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Vernon County achieves Certified Work Ready
Nevada Daily Mail
Hailing it as a "great achievement," Nevada Regional Technical Center Director Dr. Phillip Witt greeted city, county, business, industry and community leaders who gathered Friday morning to hear the state officially designate Vernon County as being workforce ready.
The proclamation was read by Missouri Department of Economic Development Director Mike Downing in front of a packed audience at NRTC, a partner and supporter of the county's CWRC efforts.
According to a press release from the department, "this American College Testing designation recognizes successful efforts by community, education and business leaders, working with the Missouri Division of Workforce Development,
to strengthen workforce training and development to meet the economic development needs of communities.
Downing called the designation "an important milestone" for the county and the state.
"Talent and skills are the number one criteria," that employers seek in a potential employee, he said.
The goal for Vernon County was to have 331 people certified. To date, the county has surpassed that, with "over 475 residents certified," Downing noted.
"A skilled workforce is vital -- it's fundamental -- for a strong and resilient economy today, and I applaud Vernon County on its success in achieving this designation," said Downing. "This CWRC designation is a success because it signals to the business world that Vernon County's workforce is skilled, that key players in the community can work together to achieve high aims, and that this is a place where businesses can grow and thrive."
Local companies utilizing the CWRC program's National Career Readiness Certificate in their hiring processes or internal capacities were present at the event, which included 3M, Crowder College, Platinum Aero Structures, Henry Kraft, Skills Unlimited, Insite Support Services and the City of Nevada, which has already used the credential to hire staff.
"The NCRC is a work-related skills credential providing objective documentation of an individual's skills, and it's accepted nationwide by many employers. To obtain an NCRC, people in and entering the workforce pipeline undergo testing in mathematics, reading and locating information, which then matches appropriate applicants to jobs based on skill level," noted the release.
"Ultimately, by strengthening the workforce, businesses and communities are better positioned to grow and be more competitive on a larger scale."
"We are very proud of the work that has been done to meet our goal for Vernon County to become a Certified Work Ready Community," said Witt. "I believe this is a testament to the potential our community holds for business and industry growth as well as the quality of students who are graduating, ready to fill new jobs."
In 2012, Missouri was selected as one of the first four states to participate in the CWRC initiative, and in 2013, Jasper County, Mo., became the first county in the nation to achieve this designation, Downing told the audience.
"Missouri now has 25 fully-certified counties and 75 counties that are actively participating in the CWRC initiative," he said.
"Many parties in Vernon County came together to make the effort a success. Partners included local employers -- the Nevada R-V School District; Nevada Regional Technical Center; the Nevada Campus of Crowder College; the Nevada/Vernon County Chamber of Commerce; Nevada Missouri Economic Development; Vernon County elected officials; the West Central Workforce Investment Board; Missouri Job Center-Nevada; and more, Downing said.
By participating in ACT's CWRC initiative, Vernon County is:
* Helping workers understand what skills are required by employers and how to prepare themselves for success;
* Helping businesses effectively communicate their workforce needs to area education and workforce training programs;
* Providing educators with the tools needed to close the skills gap by establishing career pathways for students with stackable industry-recognized credentials; and
* Equipping economic development organizations with an on-demand reporting tool to promote the quality of the local workforce, stated the press release.
Nevada Mayor Brian Leonard, who also is a teacher in the Nevada R-5 School System, said it was "great to get to see the kids come through this program. I'm impressed with the NRTC staff in getting our youth prepared for being employable workers.
"When businesses locate here, they look for infrastructure needs and a sustainable workforce."
Having a greater skilled labor pool will help "market the quality of our workforce and attract and retain," businesses and industries, the mayor said.
Sharon Kegler, human resources director for the City of Nevada, noted that the jobs center plays a crucial role in the hiring process. With this certification, it allows employers to more efficiently "gauge the abilities of the applicant.
"We are utilizing this new program to identify the strengths and weaknesses of our candidates.
"I encourage our leaders to continue to assist the jobs center in growing this effort."
Following the presentation, Dr. Witt noted, "It took a really big effort to make this happen, with all the people coming together.
"And this is just the beginning of a much larger effort to continue to encourage our workers to get this credential and for businesses and industries to use it.
"We started this process three years ago." The first year, 26 students were involved, with the second year number growing to 105, he said.
"This is a great avenue for our students and it's an important tool to help them get that job when they graduate.
"Having our students graduate ready to go to work is a great feeling.
"Great things are happening," Witt concluded. "We are ready to work."
For more information on the CWRC initiative and how to apply for certification, visit www.ded.mo.gov.