News

The Elkins-Randolph County Chamber of Commerce Workforce Development Collaborative announced they have engaged in the process for Randolph County to become a certified ACT Work Ready Community.  Jack Tribble, Monongahela National Forest Greenbrier District Ranger explains, “Hiring is one of the most important things we do. We review the resume, interview, and do a reference check. Sometimes with a candidate we feel like we are taking a chance. The ACT WorkKeys Assessment would give us another view of the candidate and could showcase the skills he/she possesses through a simple process.”

After pauses mandated by COVID, The Missouri Apprenticeship Manufacturing Program in Callaway is ready to resume training. Interested participants should bring the desired NCRC-level with either a high school diploma or equivalency.

Huntville, Alabama's public housing community of Northwoods has a new Adult Ed Center in partnership with the housing authority and Drake College.  The center offers digital literacy, GED classes, Ready to Work training, and WorkKeys assessments.

Pearl River Community College continues to offer testing at the Lowery A. Woodall Advanced Technology Center to earn a National Career Readiness Certificate. 

Job seekers, as well as unemployed or under-employed individuals, can take the test. Future workforce students who are undecided on a career can begin the process by taking the test. Local high school students in the Pine Belt are participating in the program through their schools. The certificate is nationally portable.

First created in 2005, Workforce Development Month promotes the important linkage of workforce practicioners to a growing economy. The National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) created the campaign and offers an online toolkit to promote the value of workforce activities to targeted customers and influencers. Assistance on leveraging the Work Ready Communities model for workforce advocacy is just a click away using the Contact Us link above.

Workforce, ideal logistics location, and a ready-to-go site all came together for Greenville, NC to attract more than two hundred new jobs and a $27 million investment from Prepac Manufacturing. Located in the Work Ready Community of Guilford County, the Greenville-High Point area is known as the Home Furnishings Capital of the World for leading resources in design, manufacturing, and shipping.

NC Revised WRC Application Package - Downloadable PDF

WorkSource Bend, in the Work Ready Community of Deschutes County, Oregon, earned the prestigious Mark Sanders Award. Presented by the National Association of State Workforce Agencies, the award showcases exceptional workforce and/or job market assistance to Veterans, especially those with significant barriers to obtaining and retaining employment. 

The Council for State Governments published a webinar with thought leaders that have been at the forefront of providing resources for and otherwise helping to shape a new era of remote learning. Along with insights from Western Governors University and AT&T, ACT provided trends and best practices in K-12 pandemic learning along with recovery strategies through the workforce ecosystem. The Work Ready Communities portion runs in the 31-41 minute marks of the video.

FDI Alliance Magazine published a guest article from WRC champion Rob O'Brian on post-pandemic strategies for economic development location competitiveness. The article opens with guidance on interpreting data, followed by skills-based strategies. In addition to effectiveness of the National Career Readiness Certificate and Work Ready Communities, O'Brian showcased successful demand-driven partnerships.