Almost a year ago the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce and Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier launched a new benefit for our members: an online platform that allows businesses and their employees to easily comply with the New York State Sexual Harassment in the Workplace law which was approved in 2018. The HR360 platform offered a simple way for our members, at no cost beyond their membership investment, to meet the requirements outlined by the State Department of Labor.

Now the HR360 platform is changing and we are here to assist you through this transition. HR360 has been owned for a couple of years by a company called Zywave, and now all of the functionality previously provided by its HR360 system is available in the new Zywave Learning platform.

Zywave Learning has bundled an extensive catalog of courses into its new system. While the New York State Workplace Harassment & Violence Module may be most crucial for our members at this time, we are certain there will be additional offerings that will be of value to local businesses.

If your Chamber/MAST member business offered the HR360 compliance program last year and you have not downloaded your employee competition certificates, you must do so before February 28 when the old module is shut down. If you need help with this, please call the Chamber or email our Director of Marketing and Communications, Sheila Webster, at swebster@chautauquachamber.org for direct assistance.

If you have not been provided with a link to the new Zywave Learning site, please watch your email in the next week and the setup instructions will be provided for you. You can easily upload your current employee list into Zywave Learning with an Excel spreadsheet to get started.

We appreciate your understanding through this transition and look forward to serving your human resources compliance needs in the future. This is a direct benefit from your membership in the Chamber and MAST, along with the products and services we can offer through a variety of insurance offerings, Shoptauqua gift cards, informational programs, networking opportunities, community events that drive traffic to local businesses, and advocacy with our local, state, and federal elected officials. Stay tuned as the Chamber and MAST will be rolling out some additional membership benefits in the weeks and months ahead.

Business After Hours at EBC West Feb. 18

Join the Chautauqua County and Fredonia Community Chambers of Commerce for an Experience Chautauqua Business After Hours networking event, Tuesday, February 18 at EBC West, 34 West Main Street, Fredonia. This great event has become something of a tradition in recent years, and now there’s a new twist. Beginning this year, the Chamber invites our local business members to send two representatives to our Business After Hours events for free – covered by the cost of the your membership. Pre-registration is required for free attendance. Additional employees can attend at a cost of $13 per person, and non-members and walk-ins will pay $16 per person.

The Chamber’s Business After Hours series is held at a variety of locations all over the county throughout the year, and each includes appetizers, a cash bar, and door prizes. The event at EBC West is sponsored by DFT Communications, OBSERVER, The Post-Journal, and Twinstar Business Solutions. Register now to attend this great event by calling the Chamber at (716) 366-6200 or through our online calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Downtown Jamestown March 14

Your business can get more GREEN on St. Patrick’s Day! Dollars, that is. The Jamestown Community Chamber of Commerce will once again Turn the River Green for St. Patrick’s Day in downtown Jamestown.  Everyone is invited to join us at the Riverwalk in Brooklyn Square for the event at 11am, Saturday, March 14. This event is sponsored this year by the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau and M&T Bank.

The Chamber strongly encourages local businesses to participate for the day as well. We will provide you with a standard “Leprechaun Crossing” poster for your business that indicates you are offering some special deal on Saturday, March 14.  Just let us know that you’ll be participating and we will add you to our list to be handed out during the event at the Riverwalk. It could be a discounted price, a special food item, or anything of your choosing.  Our goal is to move foot traffic from Brooklyn Square into to local businesses for shopping, brunch, or lunch.  Any Jamestown business can participate. For more information or to get listed, contact Jamestown Community Chamber Coordinator Joanna Dahlbeck at jdahlbeck@chautauquachamber.org or call the Chamber at 484-1101.

STEM Wars is March 12

On March 12th manufacturers and schools from throughout the region will come together for STEM Wars. STEM Wars provides students an opportunity to showcase their science, technology, engineering and math talents and projects. STEM wars features a variety of competitions and an opportunity for students to meet with area manufacturers to learn about their companies and products. The event takes place at the Jamestown Community College Campus in Jamestown, bringing together over 800 students from around the region to participate in a fun and educational event, featuring STEM activities, competitions, local manufacturing technology companies, and on-site team building/leadership skills projects. Middle school and high school students are invited to participate each year, and work for weeks in advance to prepare their projects for competition.

STEM Wars is co-presented by Dream It Do It Western New York (DIDIWNY) & the New York State Technology and Engineering Educators’ Association (NYSTEEA) Chautauqua County Chapter.  STEM Wars is produced with support from the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce (CCCC), Jamestown Community College (JCC), The Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier (MAST) and Pathways in Technology Early College High School (PTECH).

There is still room for local manufacturers to participate in the career fair, and room for more schools to sign up. For more information, contact Tim Piazza at tpiazza@mast-wny.com or (716) 483-1833.