Ministry Seeks To Help Bridge Employment Gap

Mike Lewis, who is the first workforce advocate for The Factory Ministries, is making connections in the greater Paradise area. "We have been talking to area businesses and finding out what their needs are," said Lewis. "One of the things that stood out was employee retention, so we have wrestled with how bringing advocacy into the workplace could help with retention."

In his new position, Lewis will be working to connect employees in a variety of local enterprises, including hospitality, transportation, food service, plumbing, electrical, and retail, with resources and services that are available to them. At the same time, he will work with employers using the Bridges Out of Poverty program to encourage communication between workers and employers to improve workforce retention. "The more effective the communication, the better the work environment, and the more likely someone will stay in that place of business," said Lewis, who is currently transitioning from working as an adult advocate at The Factory.

Lewis first connected with The Factory through executive director Adam Nagle when Lewis was completing his Master of Divinity at Liberty University in early 2021. Nagle, who was developing the workforce advocacy program at the time, saw Lewis as a possible fit for the position.

Nagle, who has experience in employee training and retention, said that building such a program for frontline employees and employers has been under discussion. "We didn't just want to add more programming," noted Nagle. "We want it to be sustainable and fit the needs of our community." The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic was a catalyst toward launching the program, according to Nagle. By the fall of 2021, The Factory had identified ways to step into the void. "(We wanted to answer the question) 'How do we help employees maximize what they have?'" said Nagle, noting that The Factory advocates specialize in helping those in need to benefit from available resources for medical health, mental health, and other needs.

Another goal is to help employers better understand employees. "There's a gap between employees and the executives, and judgment can form on both sides," said Nagle. "Mike will be on-site to build relationships with people. We are looking to form a strong relationship to serve our for-profit friends and neighbors."

Lewis noted that helping employees to learn creative ways to maximize what they earn will be one of his missions. "A big part of the program is the idea of new learning," Lewis said. "(Wherever there is a) lack ... to get more of that resource, you have to learn something new," he explained. "That is one of the foundational principles we bring ... to walk with somebody and (teach them something), so now they have tools they didn't have before."

Employers and employees who would like to connect with Lewis may call 717-256-1643. More information about The Factory may be found at http://www.thefactoryministries.com.