Employer Workforce Training Fund Provides $66,000 Training Grant to Coaxis, Inc.

By Nancy Davis, project manager, Worksystems, Inc.

Coaxis, Inc. can purchase $66,000 more training this year, thanks to a grant from the Employer Workforce Training Fund. This means more training for software engineers, application developers, technical support technicians and IT technicians on skills ranging from SQL Server and Microsoft.NET to Java and J2EE development. Much of the training results in industry-recognized certifications.

Fast growth makes Coaxis a strong candidate for funds

Coaxis is a leading vertical market software developer supplying the beverage distribution and construction industries with accounting and management software. The company was formed in 1990 by Jay Haladay, CEO, to purchase Insight Distribution Software and Viewpoint Construction Software (formerly Bidtek, Inc.) from Unisys Corporation. Coaxis has 100 employees in Portland, and an additional 50 nationwide. In 2004, Coaxis was named one of the top 10 fastest-growing software companies in Oregon.

Coaxis’s growth prompted Haladay to join with Jeff Reaves, president of architectural and engineering firm Group Mackenzie, to purchase a former warehouse in downtown Portland for renovation as their shared corporate headquarters. Haladay is optimistic about the opportunities in Coaxis’s future. “This new complex will house an expanded workforce which, with the leadership of our management team, will enable us to invest in new products. One of our strategic goals is to explore international opportunities in each of our markets, which will require more staff, thus creating new jobs in Oregon. The training we are doing now is building a foundation for that process.”

Haladay and his CFO, Deborah Arce, met extensively with Amy Keiter, business development officer with the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department (OECDD) regarding the new building. Keiter identified Coaxis as a strong candidate for the Employer Workforce Training Funds.

Fund created by governor’s office to help create and retain knowledge-based workforce

The Employer Workforce Training Fund was created by Governor Ted Kulongoski to assist companies with the cost of training their workers. The Portland-area funds are managed by Worksystems, Inc., the workforce development agency for the City of Portland, and Multnomah and Washington Counties. The objective is to invest in training projects which create and retain living wage jobs in Oregon, targeting companies with a highly skilled workforce, especially in knowledge-based industries. Funding is competitively procured through a formal application process, and decisions are made by a local group of leaders from workforce development, economic development, education and labor.

While companies are developing applications, Worksystems, Inc. dedicates Nancy Davis, project manager, for technical assistance. Davis says, “I’m proud of the role we play in helping companies increase competitiveness and the value of their workforce, and maximize their benefit from these funds.” Davis has been involved in the fund since its inception in early 2004, and easily translates the federal legislation underpinning the funds into guidelines for businesses. She also has a clear understanding of the investment priorities for this fund, and helps companies determine whether their training plans align with the fund.

CFO Arce met with Keiter and Davis to learn about the training funds, and determine whether to apply. Arce says, “Initially, the application looked daunting. But Nancy and her colleagues were a great source of advice and guidance to keep it simple and to the point. The application phase created an opportunity for us to analyze which training would provide the greatest return for us.”

Advanced workforce training enhances products, improves competitiveness

Coaxis will put the $66,000 training grant to good use. Since Coaxis’s products are built using sophisticated and cutting-edge technologies, they must respond to changing customer and technology needs. To be agile, it is critical that the software development team is fully competent and trained in these methodologies. Haladay explains, “By investing in advanced training for our software development teams and technical support staff, we can enhance our products with the obvious goal of creating a greater market share in our niches. This in turn will expand job opportunities and growth for Oregon.”

SAO will identify needs and apply for funds to pay for member training

The Software Association of Oregon (SAO) shares this commitment to investing in advanced training. Over 75% of SAO’s membership consists of companies with fewer than 50 full time employees, and smaller companies have told Davis that managing the grant funds is costly for them. Often they don’t have a person dedicated to training or human resources. Membership associations such as the SAO can play a critical part in helping its membership identify, coordinate and pay for training.

Molly Moore, SAO vice president, says, “We offer a wide range of services to small business, and are excited about the possibility of also offsetting the cost of education for our members.” The SAO will survey member companies to identify their shared training needs, and work with Davis to develop an application for a training grant. If the application is successful, grant funds will reimburse SAO for the cost of the trainers, so there will be no charge to SAO members. Moore went on to say, “One of the major issues our member companies face is hiring qualified workers. Workforce development programs that increase the availability of advanced training are critical to our members’ success.”