An Interview With
Kathy Williams

  The Georgia Employer Committee would like to share with its viewers the EMR's who are vital to the success of the Local Committees throughout the State. This month we meet and talk with Kathy Williams of the Dalton Career Center.

 

Tell us your name, your Career Center and how long you’ve been an EMR?

KW: - My name is Kathy Williams and I’m an Employer Marketing Representative in the Dalton Career Center. Our committee is the Dalton Employer Committee.

 

What types of businesses or organizations make up your Employer Committee?

KW: - It’s a very diverse group which includes carpet manufacturing, county government, chemical producer, poultry processing, health care, restaurant, printing, mobile check cashing service and a local utility company.

 

What do you believe is unique about your Employer Committee?

KW: - Because of the industry in our area, we are fortunate to have a diverse range of employers on our Committee. We range from manufacturing to restaurants to check cashing services. Corporate company sizes range from 30,000 to 8. All the members bring something different to the committee which we feel makes it work as well as it does.

 

What do you believe is your Employer Committee's biggest challenge for your area, regarding the workforce?

KW: - Communicating the importance of education for “mill jobs”. We have a high drop out rate that challenges industry to make the most with what we have at the moment. It would be great to have an educated workforce that could meet the demands of our industries.

 

Why should I join your Employer Committee?

KW: - I think all our members would say because of the diversity of our committee we have something to offer all employers. We sponsor seminars, do community projects, and work closely with other employers to assist them with areas of concern in their company. Regardless of the size of the company, we can be of assistance to them. We have a lot of exposure to the community and this is a quality employers look for when making a decision to join an organization.

 

How active is your Employer Committee working in your community?

KW: - We do various projects throughout the year such as scholarships for local students, Milk & Cookies with Santa at a local daycare, assist DFACS during the holidays in providing/distributing gifts for needy families, and seminars for employers. We also work with a local alternative high school for high risk students, assisting them with job applications, interview skills, and resume preparation.

 

Has your Employer Committee received any awards or special recognition?

KW: - We were 2004 Employer Committee of the Year, 1997 1st Runner Up for Committee of the Year, and 1989 Employer Committee of the Year

 

What future trends does your Employer Committee see in employment needs in your area?

KW: - In our workforce, it is becoming very hard to find applicants that fit the needs of our employers while also holding minimum requirements on educations. Education is usually the first thing mentioned when talking with employers about how we can better serve their hiring needs.

 

In the future, what would you most like to accomplish as an EMR?

KW: - Educate more employers to DOL services and programs and let our agency be the first place they think of and call when they have hiring needs or employment issues. We recently held a Business Services Fair and many times I heard the comment, “I didn’t know you did that” or “I wasn’t aware of that program/service”.

Dalton Career Center Staff