Kingsport Chamber announces skills-based hiring program

The Kingsport Chamber has partnered with the Association of Chamber Commerce Executives to offer a skills-based hiring program. According to a news release, the Chamber's Education and Workforce Development program is working with ACCE on this to help "small and midsize businesses develop a skills-based job description and interview plan for a role that is challenging to fill within their company." The Skills-Based Hiring Employer Accelerator for Small and Mid-Sized Businesses covers the following topics: Identifying and defining skills needed for specific roles Writing job descriptions that reflect real competencies Designing a skills-based interview process Selecting candidates based on demonstrated ability Onboarding and developing new hires using skills-based practices "In today's workforce, it's not just about filling open positions; it's about finding the right talent fit for your organization," Vanessa Bennett, Kingsport Chamber Chief Operations Officer, said in the release. "Skills-Based Hiring gives our businesses a smarter, more practical way to hire while strengthening our entire community." There is a cost for participating businesses. Organizations with 500 or fewer full-time employees are eligible, with HR staff, hiring managers and/or senior executives encouraged to participate. The Employee Accelerator, the release states, will be offered on the following dates: Noon to 1:30 p.m., April 23 Noon to 1:30 p.m., April 30 Noon to 1:30 p.m, May 7 Noon to 1:30 p.m, May 14 Noon to 1:30 p.m, June 3 Noon to 1:30 p.m, June 11 Participants are expected to attend all sessions or review session recordings and must indicate their affiliation with the Kingsport Chamber before starting the program. For more information about the Employer Accelerator, visit https://store.acce.org/product?catalog=Employer-Accelerator-Skills-Based-Hiring.