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San Bernardino County Workforce Investment BoardRANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. /California Newswire/ — The Corporate Advocate, once a construction and real estate accounting firm, faced a challenging economy and shrinking business prospects. In 2008, its owners decided to reinvent The Corporate Advocate to a business processing outsourcing company. Chief Operating Officer Ray Blom relied on the County of San Bernardino's Workforce Investment Board (WIB) to find and train the right employees for the new business platform.

Today it is a recognized leader in its field, providing services to a wide range of industries. The Corporate Advocate has doubled in size every year since 2008.

The WIB immediately partnered with The Corporate Advocate through its On-The-Job Training program, a no-cost program that reduces hiring costs by reimbursing employers for a portion of a new hire's wage during an initial training period.

"The Workforce Investment Board's On-The-Job Training program has been a key component in our growth strategy. We had increasing client growth, but we were short of the resources needed to hire and train the new employees," said Blom. "With the help of the On-the-Job Training program, we started with a staff of two employees in 2008 and have grown to 17 staff members today. This program makes it possible for us to hire the right people at the right time. The County of San Bernardino Workforce Investment Board will continue to be a significant resource for The Corporate Advocate as we continue to grow."

In addition to On-The-Job training, The Corporate Advocate has also leveraged the WIB's no-cost recruitment and screening programs to identify and hire qualified employees. This program makes it possible for The Corporate Advocate to quickly promote employees to positions with more responsibility.

"On-the-Job Training provides an innovative solution to today's economic growing pains; providing the resources businesses need to develop their workforce without the financial strain of recruitment and training," said Sandy Harmsen, Executive Director of the Workforce Investment Board. "The program's goal is to obtain permanent employment for each trainee, once the employees are fully trained and have completed the probationary period."

The Workforce Investment Board offers many free services and programs to local businesses through their Business Resource Teams. The Business Resource Teams help local companies with services such as layoff aversion and process improvement. Additionally, the Business Resource Teams provide business workshops, access to On-the-Job Training and assistance with recruitment. In 2011, the Workforce Investment Board trained more than 3,300 job seekers to enter careers in high-demand industry sectors. The Business Resource Teams also visited and established relationships with more than 2,800 local businesses.

"The Workforce Investment Board is helping our economy grow and create more job opportunities for San Bernardino County residents by providing local businesses with free, specialized assistance to recruit and train the employees they need," San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Chair Janice Rutherford said.

For information on upcoming WIB training classes and programs, contact the local Employment Resource Center or call (800) 451-JOBS; visit http://www.csb-win.org/ .

About The Corporate Advocate:

Based in Rancho Cucamonga, The Corporate Advocate (TCA) is composed of an experienced team of executives with more than five decades of combined experience serving the business community. TCA offers businesses cost saving solutions for outsourcing their workers compensation insurance, payroll, human resources, safety/loss control, and claims management programs. For more information, visit http://www.tcacorp.net/ .

About the Workforce Investment Board of San Bernardino County:

The Workforce Investment Board of San Bernardino County (WIB) is comprised of private business representatives and public partners appointed by the County of San Bernardino Board of Supervisors. The Workforce Investment Board strives to strengthen the skills of the County's workforce through partnerships with business, education and community-based organizations. The County of San Bernardino Board of Supervisors is committed to providing county resources, which generate jobs and investment.

The Workforce Investment Board, through the County of San Bernardino's Economic Development Agency and Workforce Development Department, operates the County of San Bernardino's Employment

Resource Centers (ERCs) and Business Resource Centers (BRCs). The ERCs provide individuals with job training, placement and the tools to strengthen their skills to achieve a higher quality of life. The BRCs support and provide services to the County's businesses including employee recruitment.

Employers and job seekers who are interested in the Workforce Investment Board programs may call: (800) 451-JOBS or visit www.csb-win.org . Also follow us on: Facebook www.facebook.com/SBWIB Twitter @InlandEmpireJob; and YouTube http://www.youtube.com/SBCountyWIB .

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