Texas Workforce

Small Employer of the Year

2018Nomination Form

The Small Employer of the Year Award honors a small, private-sector employer whose efforts and initiatives have had an extraordinary effect on the state of Texas, other employers, workers, and the communities in which the employer does business. Your nomination should recognize a small employer (fewerthan 500 employees) who is a customer of the workforce system and has created or used innovative approaches to best support the Texas workforce system’s goal of ensuring that both employers and workers have the resources and the skills Texas needs to remain competitive. The nomination should focus on initiatives that have had a positive effect on current workers, future workers, and/or workers with challenges that may make transitioning into the workforce difficult (for example, UI claimants, TANF recipients, previously incarcerated individuals, returning military personnel, and individuals with disabilities).

The nomination may highlight initiatives in areas such as:

  • training and retaining employees;
  • upgrading worker skills;
  • job creation or redesign;
  • child care solutions;
  • job sharing and telecommuting;
  • activities with students, schools, colleges, training providers, and workforce education or development programs; and
  • community involvement and collaboration.

Nominations, documented by endorsements or letters of support, that highlight connections to one or more of the following will be given additional points:

  • Economic development or business organizations
  • Educational entities (pre- and/or postsecondary)
  • Local unions

Each Board may nominate one employer for this award.

Nomination Form Instructions:

  • Download, complete, and save the nomination form.
  • Email the completed nomination form and supporting documentation to with a courtesy copy to theBoard Chair and Executive Director.

Need help?

Email or call Awards Committee Co-chairsReed O’Brien, (512) 463-5624, or Fabiana Ramirez, (512) 936-3297.

Submission deadline is Thursday, June 21, 2018.

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Texas Workforce

SmallEmployer of the Year

2018 Nomination Form

Local Workforce Development Board (WDB) and Honoree Information

WDB Information

WDB Name A–H(Choose from drop-down):

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Click to Choose WDBAlamoBorderplexBrazos ValleyCameron CountyCapital AreaCentral TexasCoastal BendConcho ValleyDeep East TexasEast TexasGolden CrescentGreater DallasGulf CoastHeart of Texas

WDB Name L–W(Choose from drop-down):

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Click to Choose WDBLower Rio GrandeMiddle Rio GrandeNorth Central TexasNorth TexasNortheast TexasPanhandlePermian BasinRural Capital AreaSouth PlainsSouth TexasSoutheast TexasTarrant CountyTexomaWest Central Texas

WDB Contact Name:

WDB Contact Phone Number:

WDB Mailing Address

Street/PO Box:

City:

State:

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TX

ZIP Code:

WDB Contact Email Address:

Employer Nominee Information

Employer’s Legal Entity Name:

DBA (Doing Business As) Name:

Employer Address (No PO Boxes)

Street:

City:

State:

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TX

ZIP Code:

Employer Contact Name:

Employer Contact Phone Number:

Employer Contact Email Address:

All Federal Employer Identification Numbers (FEIN):

All Employer UI Tax IDs:

Number of Full-Time Employees:

Number of Part-Time Employees:

Total Number of Employees:

Background Review

Instructions: Please review the following statement, check (click) the box, and type your name to affirm that such notice has been provided to the employer you are nominating for this award.

The Workforce Development Board has advised the employer award nominee that the Texas Workforce Commission will conduct a background review of the nominated entity, including, but not limited to, unemployment insurance overpayment debt, tax delinquency, PACER (lawsuits), and criminal history.

TYPE YOUR NAME HERE:

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Small Employer of the Year2018

WDB Name (A–H): WDB Name (L–W):

Nomination Responses

1.Provide an overview of no more than 350 words, describing the employer’s contribution to the Texas workforce system. Identify workforce system needs, and describe innovation, partnership, and collaboration that the employer used to build capacity to meet economic and workforce objectives for the local community and the state. (25 points)

2.Describe the employer’s involvement with the Texas workforce system and successful support of Texas’ workforce needs. (10 points)

3.What have been the results? Identify the economic impact or other measurable results relating to employers, workers, the local community, and the state of Texas within the past 12 months or most recent reporting period (for example, new business, new jobs, upgraded worker skills, and improved new-hire retention). (10 points)

4.Explain how the Texas workforce system gained leverage, capacity, and advantage from these efforts. (10 points)

5.Identify those involved, including collaborators, both inside and beyond your local workforce development area. Collaborators may include local economic development and business organizations, educational partners, and labor organizations. Describe the benefits that each collaborator received. (10 points)

6.Describe the scope of this initiative, including the budget, human resource requirements, time invested, and timeframes. In terms of any or all of the elements identified above, what was the approximate cost of this endeavor? (10 points)

7.Describe innovative methods or essential ideas that make the employer’s efforts unique. (5 points)

8.Explain how others are using or might replicate these efforts. (5 points)

9.Describe how the employer contributes to the community. (10 points)

10.Describe why job seekers would choose this employer over other employers. (5 points)

11.Provide endorsements/letters of support from economic development/business, educational, or labor organizations. (10 points)

Supporting Documentation

Scan supporting documentation, including letters of endorsement or support for the employer nomination, and additional supporting materials, such as newspaper articles or other relevant documents, and attach them to your email nomination.

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SmallEmployer of the Year 2018

WDB Name (A–H): WDB Name (L–W):

Nomination Summary for Conference Materials

Please prepare an 80- to 100-word summary of your nomination for conference materials.

Your write-up should describe how this program stands out and explain why it is worthy of receiving this award.

Please remember to:

  • describe the challenge and solution that your program addressed;
  • include positive results or outcomes, or draw comparisons to past years;
  • quantify results with data where possible;
  • avoid programmatic language in favor of a public voice; and
  • provide a title for your summary.

Example: Workforce Solutions for Imaginary Area in Texas,Mystery Company ABC

Mystery Company ABC is the largest operator of blankety blank in Texas. It also directly supports workforce development through its membership on the Workforce Solutions Imaginary Board X, aligning with X’s initiative to attract, develop and retain a quality workforce for the Imaginary X area. ABC currently employs 7,500 team members in Location A and is a strong proponent of developing a highly skilled future workforce. To support the Texas workforce system’s goal of ensuring that both employers and workers have the resources and skills needed to remain competitive in the global market last year, Mystery Company ABC initiated and created the Texas Two-Step Education Alliance. This partnership resulted in the direct hiring of eight veterans.

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