MakeYourJob.org Launches to Help Address the Summer Job Shortage Currently Facing Young People

NEW YORK, May 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), an international non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring young people from low-income communities to stay in school and recognize business opportunities, today launched MakeYourJob.org, an interactive new web resource that gives teens the basic tools and knowledge needed to help turn their interests and hobbies into real businesses. Available at www.MakeYourJob.org, the platform brings key elements of NFTE's entrepreneurship curriculum to the web for free, significantly increasing the reach of entrepreneurship education.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120515/NY06990)

With the U.S. teen unemployment rates at 24.5% in 2011(Employment Policies Institute and Bureau of Labor Statistics), many young people are likely to continue to struggle to find seasonal or part-time jobs. MakeYourJob.org helps tackle this issue by providing young people, parents and educators with the resources that give youth the opportunity to start their own businesses and create their own summer employment. Upon successful completion of the step-by-step course, users will have developed the core set of skills needed and all of the components of a basic business plan so that they can launch and sustain a micro-enterprise over the summer.

"Today, global unemployment for young people is at an all time high. At the same time, the idea and dream of becoming an entrepreneur is becoming increasingly popular – and with constant innovation and digital connectedness, young people are proactively and creatively seeking to connect their educational and career aspirations in ways that are personally relevant, financially lucrative, and meaningful," said Amy Rosen, President and CEO, NFTE. "By creating MakeYourJob.org, we are giving all youth the chance to explore their dreams through entrepreneurship. For the majority of those using the site, the experience will support and develop their aspirations, teach valuable skills, help them make informed education and career choices in the future. I know all of us at NFTE look forward to watching what this next generation of innovators and entrepreneurial dreamers can achieve."

NFTE's exciting and engaging content will be brought to life on MakeYourJob.org through an easy five step process and will feature advice from some NFTE young entrepreneurs already running their own business, as well as expert advice. Some highlights include:

Videos  of young entrepreneurs speaking about their business inspirations and encouraging others to "go for it"Young entrepreneur profiles, including: Fashion designerSports enthusiastWebsite developerSocial connectivity via Twitter and FacebookGlossary of business definitionsWorking business plan that young people can put together and use to present their business ideaAdvice from experts, including: Daymond John, star of ABC's "Shark Tank" and Founder of FUBU, who will be discussing early financing for his business "Peanut Butter & Company" founder Lee Zalben shares the power of online presence to engage customers and make selling funSlava Rubin, CEO and co-founder of IndieGoGo, the world's funding platform

In addition, MakeYourJob.org has also partnered with Cambio.com, AOL's popular young adult destination, for the launch of a new content hub on Cambio focused on helping teens create businesses and learn to make smart financial choices throughout their lives. Cambio and the NFTE will collaborate to allow teens access to MakeYourJob.org, along with inspiring videos of fellow teen entrepreneurs on Cambio.com. AOL will also give a select number of teen entrepreneurs competing in NFTE's National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge the opportunity to present their business ideas on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt-NY in September 2012.

About the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship

Too many young people today drop out of school and struggle to break the cycle of poverty. Since 1987, the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) has been inspiring young people to pursue educational opportunities, start their own businesses, and succeed in life. By providing entrepreneurship education programs relevant to the real world, NFTE empowers students to own their educations in and out of the classroom and to find their own path to success. Hundreds of thousands of students have discovered opportunity all around them through entrepreneurship via thousands of certified educators worldwide. NFTE supports active programs in 18 states and nine countries around the world. Entrepreneurs are a powerful driver of economic growth and NFTE sows the seeds of innovation in students worldwide. For more information, visit www.nfte.com.

About AOL Inc.

Having helped millions of Americans to get online, AOL Inc. (AOL) is on a mission to inform, entertain and connect the world. The home of a world-class collection of premium brands, AOL creates original content that engages audiences on a local and global scale. We help marketers connect with these audiences through effective and engaging digital advertising solutions.

About Cambio

Cambio is a leading online entertainment platform, connecting teens and young adults with the biggest names in film, television, music, sports and fashion.  Cambio is an anchor member of the Cambio Network, which has a global reach of more than 12.5 million monthly unique visitors and  316 million monthly page views. Cambio creates compelling, award-winning original video programming, news and social experiences.  The company attracts a roster of marquee entertainment and corporate partners including Mark Burnett Productions, Warner Bros. Digital, McG, Killer Films, Jennifer Lopez, among others.  Headquartered in New York and Los Angeles, Cambio is a joint venture between AOL, MGX Lab, and Jonas Group.

