News

See video on announcement.

CHEROKEE, Iowa (KTIV) -- Cherokee County, Iowa, will become just the second county in the state to be certified as an ACT Work Ready Community.

The county will earn the distinction on January 22 in a ceremony featuring Governor Kim Reynolds.

The ACT Work Ready Communities Initiative helps cities identify skill gaps in the area

Episode 16 of the Ready for Work podcast features the Southwest Tennessee Workforce Readiness Collaborate. The group just landed a first-of-its-kind grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to comprehensive regional interagency approach to help bridge the skills gap and connect Rural Workforce Development, Education with Economic Development.

Leaders from across Jackson County today took a moment to celebrate what they consider to be a milestone in helping people develop workplace skills and connect them to good jobs.

“This says Jackson County is open for business and people matter,” said Mardy Leathers, Missouri’s director of workforce development. He added that Gov. Mike Parson has said his two highest priorities are fixing the state’s roads and bridges and developing a workforce able to meet the ever-changing demands of the modern economy.

A trucking giant with a logistics warehouse in Greenwood closed abruptly Monday, laying off hundreds of employees locally, and thousands globally. Johnson County  has resources in place to help the hundreds of local Celadon employees who lost their jobs suddenly, including the local WorkOne office and the Work Ready Communities program for employees as they review their skills and consider future employment, according to Dana Monson, executive director of the Johnson County Development Corp.

Josh Davies, CEO of the Center for Work Ethic Development is passionate about helping others make a difference in their lives, jobs, and community. By using employer-based research, defining the seven behaviors of work ethic, and innovative teaching, participants discover how to make lasting behavior change.  On episode 15 of Ready for Work, we feature Josh’s FRED Talk from the recent ACT Workforce Summit with trends in social-emotional learning and some insights on millennials and generational decline that may surprise you. Click the headline to download Josh's presentation slides and listen in at the podcast link above.

STILLWATER, Okla. – The Payne County Workforce Partnership, a collaboration between industry, education, local economic development organizations and the Oklahoma Works office in Payne County is on a journey. Their destination is a framework that positions Payne County for the expansion and attraction of businesses by having a workforce pi

SHREVEPORT-MONROE, LA  ̶   North Louisiana ranks in the top three for the largest ACT Work Ready Communities (WRC) coordinated initiative in the nation. Twelve North Louisiana parishes launched their ACT WRC certification campaigns and branded this combined effort North Louisiana Ready2Work.  Two of the 12 parishes, DeSoto and Ouachita have already completed their certification requirements and have been designated an ACT Work Ready Community. The other ten parishes still working toward achieving their certification include Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Claiborne, Jackson, Lincoln, Morehouse, Richland, Union and Webster Parishes. North Louisiana Economic Partnership (NLEP), an Accredited Economic Development Organization, has been facilitating individual parish efforts with financial support, guidance and the coordination of a June 2019 ACT WRC Bootcamp in Ruston for five of the parishes.