As a result of the success in eastern NC, its program is now serving as a model which is being replicated across the state.
August 27, 2014 – Eastern NC – The availability of skilled labor remains the #1 criterion for companies making and expansion or relocation decision. In fact, a recent survey by Area Development Online found that 86% of business executives considered availability of skilled labor an important factor in a site location decision.
Over the last 5 years, eastern NC leaders in economic development, education and industry have collaborated to spearhead the development of qualified talent. The centerpiece of their efforts has been the NCEast Alliance’s WorkReady Communities (WRC) Initiative. Built on ACT’s Career Readiness Certificate (CRC), WRC is assessing the skills needed in specific jobs and insuring that job seekers possess the skills needed for those jobs. By matching industry needs with a labor pool of qualified talent, the WRC program is creating opportunities for job seekers and helping industry get the right person in the right job.
“As an employer, our company understands the value of a well-trained workforce. We have had several of our jobs profiled, and the resulting use of CRC scores has helped us put the right people in the right jobs. It has also helped us see where our employees’ weak spots were, and that knowledge helped us design our in-house training to correct those deficiencies,” said Chris Martin, Mt. Olive Pickle Human Resources Director.
Through the diligent work of public and private partners, more than 150 companies now utilize the CRC in their employment practices and nearly 50,000 people now possess a CRC – almost 11% of the regional labor force.
Communities can earn the WorkReady Community designation by achieving certain standards, displaying their commitment to workforce excellence. The community partnership must receive a pledge from 10 of the top 20 largest employers to utilize the Career Readiness Certificate (CRC) in employment practices. Additionally, a minimum of 5% of the labor force must possess a CRC and the community must increase the high school graduation rate by 1% annually with a minimum qualifying rate of 70%.
Craven, Edgecombe, Lenoir, Onslow, Pitt and Wayne counties are the first in the state to be certified. Several additional counties in the region are on the brink of meeting or exceeding the WRC criteria.
As a result of the success in eastern NC, its program is now serving as a model which is being replicated across the state.
“We are extremely excited about the launch of the statewide WRC initiative. Our organization has been working over a year as part of the working group to develop the program. We worked alongside State partners including Department of Public Instruction, Department of Commerce, the Community College System and the Division of Workforce Solutions to outline the new program, to be led by the NC Chamber. We are proud that the pilot program we developed here in the east will be replicated in many ways for the statewide initiative,” said Kathy Howard, Vice President for Client and Workforce Development, NCEast Alliance.
Under leadership from the NC Chamber of Commerce the NC Certified WRC Initiative is providing counties with a framework to validate that they have a skilled workforce ready to fill current and future jobs. Strategic partners in the program include the NC Community College System, the NC Department of Public Instruction, the NC Department of Commerce, the NC Chamber and numerous economic and workforce development entities.
The NCEast Alliance is a regional, not-for-profit, economic development corporation serving approximately 1 million residents within several small metropolitan and micropolitan areas from the fringe of the Research Triangle to the Atlantic Coast. The Alliance provides community capacity building and assists companies with site location and expansion evaluations. For more information on the NCEast Alliance, visit us at www.nceast.org or the NCEast WorkReady Communities site at www.ncworkready.org.