Banner which includes the Working Together: Expanding Maine's Workforce logo with a graphic of two figures shaking hands: one is seated, one is standing. In addition, there are three photos: 1) female office worker 2) two medical workers: one female, one older male 3) a teacher and a student in a classroom.
Working Together e-News
Volume 7 Winter 2010
In This Issue
Conference Wrap Up
2009 Business Award Winners
Thank You Sponsors
Upcoming Working Together Events: Focus on Veterans
"Think Beyond the Label" Campaign Launches into National Media
Veterans: How to Put Their Skills To Work
10 Reasons to Hire Vets
Employer Spotlight: Maine Oxy, A Company that Values Vets

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A graphic from the Conference held Nov. 4: Capitalizing on Maine's Changing Demographics with the tagline "Giving Maine employers and businesses the tools to transform their workforce and expand their bottom line. There is also a list of Sponsors: Mainebiz, Manpower, Custom Disability Associates, HRTimes, Verrill Dana, Norway Savings Bank, RISInterpret, L.L.Bean, JobsInME.com.
Conference held Nov. 4: Capitalizing on Maine's Changing Demographics
Conference Wrap Up
Thank you to those who attended Capitalizing on Maine's Changing Demographics, the conference hosted by Working Together and the Diversity Hiring Coalition in November. About 130 Maine business people participated in a day of interactive discussions and break-out sessions focused primarily on overcoming Maine's impending workforce shortage through diversity employment.

We hope you went back to work with ideas, tools, and resources to strategically incorporate diversity into your business. You can access presentations by our featured and keynote speakers and view pictures from the conference on the Working Together website.

We are already planning this year's conference, another collaborative event with the Diversity Hiring Coalition, scheduled for Tuesday, September 28, 2010. Stay tuned for more information and let us know if you have any ideas for our next collaborative conference.

Kohl's Biddeford received the 2009 Business Leadership Award Kohl's Biddeford received the 2009 Business Leadership Award
Kohl's Biddeford received the 2009 Business Leadership Award
2009 Business Award Winners
At the November conference, Working Together honored three businesses for outstanding commitment to employing people with disabilities.

  • Kohl's Store in Biddeford received the Business Leadership Award for its efforts and accomplishments as a large business.
  • Aroostook Centre Mall in Presque Isle was the recipient of the Small Business Leadership Award. [See photo here]
  • Access Auto and Lincoln Rental, both owned by Sterling "Boody" Osgood and located in Lincoln, received the Workforce Achievement Award. Also known as the "Just Do It" award, Working Together presents this honor to employers that roll up their sleeves without a lot of process or fanfare to bring people with disabilities into their workplace. [See photo here]

Thank You Sponsors
And, thank you to the conference sponsors for making the event possible:

Upcoming WT Events: Focus on Veterans
This spring, in conjunction with Maine & Company, Working Together will present two seminars on the benefits of hiring veterans, one in Brunswick in May and one in Bangor in June. We are finalizing details, so stay tuned for more information.

Think Beyond the Label.com logo
"Think Beyond the Label" Launches into National Media
Get ready for "Think Beyond the Label," the upcoming national media campaign focused on employment of people with disabilities. This is the first national campaign targeting employers since the old "Hire the Disabled" campaign of the 1970s. Think Beyond The Label emphasizes the smart business strategy of hiring people with disabilities. It emphasizes the importance of a diverse workforce and gives employers access to resources and direct links to employees. Look for the print campaign in Fortune Magazine and find out more at ThinkBeyondtheLabel.com

A veteran amputee working in an office.
Veterans: How to Put Their Skills to Work
Did you know that veterans make up 13.6 percent of Maine's population and 10.1 percent of the U.S. population? In fact, proportionally, Maine has more veterans than nearly every other state. As a member of Maine's business community, the large number of veterans in the state is good news for you, as veterans leave the military with a wealth of work-ready skills and intangibles that make them extremely valuable employees in the civilian workforce.

Read the full article to learn more about the benefits of employing veterans and pick up some tips to get started.

A Photo of a female Vet
10 Reasons to Hire Vets
  1. Accelerated learning curve
  2. Leadership
  3. Teamwork
  4. Diversity and inclusion in action
  5. Efficient performance under pressure
  6. Respect for procedures
  7. Technology and globalization
  8. Integrity
  9. Conscious of health and safety standards
  10. Triumph over adversity

Read more about each reason.

A Photo of a man climbing into his truck
Employer Spotlight: Maine Oxy, A Company that Values Veterans
For three generations, the Albiston family has managed Maine Oxy, steadily growing the company to become a provider of welding products, industrial gases, and specialty gases throughout Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Talking to Maine Oxy employees, you get the sense that this company understands the value of each of the 140 people who work there. So, when four Maine Oxy employees were called up to active duty in 2004, it was no surprise that the company stepped up to help the deployed guardsmen and their families.

Read the full article.
2010 Working Together 207-828-4882
merritt@expandingmainesworkforce.com