By Bambi Powers

A few issues back you were introduced to the Community Response Team (CRT) - a collaboration of organizations that assist workers and employers.  Since that publication, we've learned that many of the rural communities in our area have formed CRT's to deal with infrastructure and community development.  Often times this has led to confusion and questions like "which CRT are we talking about?" 

To that end, the Community Response Team has changed its name to the Business Resource Team!  This subtle name change helps define the role we play in Jackson and Josephine Counties and hopefully ends the confusion of similar acronyms. 

For over ten years, Rogue Valley organizations involved in employment and training have participated in the partnership we now call the Business Resource Team  (BRT).  The BRT's primary goal is to meet the workforce needs of employers who are expanding their local operations or are new to the Jackson and Josephine County area.  The BRT also has the expertise to assist workers affected by a business closure or downsizing.  The BRT is comprised of the Oregon Employment Department, The Job Council (job training), Southern Oregon University, Rogue Community College, City of Grants Pass and Josephine County Economic Development, Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development, Inc. (SO-REDI) and Oregon Economic Development Department.

The BRT coordinates their activities and utilizes its resources to serve the employer community in a cooperative, cost effective manner. This collaborative effort provides job training and placement assistance quickly and efficiently.  We have been involved with a significant number of expansions and new business openings for as few as twenty employees to over five hundred employees.  We have a proven track record for meeting the needs of employers and the Rogue Valley workforce.

We are able to accomplish the coordination efforts by emphasizing services  in the following areas.

• Recruitment  - The Oregon Employment Department offers the single largest registry of qualified applicants in the region.  Key services include labor market information, work force data collection and a computerized system that matches the job applicant's skills to employer needs on a local, state and national level.


• Screening - The BRT works with a company's human resource department to develop screening criteria for the selection process based on job descriptions and pre-employment testing requirements


• Specialized Training - Rogue Community College's Workforce Development Department and Southern Oregon University have teamed up to provide seamless services to meet the educational needs of the Rogue Valley workforce.  RCC and SOU can develop customized training components including management development, communication skill building, computer training, conflict management training as well as short term technical training for a new or retraining workforce.


• Workplace Readiness - The BRT relies on The Job Council's 21st Century Workplace curriculum to determine competencies in workplace readiness.


• Special Employer Services - The BRT will identify workers eligible for various employer hiring-incentive programs.  Programs include Jobs Plus, On-the-Job Training, Work Opportunity Tax Credits, Cooperative Work Experience, etc.


• Child Care Referral Assistance - The Job Council's Child Care Resource Network (CCRN) provides referral services to locate child care providers.  Hundreds of providers are listed in the CCRN database and are categorized in various ways to meet specific family needs.  Services are offered free of charge to all families in the Rogue Valley.