Oct. 30 conference to explore topics of interest to workers, employers

Keeping a good workforce is every employer’s challenge. Securing a satisfying job that provides growth opportunity is every worker’s dream.

Whether one are with a for-profit business, nonprofit organization, government agency, or educational institution, this critical concern affects everyone.

Don’t miss the opportunity to be a part of the conversation at this year’s Sussex County Today & Tomorrow Conference being held Wednesday, Oct. 30 at Delaware Tech in Georgetown. The conference theme, People - Your Most Valuable Asset, will explore the challenging process of matching the right people with the right jobs.

Hiring and retaining personnel and creating an environment that allows them to flourish results in an engaged and productive workforce. The conference will present the perspective of both the employer and employee in two panel discussions, World of Hiring and World of Job Seeker Preparation.

Three Sussex County employers on the World of Hiring panel will describe their corporate cultures, recruitment techniques, and how they develop their employees. Cindy Dunson, director of human resources for Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales; Cathy Ressler, area manager for Wawa Food Markets; and Dan Schlabach, founder and president of Atlantic Aluminum Products, will each share their views on the challenges of hiring employees to fill their company’s needs. These experienced business leaders will talk about how they work with their employees to keep turnover low and development interest high.

The World of Job Preparation panel includes three high school students from Delaware New Tech Academy, who will talk about how they are planning for their future careers; Kevin Fleming, who returned to college for a degree in nursing; and Travis Carter, who learned his skills through on-the-job training and who is also an entrepreneur. These panelists, representing the diverse paths taken for job preparation, will discuss their current or future outlook for work, their views of the ideal employer and the kind of workplace that not only attracts, but also retains workers.

Preceding the panel discussions, Dr. Laura McCann, director of team member relations at Burris Logistics in Milford and member of the DelMarVa Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, will give the keynote address on the best practices for attracting and retaining a skilled workforce.

Register now at www.sussexcountyconference.com. This popular event, in its 20th year, has become an important venue for Sussex Countians to exchange information and engage in meaningful discussion on topics of significance.