By Mary Holbrook

The Rogue Valley Workforce Development Council awarded $2,500 grants to three local businesses in January. Recipients were Pacific Northwest Flights, Inc., Rogue Community College, and ACCESS Junior Achievement.

Rob Schlosser, owner Pacific Northwest Flight Institute, said the grant will pay for on-half the cost of a badly needed flight simulator. The simulator will reduce the costs of learning to fly and will enable more students to progress toward getting their certification and compete for entry level jobs paying from $35,000 to $45,000 per year in the aviation industry.

Jerry Reed of Rogue Community College explained that the Work Keys Program is a nationwide workforce development system that offers job profiling, assessment, instructional support, reporting and training services to businesses and educators. Assessment of potential and/or current employees will be utilized to determine additional training needs and curriculum will be designed and implemented to assist current, determine additional training needs and curriculum will be designed and implemented to assist current, emerging, or transitional workers in meeting employer expectations.

Dawn Gosson with Western Bank, and chair of the JA Business Advisory Council, said the $2,500 grant will fund 10 ACCESS' Junior Achievement programs reaching 250 Rogue Valley middle and high school students who are "at risk" of dropping out of school. Local business professionals will spend eight hours in each class leading students in activities which teach them the role of business in our society, the importance of education, and the values they must bring to the workplace.