Biz ‘Bites:’ New remote IDL offices, a virtual tour and more money for schools

IDL announces remote locations

Challis and Wieppe are the two newest communities to be added to the Idaho Department of Labor’s roster of remote service delivery locations, effective Oct. 4, the department announced in a recent press release, and the Orofino and Salmon offices will also transition to remote service delivery sites that day. The Orofino and Salmon physical offices will officially close Sept. 27. The new Challis and Wieppe offices ill increase the number of rural Idaho communities receiving direct access to the department’s employment services to 50, the announcement stated.

The department first expanded its reach to rural Idaho residents when it initially rolled out its remote service delivery model in the summer and fall of 2019. All mobile locations offer appointments, walk-in hours and access to the agency’s traditional employment services and some business services. The department’s offices, mobile office locations, operating hours and contact information can be found online at labor.idaho.gov/officedirectory.

Locations and operating hours for the new mobile offices beginning Oct. 4:

Orofino
Orofino City Hall, 217 W. 1^st Ave.
Monday 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1 to 4 p.m.
Tuesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Wieppe
Wieppe Discovery Center, 204 Wood St.
Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Salmon
Lemhi County Economic Association
803 Monroe St., Rm. 119
Monday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Challis
Challis Public Library, 501 6^th St.
Tuesday, noon to 3 p.m.

SEL creates virtual manufacturing tour in celebration of Manufacturing Day 

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) has announced it has created a virtual manufacturing tour in conjunction with the 10th annual Manufacturing Day on Oct. 1. The purpose of the day is for manufacturers across the U.S. to highlight and teach about manufacturing through events and educational opportunities. SEL is opening its doors virtually by offering community members a chance to tour its Pullman manufacturing operation via a new video. In addition to the virtual tour, SEL’s K-12 Outreach team has created the Career Sneak Peek: Manufacturing Classroom Kit, where students learn about manufacturing by setting up their own “paper circuit” factory, the announcement stated. The activity guides them through solving a variety of management and production problems to make their factory more efficient and resilient. To view the virtual SEL manufacturing tour, visit selinc.com/virtualtour.

SDE to distribute funds to help schools, districts ease staffing shortages

Critical shortages of substitute teachers, bus drivers and other staff are stressing school districts and charter schools throughout Idaho, according to a recent announcement from the State Department of Education, and a new program administered by the department is now available to help. Districts and charter schools can apply for grant reimbursement funds, and learn about available reimbursement amounts to districts and charter schools, through the State Department of Education.

“Districts and charter schools need money to bring in more substitute teachers to fill in for those who are sick and also to recruit for increasingly hard-to-fill positions such as bus drivers and paraprofessionals,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra said in the announcement, noting that a shortage of substitute teachers was one of the key issues mentioned by members of her Student Advisory Council this week. “Districts and schools may use the money to increase pay rates and provide supplementary pay according to local needs.”

Gov. Little announced Sept. 10 that he set aside $10 million in the state’s federal COVID relief funds as recruitment grants to help schools hire the people they need to continue in-person learning despite pandemic-driven staff shortages. The governor also unveiled a new program to enable state employees to help fill the need for substitute teachers. Anyone interested in becoming a substitute teacher can access free training modules through a partnership between Superintendent Ybarra’s team and the Idaho Digital Learning Academy on the SDE website. Prospective substitutes can also reach out to the districts and charter schools in their area to be added to their local lists of substitutes.