By Mary Jo Coulehan | Pagosa Springs Area Chamber of Commerce
Multiple training opportunities for businesses and individuals are in the works; however, we need input from the business community to help us assess the demand.
We start off with a project that the Chamber of Commerce and Pagosa Springs Community Development Corporation (PSCDC) have been collaborating on for more than six months now. We have been able to help get certification and tuition assistance for CDL trainees and get workforce placed in demand jobs here in Pagosa.
There are still CDL opportunities for tuition assistance and training, yet we need to know the demand from those industries that need drivers. We “hear” there is still a great need for CDL drivers; however, we would like to get a more accurate assessment of the actual need. There are also various class certifications for CDL drivers, i.e., Type A or B licensing, hazmat. We would like to know if your industry is still in need of CDL drivers and the number of drivers you need and the classification. This would include businesses such as construction and materials industries, product delivery, transportation or any other industry that might require a CDL driver.
The second training that we are preparing to offer is QuickBooks training in conjunction with the Small Business Development Center. We are looking to offer both an introductory QuickBooks class and some one-on-one training. To get an idea of the demand in each type of training and how many classes we may need, we would like to hear from our business community.
For all of these training requests, we ask that you drop a line to the Chamber at director@pagosachamber.com or by calling Mary Jo at (970) 264-2360 to express your interest in any of the aforementioned topics. We are planning for all of these classes to take place in the next few months, so your prompt input is requested.
In addition, some of the grant funds may run out, so we want to service the greatest number of people that we can. All these training programs will either help develop people to meet your staffing needs or help you run your business better. Some of the trainings will be virtual and some in person, again, to help meet your needs and schedules. Help us develop great training programs for you by taking just a few minutes to contact us with your needs.
Community health assessment survey
As most Archuleta County residents know, our community is in the process of developing our own health department that will launch Jan. 1, 2024. That date will be upon us before we know it. It is therefore critical that we garner input to identify public and environmental health priorities that will inform the path that the task force will recommend and develop. San Juan Basin Public Health (SJBPH) is conducting a survey, “SJBPH Community Assessment Survey” that needs to be completed by Friday, April 7. The survey is located at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SJBPHCHA23. The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete and is critical to the future of the design of our health department. Don’t miss this opportunity to have your voice heard about what health issues should be prioritized in our community.
Should you have any questions about the survey, you call also contact SJBPH at CHAsurvey@sjbpublichealth.org.
