Programs, Community Colleges Hone Workforce Skills
Published Mar 03, 2008
Welders are always in demand.
State and local programs across the 22-county region served by the Southeast Industrial Development Association ensure that current and potential employers have access to a steady supply of work-ready individuals.
Population numbers alone show plenty of people to fill jobs, but in a competitive economy, that’s not enough. Pre-testing programs such as the Career Readiness Certificate allow economic development officials to show employers that the skill sets are in place. And with community colleges and other entities standing ready to build customized training programs, there’s even more incentive to locate in the region, says Kathy Johnson, economic development director for SEIDA.
“Qualified employees with specific educational backgrounds and skills are invaluable to a community in relation to recruiting a new business or assisting an existing-industry expansion in job readiness and placement,” Johnson says.
She points to several different programs in Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina, plus the Tri-State Regional Workforce Alliance, a consortium of workforce, economic development and training organizations that brings together people and resources from Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama into a cohesive partnership to address regional economic and workforce matters.
“Companies must rely on regional technical training, as well as the education and training at technical colleges, to continue to aid in their training needs,” Johnson says.
The Georgia Work Ready Initiative is one such program. Begun in 2006, it assesses worker skills and highlights areas where job training would be of benefit.
Along with similar programs in Tennessee, North Carolina and Alabama, the Georgia Work Ready Initiative uses the Career Readiness Certificate, a WorkKeys assessment-based credential program that provides concrete evidence of skills workers have. All four states are seeing strong interest in the certificate program from employers and employees alike.
“The state program concentrates on developing and certifying each community as work-ready, which is done through a local team working with the state team,” says Erik Brinke, economic development director for the Blue Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corp. in Young Harris, Ga. “Our counties have jumped on it, and companies are starting to understand that they need to test their employees and give them an assessment. It’s a real positive for us because it helps us match people with existing industries and help them stay solvent and competitive.”
Colleges Ramp Up Training
A workforce that is proven to be viable on the front end is a strong recruitment tool as well, adds Paul Worley, director of business outreach services at Tri-County Community College in Murphy, N.C.
“We receive training funding from the state and also the community-college system,” Worley says. “We sponsor training here and also contract with outside sources if need be. It gives our economic development people a lot of flexibility, so when a company comes in, we can have their workforce ready before they move here. It’s a major incentive to be able to offer.”
With more than 110 programs available on its campus in Rock Spring, Ga., Northwestern Technical College has long been a go-to source for employers in need of everything from computer programmers and machinists to paramedics and welders. NTC, too, has ramped up its training efforts on behalf of the entire region, says Al Hutchison, vice president of economic development programs.
“A significant number of people in our four-county service area work in Chattanooga,” Hutchison says, “so we don’t see state lines, and we don’t see county lines. I think that’s the key.”
Story by Joe Morris
Photo by Wes Aldridge
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