Employer Breakfast With the Boss — on base
There was an invitation to attend a breakfast meeting. There was a response in the affirmative. Then, this happened.
One of our clients contacted Tonya and asked if she would like to attend a meeting sponsored by ESGR (Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve) and Arizona@Work. The stated goal of the meeting was to help employers learn how the partnership between the two above mentioned organizations benefits Arizona Businesses.
So, in the wee hours of the morning, Tonya met with Aubrey of Deer Valley Plumbing Contractors and the two of them traveled to the designated breakfast location where . . . well, I’ll let Tonya pick it up from here.
What I thought was going to happen
Because of the fact that the connection to our client was through Arizona@Work and their recruiting program, both Aubrey and I thought this breakfast meeting was going to be about recruitment. We also thought it was about how to work with several government agencies to enhance recruiting techniques for employers.
What actually happened
The breakfast we were served was well prepared and everyone there was welcoming and friendly. We discovered soon after the meeting began that our preconceived notions were incorrect.
What we did in fact learn was far more fascinating in many respects. To begin with, we learned a lot about the purpose and mission of the Phoenix Arizona Air National Guard base. This is a base that I didn’t even know existed prior to this day. Their primary mission is providing “In-flight Refueling to all US Armed Forces and allied nations’ aircraft extending their flying range with the capabliity of transporting cargo, personnel and medevac operations.”
We heard from the base colonel all about the mission. He explained ways in which the mission could be threatened. And he discussed how the mission is carried out by Air National Guardsmen. 500 or so of them are only part timers who rely on their civilian employers to pay their actual bills.
Employer, this is where it gets good
We also heard how they train those part timers and how much that training can be of benefit to their employers. Then we found out what ESGR is and how it fits into the picture as a wholly volunteer team of liaisons and mediators between employers, Guardsmen and Women, as well as Reservists. We also learned that Arizona@Work works in concert with ESGR. And we learned more about how their employment centers benefit both job-seekers and employers.
It was all fascinating information that neither I nor Aubrey had known before. Plus, at the end of the breakfast we were warmly welcomed to tour the base and talk with several of the full-time guardsmen on duty to learn more about them and their incredibly important mission.
Three things that I took away from the day
The Air National Guard base here in Phoenix, Arizona plays a vital part in the overall mission of the military. (And, I am grateful for their work and their part in that big picture!)
ESGR is dedicated to helping support the men and women who are willing to be on reserve, ready to answer the call of our nation when needed. As well, they support the employers who employ those men and women and have need of a stable and able workforce.
Arizona@Work has recognized the need for skilled and qualified tradespeople in the construction industry and are putting together some apprenticeship programs to fill that gap for employers.
There you have it
Pretty cool stuff, huh? Tonya came back to the office quite excited about how her morning had gone. When she began telling me all the fun new information she had gathered I asked her to share here.
Yet, there’s one more thing she didn’t tell you, and I’ma gonna. Tonya was so excited that she had been able to spend one hour in route to the breakfast location and one hour back simply visiting with and having fun with our delightful client, Aubrey.
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