Stay Informed!

By Lisa Buckley on 11/29/2011 @ 11:15 AM

Tags: North Carolina, Economic Development

North Carolina’s Eastern Region (NCER) hosted the state’s first Work Ready Communities orientation session on November 7, 2011. Over 100 workforce, economic development, and education representatives attended the orientation from all 13 counties in the region.

CFED partnered with NCER, the Eastern Carolina Workforce Development Board, and the North Carolina Community College System in 2011 to pilot this community-based workforce certification system. Georgia and Oklahoma established successful Work Ready programs in 2006, and CFED sought to tailor and launch an effective program in North Carolina with the help of regional partners. The Eastern Region is the ideal demonstration site because it is home to several community colleges that lead the state in their issuance of Career Readiness Certificates, a key part of the certification criteria.

The purpose of the demonstration project is to assess and award communities that meet Work Ready criteria, evaluate the standards proposed for certification, motivate broad county participation, introduce the Work Ready Initiative to employers, and capture the lessons learned at the regional level for potential application across the state. A county earns the designation ‘Work Ready Community’ by advancing its high school graduation rate, increasing the number of Career Readiness Certificates, and obtaining letters of support from key employers and county leaders.

The benefits of the Work Ready Community certification extend to employers, job seekers, and the community at large. For existing and potential employers, the Work Ready Communities certification signifies a talented and qualified applicant pool from which to choose employees. For employees, the program presents a way to improve individual marketability, and increase odds of placement in a job that fits his or her strengths. As multiple companies participate in the program, certified Work Ready Communities as a whole will experience less job turnover, better job-fit for employees, a lower unemployment rate, and a qualified workforce that will serve as a selling point for large industries and firms seeking relocation in their area.

Eastern Region counties are invited to apply to the program through December 15, 2011. More information is available at www.ncworkready.org. Support for the Work Ready Communities demonstration project was provided by the North Carolina Rural Center.

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