The Virtue of Work-

Labor Day Holiday a Reminder of the Value of Doing Well at Work

A successful participant in a skills training initiative is honored by Merced County WorkNet. Photo: Merced County Workforce Investment Board

I'll never forget a Friday before Labor Day when I got a call from one of the program managers at Merced County WorkNet.

He was asking if I could attend a completion ceremony that afternoon.
The event was set up to award certificates of completion for a skills training program I played a small role in putting together.

WorkNet is the agency that helps employees upgrade their skills while helping employers by providing better trained workers.

It is the public facing arm of the Workforce Investment Board. These boards direct the expenditure of state and federal tax dollars earmarked for job training.

The Friday before Labor Day was one of the quietest work days of the year for me. Most of the company leadership was already starting their three-day weekend.

But I was in the office, and told WorkNet program manager I would be there for the ceremony.

Earlier in that summer, we were able to secure skill training resources from my company with resources that WorkNet received from the Obama-era American Resource Recovery Act (ARRA).

By leveraging these resources, training was provided that targeted older youth (defined as ages 16-22). WorkNet had the infrastructure to provide program. My company had the specialized job training skills ready to teach.

As a result of this collaboration, about thirty older youth got specialized training in energy efficiency alongside job readiness training in soft skills.

Completion of the program helped these young people prepare for careers in such fields as heating and air conditioning service repair.

Through an on-the-job training incentive, some of the class members got jobs in the field upon completion of the program.

The job skills program was recognized by my employer with a community service award in 2016. Photo: Newvine Personal Collection

Several months later, the program was nominated for a community service award sponsored by the company.

In the late spring of 2016, I received word that the program would be recognized at a ceremony to be held in San Francisco.

My wife accompanied me to the ceremony. Our daughter who lived in San Francisco was also able to attend the event.

Awards were presented in such categories as safety and diversity. In the community service category, the program that helped Merced County workers improve their job readiness skills was recognized.

Most of my colleagues were based in San Francisco so they assembled in the company auditorium along with other work teams and families. I could hear our team cheering when I was called up to accept the recognition.

It was a special day, but not as special as that particular Friday before Labor Day a decade ago when I was asked to come by the local WorkNet office for the completion ceremony of the job training program.

Attending that ceremony helped me see the real value of these programs.

I saw satisfying looks on the faces of the participants, proud smiles from family and friends, and a sense of purpose from the WorkNet staff.

It made we feel good knowing that my company played a role in making it possible.

From about that time going forward, I stopped looking at Labor Day as just a signal that summer was over

The holiday now became associated with the virtue of honorable work. It is a time to be grateful for the job and to work diligently to improve skills that add value to the workplace.

The words on my arms in this art presentation from about a decade ago still holds true. A job is a blessing. Photo: Newvine Personal Collection

A few years later at a conference of Workforce Investment Boards, I met an artist who was asking attendees to allow him to paint our forearms with a few words about how we feel about the virtue of work.

He took my picture and included it in his project called “Dear World”.

My key words were: A job is a blessing.

Now three years into retirement, I feel the same way about the virtue of work now as I did back when that photograph was taken.

The virtue of work coming into clearer focus on this Labor Day.

-Steve Newvine lives in Merced.

His new book is titled Beaten Paths & Back Roads.

It will be formally released on October 3 at the fall meeting of the Merced Women’s Club. He will talk to the group about the project, and the book will be available for sale at that time.

Two of his books: California Back Roads and Can Do Californians, are available at the Merced County Courthouse Museum gift shop or online at Lulu.com