For more information, visit www.cambio.com.

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Bismarck-Mandan businesses facing increased competition - Bismarck Tribune

An influx of new businesses has increased competition for employees, space and work in Bismarck-Mandan.

Bismarck started seeing major business growth, especially in companies related to the oil field, in the second half of 2011, said Brian Ritter, the Bismarck-Mandan Development Association’s director of business development.

“I have people stopping in a couple times a week that have just driven in from somewhere,” said Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce President Kelvin Hullet.

Entrepreneurs are coming to Bismarck-Mandan to explore the business opportunities opening up in North Dakota. The influx is putting a strain on the available workforce, housing and hotels.

“This is different than anything I’ve seen in my time here,” Ritter said.

Companies are fighting one another for talent. The retail sector has had to work hard to find employees.

“We’ve seen growth in blue collar businesses and growth in white collar businesses,” Ritter said.

“It’s been across the board,” Hullet said.

Hullet predicts the increase in the number of businesses is just getting under way and expects it to really ramp up in the next one to two years.

The biggest challenge when companies, whether new or existing, look to expand has been finding employees.

Frac Decon Services, an industrial cleanup company, moved to Bismarck in June 2011, primarily for oil business.

“It was so hard to find qualified, quality labor at realistic prices,” owner Chris Griffin said.

Griffin said competition has more than tripled for business in the oil field in just the last year. To increase his client base, he is expanding into residential work, doing ventilation inspection and cleaning.

Daymarck, a medical coding company for home health care, moved into the Civic Square building at 521 E. Main Ave. in October.

“It took a little while as an outsider to get connected with the right people,” said owner Nick Dobrzelecki.

The business has grown dramatically but it has been hard finding coders. There are only two home care certified coders in North Dakota, Dobrzelecki said. With the increase in business, he needs to hire about 40 this year.

“Every day is a challenge and it’s because we have so much business here,” Dobrzelecki said.

Businesses are either having to get more creative in their recruitment efforts, like helping find housing or adding more to benefits, or they are paying more, Ritter said.

The wage scale has not changed drastically, but it has increased in last the 12 to 18 months, Hullet said.

“It’s definitely put pressure on the labor force that’s already here,” Ritter said. “Even before the oil and gas activity hit Bismarck-Mandan, we were a growing market.”

There has been an influx of workers from outside the area, which has offset some of the problem. But with an already minimal unemployment rate, finding workers is harder than before.

Kadrmas, Lee & Jackson, an engineering firm, has been in North Dakota for 75 years. As more firms come into Bismarck-Mandan, KLJ has been looking for employees nationally as well as locally, said Cory Finneman, corporate planner.

“Because of the national economy being down, we’re able to capitalize on the expertise out there looking for employment,” Finneman said.

KLJ has seen more competition for business as well.

“There are just more people at the table now when proposals are made,” Finneman said.

Finneman said the company sees it as an opportunity. The firm has added more services to stay competitive. Finneman said the good client relations the company has built from being in the state longer helps as well.

Space is another problem. KLJ is spread out in three different facilities, but is looking to combine some of those into one building. In some cases, people are building rather than renting or remodeling what they have, Hullet said.

Tubular Transport and Logistics moved into the Northern Plains Commerce Centre in August last year. The company did not face the same problems with workforce, but looked all over North Dakota trying to find a place to locate.

“Considering that it was in an area that we’ve never been to, it felt very easy in the scheme of things,” said Alex Nicholas, vice president of operations. “The biggest challenge is finding the right spot.”

The commerce center’s proximity to the railway was perfect for the transport company, which supplies pipe to the oil fields.

The oil and gas industry also has done more than provide work and business opportunities for North Dakotans. Increased publicity due to the oil boom has businesses that would not have considered the state before now looking here.

“I think it goes beyond oil,” Hullet said. “When you look at North Dakota, we are one of the few places that has a strong economy.”

Ritter believes higher education also is going to play a bigger role in Bismarck-Mandan. With the University of Mary, Bismarck State College and United Tribes Technical College nearby, the schools will be able to train more students to help alleviate tight labor markets.

