BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A free workshop aimed at helping local employers and small-business owners hire talent with what organizers call "zero risk" is scheduled for Thursday morning in downtown Bakersfield.
The Kern Women's Business Center is hosting the Workforce Development and On-the-Job Training workshop from 9 to 10 a.m. August 6 at the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce on I Street.
Norma Dunn, program director for the Kern Women's Business Center, said the event is designed to connect businesses with county resources that remove common barriers to hiring.
"One of the things that we see is with small businesses they need to hire employees, but they have sometimes some barriers when it comes to hiring individuals they're just starting, and so forth at capital and everything. So when we have resources like this that the county offers — it's a win-win."
Dunn said the workshop is open to both new and established businesses.
"It could be brand new, they're just opening their doors, or can be established businesses that are really trying to get a talent pool together so that they can continue their work or expand."
Cazador Staffing is among the partners participating in the event and will assist with the hiring process for businesses that attend.
The workshop is part of a broader effort by the center to bring resources directly to small-business owners across Kern County, including in rural communities such as Wasco, Delano, Shafter, Arvin, Ridgecrest, California City, Frasier Park, and Taft. The outreach is supported through the California Jobs First program and the Current Coalition, which together fund the center's Rural Small Business Resource and Access to Capital Tour.
Dunn said the center holds between 100 and 150 workshops per year, with approximately 140 planned for this year. Every Tuesday, the center partners with the Small Business Administration to offer training. Workshops also cover marketing, human resources, and access to capital, with community development financial institutions, banks, and the Apex Accelerator among the resources brought into rural communities.
The center has seen significant growth since its founding in 2019. Dunn said the COVID-19 pandemic was among the busiest periods in the center's history, as staff shifted to virtual formats and helped small businesses access pandemic relief funding.
"A lot of people are getting displaced — with workforce we saw that with oil and gas and things that are happening — and so what we're coming in and doing this training on entrepreneurship is like they have ideas, they wanted to do things during the pandemic, they started businesses and now they're like growing. How do I make this a viable business and what do I need to do?"
Dunn said her team includes 23 small-business consultants, 12 of whom are fluent in Spanish.
Attendees can walk in on August 6, but organizers encourage advance registration. A QR code is available on the event flyer to sign up.
"Workforce development and entrepreneurship hand in hand are making an impact in our community."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy
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