March 1, 2010 | Story by: Brenda Larson | Categories: Business
This week’s edition of the Cary Business Report has something interesting for job seekers, a charity fund raiser for women getting back into business and news of another high-tech leader coming to Cary. Plus, there’s our usual roundup from the Cary Chamber.
HR On Call Tomorrow
Tomorrow from noon to 7 p.m., a team of more than 60 human resource professionals will take to the phone banks at WRAL-TV to answer questions from job-seekers in the Triangle.
The brainchild of Cary resident Paul Wasylkevych, human resources director at Harris Wholesale, the inaugural Human Resources on Call broadcast in June last year answered more than 1,100 calls from job-seekers.
Wasylkevych came up with the idea to hold the broadcast while watching WRAL. During a newscast, they advertised Attorneys on Call.
“I knew a lot of people who were out of work were also out of places to go to for help in our community, as I had previously volunteered for numerous events in Wake County for people in transition,” Wasylkevych said. “I personally had been in their shoes as I had been laid off twice in the past.”
“So I said to myself, why not Human Resources on Call? One of my volunteer roles is District Director for the central part of the state for the North Carolina Society for Human Resources Sate Council, so I approached the leaders of both Raleigh and Durham chapters about the idea and their boards of directors enthusiastically endorsed the project.”
It took a little more than a month to put it together … developing a resource and training manual, conducting training for 75 volunteers and getting the program together with WRAL, whose motto is “here to help”. The project fit nicely, Wasylkevych said.
The people who call in for help will find it. The volunteers include subject matter experts on areas such as transitioning from military to civilian employment, COBRA and salary negotiations. Employment resources will also be provided in partnership with JobLink Career Centers, a North Carolina program offering employment and training services.
The 2009 broadcast earned the chapters a prestigious 2009 Pinnacle Award from the Society for Human Resource Management. Check out the story here, http://www.shrm.org/about/news/Pages/UnemployedOnTelethon.aspx.
5 On Your Side Anchor/Reporter Monica Laliberte advises job-seekers to watch WRAL-TV 5 News at noon on Wednesday to get the numbers to call for help. Those numbers will be broadcast on WRAL throughout the day.
Laliberte adds, if you have any legal questions on your mind and need some initial help, Attorneys on Call will be broadcasting Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from the WRAL-TV studios. Watch WRAL for the numbers to call on Friday for the legal help you need.
Are you Linked Local in Cary?
If you’re not, you should be, especially if you own your own business and are looking at opportunities to spread the word about what you do or sell.
Linked Local in Cary is a LinkedIn group managed by Gary Hart, a cash flow planner/business marketing strategist/social media connector/insurance educator, and the founder, managing partner at Legacy Safeguard Resource, LLC.
Full disclosure: I’m a member of the group.
Hart is holding the group’s first face-to-face networking event March 18 at 5:30 p.m. at Catering by Design, 132 Kilmayne Dr., Cary (in the Big Lots Plaza near Maynard and Kildaire Farm Road). Greg Lewis of Catering by Design will provide hors d’oeuvres. The cost is $5 at the door.
Check out Linked Local in Cary and take advantage of this networking opportunity.
Gal Pal Auction
The Gal Pal silent auction is March 25 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at The Matthews House on Chatham Street in downtown Cary.
Michele Little of One Chic Mama
Organized by Michele Little of One Chic Mama and hosted by Gal Pals Sheila Ogle, Casey Bastian and DJ Mitsch, the event will raise much needed funds for Dress for Success, the non-profit that helps women get back to work by outfitting them in clothes suitable for the workplace.
There will be a silent auction, as well as a live auction, and tons of fun. A boutque area will showcase local vendors and a portion of their sales will also be donated to the cause.
The entry fee is one $25 (or more) item to be auctioned off.
RSVP to admin@pyramidresource.com, if you’re interested in attending.
Garmin to Bring New Jobs to Cary
Satellite navigation devices manufacturer Garmin has chosen Cary as the site for its first Triangle office.
The company has leased space at Duke Realty’s Regency Forest II building, near U.S. 1 and U.S. 64 and plans to move in by April 1. Forty engineers and other employees will be based in the research center.
The company is based in Olathe, Kansas and is the country’s largest maker of satellite navigation devices.
News from the Cary Chamber
Membership Drive: The Cary Chamber’s annual membership drive kicks off Thursday, March 4, at 4:30 p.m. at the chamber offices, 307 N. Academy St., Cary. The theme is Stepping Up in 2010. This year’s participants in the membership drive will compete for cash, prizes and an adventure vacation. Contact Delancy Carroll for more information about joining in the fun.
Get the Most out of Your Membership: Learn how to make the most out of your membership in the Cary chamber by attending Chamber 101. Whether you are a new member or a new employee of an existing member, come hear about what your chamber membership can do for you. The session is Tuesday, March 9 at noon at the Chamber offices.
Business After Hours: On March 17, join chamber members for food, networking and fun at the Business After Hours event at Cambria Suites RDU, 300 Airgate Dr., Morrisville, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Got Business News?
Have you got a news item for the Cary Business Report? Contact Brenda Larson.
