DI Programs to help LDS Mormon Bishops and members

New Job training opportunities for members and tools for Bishops

75th anniversary for Deseret Industries Tour

The Bishops and Branch Presidents were invited to tour the 700 South DI just east of State Street yesterday so we could get an idea of what services they offer and here are some highlights that I was impressed with.

Educational opportunities for those the Bishop refers in order to help members find a job or improve their current situation. There are programs in conjunction with working at DI and other programs available where the member can attend training at night, during the day or online where they continue working at their normal job.

There are over 200 specific training programs and some of those that are available are:

GED Preparation and or help to get high school diploma English as a second language beginning through advanced up to 300 hours of instruction. Welder certificate, CDL Truck driver training, Machinist, Diesel Maintenance Technician Air Conditioning/Heating/Refrigeration HVAC CNA Certified Nursing Assistant , Lab Assistant, Phlebotomy Tech, Medical Coding Web site Designer, Network Administrator, Computer Support

They can work at DI 28 hours a week at minimum wage and be involved in one of the above training programs.

They must be legally here in the US and they cannot have been convicted of a violent crime, drug distribution or any sexual crime. This helps keep DI a safe environment for the workers and the customers. If it has been over 5 years and the Bishop recommends the person the application can be petitioned through the Presiding Bishop’s Office for a waiver under special circumstances although there is no guarantee they will be accepted. If they are working on a Word of Wisdom issue or drugs DI will work closely with the Bishop to help these people progress in the program.

LDSjobs.org is a very helpful website for members and Bishops. Bishops and members can use their LDS.org login and password to sign into this web site. Bishops will have additional tools to view information for the members.

DICM.org or Deseret Industries Case Management System is the website where Bishops can monitor the progress of members in the DI program. Those people that are not members of the Church can participate in the program with a recommendation from the Bishop and he would determine what is required of them in order to do so.

City Bus Passes are available to those in the DI program at a discounted rate of approximately 60% off the normal price.

WOWI – World of Work Inventory – This is a new program where you can take a test at DI that is just over an hour that will determine your strong areas so you can know what fields may be best for you to study or work in. This test takes just over an hour and will help you with your goals to start or better your job possibilities.

LearnKey.com is an online training program for real world skills that Bishops may take advantage of that works as follows: The member would sign up for LearnKey and the Bishop or other person he assigns can follow the progress of the program as an administrator and sign additional people up as needed. LearnKey offers many classes online that will help anyone develop computer skills such as XL, Word, IT, Web Design and other programs and there are classes on anger management, leadership training, supervisor training and the list goes on. Some of the classes are available in Spanish as well. There is no cost for this program to those referred by the Bishop. The Church pays for this every year and it is not being used as much as it could be. Bishops can contact DI and get their own administrator sign in ID.

LearnKey can be used as a return and report tool for Bishops because he could assign a member to complete the course “Combating Self Negativity” or “Establishing and Maintaining Good Credit” or “Workplace Etiquette” or “Reducing and Managing Stress” and the Bishop can log in to see the progress of the member and see how much time they have spent etc…

The LearnKey program is available to anyone the Bishop refers including people with or without documents.

LDS Employment Center works in conjunction with DI to help people learn interview skills, build a resume the right way and get a job, a better job or a raise.

Start your own business

The Church Service Missionaries are involved in a special program to help people set up their own businesses. This is one of the only ways an undocumented person can legally work here in the US. There is a training class that is offered every few months and this can also be a great resource to Bishops and Wards. If you have a business idea they can help determine if it is a viable idea. Training for this is also available in Spanish. James L. Wahlquist a DI Development Specialist helped answer many of our questions and if you have additional questions you can call him at 1 801 532 6210.