|
 |
Center for Construction Excellence breaks ground.
On July 17 site work began on the new Center for Construction Excellence located in the Marion A. Grosse Industrial Technology Building at Fresno State. “The Center for Excellence will be a space for Fresno State construction classes, industry collaboration, education, recruitment, and eventual business services for construction companies. The exterior space will include models of construction materials, a courtyard with a study area and a new parking lot,” said construction cluster co-chair Doug Reitz. The Construction Industry Partnership has received donations from local construction companies to renovate the space, which serves as an excellent example of the type of collaboration possible in the industry. Exterior renovations are expected to be completed in the next few weeks while interior construction will take place next summer.
Careers in Manufacturing Technology ends summer program.
The CIMT internship program will conclude its fourth year with a final Training Academy session this Thursday, August 10. Six companies hosted seven community college students this summer in a variety of positions ranging from maintenance mechanics to welders and CAD operators. Students have already participated in two Training Academy sessions where they learned about manufacturing flow processes and precision measurement, as well as toured local manufacturing companies and the International Center for Water Technology. During Thursday’s final Training Academy, students will make presentations about their experiences in the CIMT program and networking with local company representatives. For more information about the CIMT internship program, please contact Manjit Atwal at 559-294-6023 or manjitm@csufresno.edu.
Fresno County employers sign up to improve employee health and battle chronic disease.
A group of leading local employers announced recently that they are joining a new initiative to improve the health of their employees both in and outside of the workplace. The workplace health initiative is part of the HealthyFresno program – a community-wide health, wellness, and disease prevention program launched two months ago by America’s pharmaceutical companies and local health care partners.
HealthyFresno is dedicated to helping lower the burden of chronic disease in Fresno County. The new collaboration of top Fresno employers will focus on the biggest preventable health problems facing employees, such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes, and will help employers and employees take steps to combat these problems.
“Preventable chronic disease is a big concern in the business community because businesses cannot be healthy without healthy workers,” said Deb Nankivell, executive director of the Fresno Business Council. “HealthyFresno’s employer outreach initiative gives us the tools and resources to address the problem head on, so that we can help Fresnans lead healthier lives in and outside of the workplace.”
A recent study found that in Fresno County – where thousands suffer from preventable chronic conditions – the community spends approximately $2 billion dollars every year on chronic diseases. A significant part of this cost is due to the losses employers experience from absenteeism and reduced productivity resulting from employees’ chronic health problems.
Through its new employer outreach initiative, HealthyFresno is asking employers to commit to making improvements in their workplace policies related to fitness, nutrition, and overall health to make it easier for employees to make healthier decisions and prevent disease.
To assist employers and employees reach these workplace wellness goals, HealthyFresno will:
- Help educate employees about effective chronic disease prevention and management strategies;
- Provide employers with information about how to enhance wellness in their organization; and
- Offer guidance on how to incentivize employees to enhance their personal health and wellness on and off the job.
Additionally, employers will be able to direct employees to HealthyFresno’s online tools, including the personalized health assessment and diet and fitness trackers available at www.HealthyFresno.org and espanol.HealthyFresno.org.
1The Burden of Chronic Disease in Fresno was prepared for America’s Pharmaceutical Companies. For a copy of the full report, visit www.HealthyFresno.org.
CVBI/ICWT construction continues.
Construction of the new Central Valley Business Incubator and International Center for Water Technology building continues with the first concrete to be poured on August 27. This second Central Valley Business Incubator will house six water/energy businesses that will have access to multiple testing and research facilities. Testing of water flow technology products is expected to begin before the end of 2006. To keep up-to-date on building construction, please visit www.icwt.net.
City of Fresno improves inspection times.
The City of Fresno is continuing to improve inspection times within Building and Safety Services despite a 40% growth in the past five years of the number of plans, permits and inspections needing to be processed. Electronic plan submission has been tested and is expected to be made public soon. As a result of electronic submissions, plan check turnaround has dropped from an average of 39 days in 2005 to a current average of 13 days. Smaller projects have decreased from 24.6 days to 1.9 days. Additionally, the inspection division has been reorganized to enhance reporting, and in response to an increase in inspection requests, three inspectors have been added to the department and residential inspections are being converted to combination inspections with all inspections made by one person; the conversion will be completed by September 1. With these changes, inspections are generally provided on the day of the request with an average inspection time of 1.9 days, compared to 10 days in 2005. With all of these improvements, the City hopes to improve its relations with the construction industry, thus improving its overall customer service image. For more information on the City’s reduced processing times, please view the Construction Documents page HERE.
Society for Information Management offers leadership development forum.
SIM’s Regional Leadership Forum is offering a one-day “Taste of RLF” course for IT professionals in the central California region. To be held on Thursday, September 7 at the University Business Center at Fresno State, the “Taste of RLF” will offer participants not only leadership development training, but also leadership experience, as well as the opportunity to see what the broader RLF curriculum offers. RLF strives to cultivate strong leaders who realize that they not only provide strategic vision and tactical direction, but they also create an atmosphere of trust, motivation and inspiration. For more information or to register for the forum, please contact Philip Neufeld at PhilNeufeld@yahoo.com.
Fresno State announces professional development programs to be offered this fall.
Fresno State’s Division of Continuing and Global Education will be offering a number of professional development programs related to RJI targeted-industries. Programs include a Certificate Award in Supervisory Skills Training: Increasing Individual Effectiveness and Impacting Organizational Results; a Certificate Award in Urban and Regional Planning; The Maddy Institute Certificate Award in Public Sector Leadership; and a Certificate Award in Air Quality Management. Most of the programs will begin in September and will last throughout the fall semester. For more information or to register, please contact the Division of Continuing and Global Education at 559-278-0333 or www.csufresno.edu/ExtendedEd.
FCASH Monthly Profile: San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust.
The San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust was established in 1988 to protect the San Joaquin River and expose people to the natural beauty that surrounds the area. As one of California’s leading land trusts, the organization focuses its efforts on maintaining the parkway, natural areas trails and river access points, all along a 23-mile section of the River from Millerton State Park to Highway 99. On-going programs include environmental education, outdoor recreation, and the operation of the River Center, a historic property on Old Friant Road. The Trust’s fundraising series, “Parties for the Parkway” has become well-known and the events success is credited to many contributing artists and volunteers. To learn more about the Trust, its programs and events, visit www.riverparkway.org
| |
|
