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Apprenticeships in the US have expanded in recent years in what has been dubbed an “apprenticeship renaissance.” But even though such opportunities continue to grow, rural communities demand greater attention. The expansion of apprenticeship may leave rural communities behind because they face unique obstacles. A new report from the Urban Institute digs deeper on the issue and opportunities for improvement. Two of the four case studies in the report feature Work Ready Community areas in Mississippi and Missouri.

“I’m very thankful to the Richland Foundation grant for providing our students with the opportunity to earn WorkKeys Certifications. The National Career Readiness Certification proves to employers that our students are prepared in applied math, workplace documents, and graphic literacy. Any certification our students can earn will help them secure employment upon completion of our program," according to Dorothy Sharrock, an intervention specialist and GED instructor.

Each week of September during Workforce Development Month, ACT recognizes the importance of the public workforce system. This week ACT honors workforce development partners and their vital role in local workforce ecosystems. The partnerships are essential in more than 500 participating Work Ready Communities to help balance workforce supply and demand.

The Texarkana USA Regional Chamber of Commerce will host their third Engaging Texarkana Conference on September 22, 2021. Breakout topics include, “Financing Your Business Growth,” “WorkKeys and Why it’s Important to Recognize It,” and “The Power of Positivity in the Workplace.” Breakouts will be repeated twice, then lunch will be served. 

Workforce Development Month continues throughout the month of September. This week, ACT salutes workforce development professionals. These teams work locally to ensure community members seeking employment have the resources they need to thrive now and in the future.

Continuing the celebration of Workforce Development Month throughout September, ACT adds its praise for the public workforce system. During COVID-19, the workforce system helped over nine million working learners add to their skills and re-connect with employment. 

The National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) celebrates the workforce system annually through Workforce Development Professionals Month. NAWDP shared the recent passage of Senate resolution for the September designation.

Each September, states, communities and workforce development boards across the country join together to recognize the contributions of workforce professionals and highlight events and initiatives which support job seekers and employers. ACT Work Ready Communities adds its voice to the celebration with more than 500 participating locations. Thank you to local workforce systems that power the recovery and prepare for the future.

With so much business interest coming to the Hoosier state from all over the world, communities around the state are getting preemptive by giving them ready-made places to move into. Spec buildings are going up all over the place this year in the hopes of luring job creators and their investments. One of those highlighted is an industrial park in New Castle that's part of the Henry County WRC.