The Voice

Seasonal hiring begins soon Leisure, hospitality and recreation spike May – August By John Groh, GoRockford We will soon be shaking off the cobwebs of winter and entering the spring and summer months. As more opportunities to enjoy the outdoors open up, employment and hiring will increase to meet seasonal demand. According to the Illinois…

Seasonal hiring begins soon A novel approach to dental care for students By H. Cyrus Oates, DDS, Oates Dental The 205 DDS initiative is a collaboration between Rockford Public School District 205 and dedicated healthcare providers that delivers essential dental services to students covered by state-sponsored dental insurance. While DDS typically stands for Doctor of…

Seasonal hiring begins soon Growing and improving our region’s housing stock By Michael Dunn, Region 1 Planning Council Last month I highlighted the need for the public sector and private sector to further align towards the goal of attracting private investment and capital to our region. There is no bigger nexus for this right now…

Seasonal hiring begins soon Strategies for adaptation and growth By Deepshikha Shukla, associate VP of Business Innovation and dean at Rockford University In today’s rapidly changing economic landscape, the traditional notion of workforce management is no longer sufficient. The workforce ecosystem now extends beyond full-time employees to include contractors, freelancers, gig workers, and external partners.…

Seasonal hiring begins soon Mr. Goodwater helps prepare students for real jobs By Christine Hand, managing editor For Butch Rosecke, owner of Mr. Goodwater, engaging with high school and college students serves not only as a way to foster talent but to give back and mentor the next generation. As a former basketball coach and…

Seasonal hiring begins soon A personal reflection on guiding the next generation By Stacey Curry Lee, IMEC Recently, I found myself eavesdropping on a conversation that struck a chord. A group of young professionals, all around 30 and fresh in their careers, were sharing their struggles with getting guidance from more seasoned colleagues. Their stories…

Seasonal hiring begins soon 10 practical ways to start using AI today By Tiffany Ingram, Luxe Link Business Solutions Artificial intelligence (AI) is here, and it’s transforming small businesses. Affordable, easy-to-use AI tools are available today to help businesses automate tasks, improve customer service, and optimize workforce management. Here are 10 ways AI can help…

Seasonal hiring begins soon Rockford Promise Program at NIU to accept select Rock Valley College transfers By Jennifer Thompson, Rock Valley College The Rockford Promise Program at Northern Illinois University (NIU) will open next fall to eligible Rock Valley College (RVC) transfers. This new arrangement is made possible through a new partnership between NIU, RVC…

Seasonal hiring begins soon Imagine a region known for its talented and trained workforce By Paula Carynski, Talent Committee chair, Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce The Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce (GRCC) has always had a sharp vision to relentlessly grow, develop and support a healthy business community. A major component of a healthy business…

Seasonal hiring begins soon No. 1 barrier to business growth in our region By Angela Kay Larson, CEO, Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce From day one as chamber CEO, I’ve struggled to understand the intricacies, complexities, and nuances of our region’s workforce development programs. I’ve met with the Chamber’s Talent Committee, talked to the leaders…