a.m.) for an important discussion and information sharing on this critical topic. Learn about building a solid foundation in health and wellness in your business. Leave armed with low cost or no cost ideas that you can implement in your organization right away. You can't afford to miss this one!
To register or for more information call (585) 345-6868.
Did you know.......
The BEST Center is currently facilitating a DOL approved apprenticeship program unique to the healthcare system, Patient Care Technician. The skills learned within this position fill the gap between a current CNA and an LPN. The creation of this position within a facility has proven to address issues of retention, morale and facility cost. To learn more, please contact Lina LaMattina at lmlamattina@genesee.edu.
SUNY Grant Awards
Congratulations to our 2007-08 SUNY grant participants:
- Medina Memorial Hospital, Medina
- Automotive Corp, Batavia
- Holley ABCD Daycare, Medina
- Lapp Insulator, LeRoy
- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County
We look forward to working with them on their training initiatives. They've got a lot of exciting things going on and we're happy to be a part of it!
