(Room 100 B)
Learn how manufacturers can benefit from wage subsidies offered through the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act and customized training through the Employment Training Panel. Learn about federal and state-funded programs designed to build a better local workforce and how manufacturers may access these funds to grow and strengthen their workforce. Hear manufacturers share their success stories. Presented by Curtis Compton, Supervisor of Business Services for San Bernardino County Workforce Investment Board, Wendy Merlino, Business Solutions Consultant with the Riverside County Workforce Development Center, and Ryan Swier, Economic Development Analyst for the Employment Training Panel.
Curtis Compton is a Supervisor for the County of San Bernardino, Workforce Development Department’s Business Services team. Compton has served in the field of workforce development for 16 years providing hundreds of businesses with talent acquisition, employee training funding, and lay off aversion resources. Prior to serving in workforce development, he worked 12 years in a small business learning the challenges business managers face daily. Compton has a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Redlands, School of Business.
Wendy Merlino
Wendy Merlino is a Business Solutions Consultant with Riverside County Economic Development Agency, Workforce Development Division, serving business throughout the Inland Empire. She has been employed with Riverside County for 17 years. Prior to coming to the county, she was employed with Corinthians Schools where she served as a Placement Director for 10 years. Merlino holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business from Washington State University.
Ryan Swier joined the Employment Training Panel (ETP) in 2007 as a Contract Analyst at the San Diego regional office. In 2011, he assumed a role in the Marketing Division, where he serves an integral member marketing in ETP programs to the Southern California region. Swier’s focus is to attract and retain businesses that contribute to a healthy California economy by providing reimbursement to offset training cost. Prior to joining ETP, he worked for State Compensation Insurance Fund as a Workers Compensation Claims Adjuster. He obtained his BA in Marketing from Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO and his MA in Human Resources and Organizational Behavior from National University in San Diego.