Who says there are no jobs to be had in Allen County?
A few days ago we counted 15 help-wanted advertisements on the Register’s classified ad page, most with solid futures and including attractive benefits.
This is not an anomaly. Throughout most any year the Register carries ads seeking employees.
Some require education beyond high school; some experience in a particular field. All demand applicants who are willing to show up for work on time, be presentable and have ambition to give an hour’s work for an hour’s pay.
Employers also look for those with “soft” skills: Good manners, the ability to establish good rapport with clients and coworkers, and a sense of responsibility.
Among goals at Iola High School is to prepare students for the work-a-day world by establishing such attributes.
An example of why soft skills are important:
Three were hired, we were told by an employer the other day. On Monday one arrived a few minutes before 8, starting time. Another came in at 8:15, the third at 8:30. The employer said he was willing to let that go for the first day, although it would seem if a person was ever going to be on time it would be the first day. The second day the first employee, who came to be valued, again was a little early. The second staggered in, the third was a no-show.
To top it off, the person who was tardy his first two days, and frankly wasn’t a ball of fire, asked the boss when he could expect a raise. The question didn’t sit well; he was out the door at the employer’s behest.
While that scenario seems to be played out all too often, the majority of local workers are perfectly fine, and toe the line. That’s why officials at places such as Gates Corporation laud the work ethic of Allen Countians, and many others who drive here from elsewhere.
TRAINING with close attention to soft skills in classrooms can set the stage for a lifelong career in any number of occupations. Even so, there is more to it than that.
Many young folks have ambitious plans that include a college degree, and often advanced education in graduate school. Good for them. Many reach their goals.
Meanwhile, those who approach their life’s work with a little more training than a high school education also can find a notch in the vast array of occupations that we desperately need to seamlessly transition from one day to the next. Think how troubling it would be to have a water line break in the dead of winter and have to repair it yourself.
WHEN SOMEONE complains there are no jobs to be found here, tell them to pick up a copy of the Register, turn to the second page of the B section and browse through all those listed.
Finding a job isn’t difficult, and keeping it depends only on meeting an employer’s expectations.
— Bob Johnson
