Veterans Make Valuable Contributions in San Bernardino County
Dalton Trucking and Desert View Auto employ Desert Green Veterans Grant to hire vets to rebuild a devastated communitySan Bernardino, CA (February 15, 2012) Dalton Trucking, a transportation company based out of Fontana, shipped modular building units that will become the temporary facility for St. John’s Regional Medical Care Center in Joplin, MO. The transportation company couldn’t have taken on such a project without On-the-Job Training incentives and employee referral support through the San Bernardino County Workforce Investment Board.
Max Likins, a recently separated veteran, was hired by Dalton through the Desert Green Veterans Grant that paid for On-the-Job Training wage reimbursement. He was transferred to Dalton’s distribution center in Bloomington where he is now part of the team loading more than 220 pre-fabricated modular units to be shipped by truck and railcar to Joplin. St. John’s Regional Medical Care Center was destroyed by the tornado that ripped through Joplin, MO last year.
“A project of this scope and importance requires personnel who understand efficiency and know how to work as a team. In my experience, veterans bring those qualities to our company,” said Terry Klenske, President of Dalton Trucking. “The people we’ve hired with the Workforce Investment Board’s support have moved up the ranks. My goal has always been to keep our people for the long haul. I’m very fortunate to have many key employees who have been with Dalton Trucking for 20 years or more.”
Hiring new personnel takes time away from keeping up with orders and meeting customer demands. At Desert View Auto in Bloomington, CA, General Manager Eric Frazier is responsible for overseeing an operation that picks up donated cars, processes them and then sells them for various charities in Southern California.
Three months ago, Frazier worked with the San Bernardino County Business Resource Team to hire a recently-separated veteran. He received On-the-Job Training wage reimbursement through the Desert Green Veterans Training Grant
“With his dedication and training, he has already moved up the ranks,” Frazier said. “This young man is a great asset to our company and I want to bring more veterans like him onto our team.”
The Workforce Investment Boards Business Resource Team provides funding to businesses hire and train new employees through On-the-Job Training programs. The team also offers help with recruiting qualified employees, business consulting, job fairs, market research and business workshops.
Our Business Resource Team has successfully partnered with many of the employers in our region to help them find the skilled employees they need to grow, said Sandy Harmsen, Executive Director of the Workforce Investment Board and Director of the Workforce Development Department. We are very proud to have played a small role in a project that not only hired local veterans, but that will benefit a community heavily impacted by that terrible natural disaster.It is gratifying to see rebuilding efforts happening, both here and in Joplin, said Josie Gonzales, San Bernardino County Chair and Fifth District Supervisor. The Business Resource Teams training programs are enabling our veterans are find jobs and transform their lives; and as valued employees they are making it possible for a local company, like Dalton Trucking, help rebuild a community nearly 1,500 miles away.
The Business Resource Team can be reached at (800) 451-JOBS or http://www.sbcounty.gov/csb-win/wia.htm.
About the Workforce Investment Board of San Bernardino County
The Workforce Investment Board of San Bernardino County is comprised of private business representatives and public partners appointed by the County of San Bernardino Board of Supervisors. The WIB strives to strengthen the skills of the Countys workforce through partnerships with business, education and community-based organizations. The County of San Bernardino Board of Supervisors is committed to providing county resources which generate jobs and investment.
The WIB, through the County of San Bernardinos Economic Development Agency and Workforce Development Department, operates the County of San Bernardinos Employment Resource Centers (ERCs) and Business Resource Centers (BRCs). The ERCs provide individuals with job training, placement and the tools to strengthen their skills to achieve a higher quality of life. The BRCs support and provide services to the Countys businesses including employee recruitment.
