The need for members to find new talented employees continues to be at the forefront of the ASA Board of Directors’ mind. After seeing the eye-opening results of the 2015 National Labor Study, one of ASA’s most important strategic long-term objectives remains to increase the number of talented workers taking advantage of attractive career opportunities in the PHCP-PVF industry.

To accomplish this long-term objective, the American Supply Association is continuing to invest resources in its national workforce recruitment program. The primary function of this program is to connect potential job seekers with ASA member companies in their area. On behalf of the PHCP-PVF industry, ASA is reaching out to high schools, community and vocational colleges, and military bases to inform them of the wide variety of careers and high-growth positions that are available.

In addition to sending information to schools and military about the industry, ASA also is asking for their career fair information.  ASA is acting as a conduit to connect schools with local members, giving them an opportunity to promote industry awareness, as well as careers within their own companies. ASA members also need to be tackling this initiative head-on by connecting with their local communities to find opportunities to talk to current and future job seekers. With the start of the 2016-2017 school year approaching, there  surely are upcoming events in your local markets that you can take advantage of.

For this initiative to be successful, ASA members need to buy in and be the boots on the ground to promote the industry. ASA is making it easy for members by providing them with the ASA Career Day Kit, which contains everything one would need to conduct a successful career day, including a pop-up banner, an informational brochure, a how-to-guide to effectively host a career day and giveaways to draw job seekers to your booth. The Career Day Kit is available to members on-demand and at no charge.

ASA continues to send job seekers to its Careers website, www.asa.net/careers, and to its Member Directory to find companies in their area, linking them directly to your website. Having reviewed hundreds of members’ websites for information that job placement professionals and job seekers need, ASA has found many companies do not meet the basic requirements. Your home page should have a link or button that is clearly visible and labeled indicating where a visitor needs to click for job and career information. Available positions should be clearly posted, and if none, then basic information about the kinds of positions and opportunities your company provides should be listed.  Lastly, identify the point of contact responsible for hiring, which is critical for when you do not have any positions currently available, because job seekers still have the opportunity to submit their resumes for when opportunities do arise.

ASA continues to lead the charge for industry workforce development, but needs its members to step up and be at the forefront of this initiative. ASA has the tools, materials and recommendations to support your efforts to recruit new talent.

To learn more about ASA’s national workforce recruitment program, visit www.asa.net/careers or contact Bill Erfort, member services manager, at berfort@asa.net or 630/467-0000, x 212.