Reach reporter Jessica Holdman at 250-8261or jessica.holdman@bismarcktribune.com.

View the original article here

Bismarck-Mandan businesses facing increased competition - Bismarck Tribune

An influx of new businesses has increased competition for employees, space and work in Bismarck-Mandan.

Bismarck started seeing major business growth, especially in companies related to the oil field, in the second half of 2011, said Brian Ritter, the Bismarck-Mandan Development Association’s director of business development.

“I have people stopping in a couple times a week that have just driven in from somewhere,” said Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce President Kelvin Hullet.

Entrepreneurs are coming to Bismarck-Mandan to explore the business opportunities opening up in North Dakota. The influx is putting a strain on the available workforce, housing and hotels.

“This is different than anything I’ve seen in my time here,” Ritter said.

Companies are fighting one another for talent. The retail sector has had to work hard to find employees.

“We’ve seen growth in blue collar businesses and growth in white collar businesses,” Ritter said.

“It’s been across the board,” Hullet said.

Hullet predicts the increase in the number of businesses is just getting under way and expects it to really ramp up in the next one to two years.

The biggest challenge when companies, whether new or existing, look to expand has been finding employees.

Frac Decon Services, an industrial cleanup company, moved to Bismarck in June 2011, primarily for oil business.

“It was so hard to find qualified, quality labor at realistic prices,” owner Chris Griffin said.

Griffin said competition has more than tripled for business in the oil field in just the last year. To increase his client base, he is expanding into residential work, doing ventilation inspection and cleaning.

Daymarck, a medical coding company for home health care, moved into the Civic Square building at 521 E. Main Ave. in October.

“It took a little while as an outsider to get connected with the right people,” said owner Nick Dobrzelecki.

The business has grown dramatically but it has been hard finding coders. There are only two home care certified coders in North Dakota, Dobrzelecki said. With the increase in business, he needs to hire about 40 this year.

“Every day is a challenge and it’s because we have so much business here,” Dobrzelecki said.

Businesses are either having to get more creative in their recruitment efforts, like helping find housing or adding more to benefits, or they are paying more, Ritter said.

The wage scale has not changed drastically, but it has increased in last the 12 to 18 months, Hullet said.

“It’s definitely put pressure on the labor force that’s already here,” Ritter said. “Even before the oil and gas activity hit Bismarck-Mandan, we were a growing market.”

There has been an influx of workers from outside the area, which has offset some of the problem. But with an already minimal unemployment rate, finding workers is harder than before.

Kadrmas, Lee & Jackson, an engineering firm, has been in North Dakota for 75 years. As more firms come into Bismarck-Mandan, KLJ has been looking for employees nationally as well as locally, said Cory Finneman, corporate planner.

“Because of the national economy being down, we’re able to capitalize on the expertise out there looking for employment,” Finneman said.

KLJ has seen more competition for business as well.

“There are just more people at the table now when proposals are made,” Finneman said.

Finneman said the company sees it as an opportunity. The firm has added more services to stay competitive. Finneman said the good client relations the company has built from being in the state longer helps as well.

Space is another problem. KLJ is spread out in three different facilities, but is looking to combine some of those into one building. In some cases, people are building rather than renting or remodeling what they have, Hullet said.

Tubular Transport and Logistics moved into the Northern Plains Commerce Centre in August last year. The company did not face the same problems with workforce, but looked all over North Dakota trying to find a place to locate.

“Considering that it was in an area that we’ve never been to, it felt very easy in the scheme of things,” said Alex Nicholas, vice president of operations. “The biggest challenge is finding the right spot.”

The commerce center’s proximity to the railway was perfect for the transport company, which supplies pipe to the oil fields.

The oil and gas industry also has done more than provide work and business opportunities for North Dakotans. Increased publicity due to the oil boom has businesses that would not have considered the state before now looking here.

“I think it goes beyond oil,” Hullet said. “When you look at North Dakota, we are one of the few places that has a strong economy.”

Ritter believes higher education also is going to play a bigger role in Bismarck-Mandan. With the University of Mary, Bismarck State College and United Tribes Technical College nearby, the schools will be able to train more students to help alleviate tight labor markets.

Reach reporter Jessica Holdman at 250-8261or jessica.holdman@bismarcktribune.com.

View the original article here

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