Governor Sonny Perdue and the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development Wednesday announced the second annual Work Ready Awards, which recognized and honored the partners, businesses and individuals who have supported Georgia Work Ready and made it a success.
“Work Ready is helping make our state a top destination for jobs and investment,” said Governor Perdue. “Through the Work Ready program, communities around Georgia have rallied together and committed to developing the talented workforce that business demands and the educational infrastructure to drive sustained economic growth and prosperity.”
Three counties have joined the list of Certified Work Ready Communities. The new counties receiving the designation are Echols, Stephens and Taliaferro counties. Nineteen additional Georgia communities achieved the title of Certified Work Ready in the last year, including: Barrow, Bartow, Bleckley, Brooks, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cook, Dougherty, Franklin, Grady, Greene, Hart, Jefferson, Jenkins, Laurens, McDuffie, Pike, Upson and Ware counties.
“Earning Certified Work Ready Community status shows that local leaders understand the importance of ensuring our citizens have the skills necessary to staff existing jobs and to master the innovative technologies new jobs will require in the future,” said Governor Perdue.
Several Georgia employers were also recognized for their use of Work Ready to profile jobs, make hiring decisions and develop ongoing workforce development programs. The local Work Ready Businesses of the Year included:
EVCO Plastics, Calhoun: Created job profiles for key positions, assessed 90 percent of its workforce and implemented new training programs. EVCO Plastics, a global manufacturer of custom injection molds, instituted Work Ready into its Calhoun facility in 2008. Working with Georgia Northwestern Technical College, the company created job profiles for key positions, assessed its workforce to determine each employee’s basic skill level and implemented new training programs.
Currently, 90 percent of EVCO employees have earned Work Ready Certificates. EVCO’s involvement with Work Ready has led to increased productivity, significant reductions in waste cost and a greater sense of pride among employees, officials said.
Georgia’s Work Ready Regions, which support Georgia’s fastest-growing industries by ensuring the necessary workforce is trained and ready to meet their needs, were also recognized for their ongoing success.
The Heart of Georgia Advanced Manufacturing Work Ready Region received the 100 percent Award for assisting all eight counties in the region with surpassing their minimum Work Ready Community goals.
Additionally, five Work Ready Regions received the “Go For the Gold” Award for successfully closing their skills gap and meeting their available workforce Gold-level Work Ready Certificate goals. These include:
Chattahoochee Valley Aerospace Work Ready Region: Developed one of the strongest and most engaged industry networks, which has led to a significant increase in the percentage of Gold Work Ready Certificates to 19.5 percent.
Georgia Auto Alley Work Ready Region: Used job profiles done in the region in partnership with technical colleges to quickly put a strategy in place that led to four Auto Alley counties among the first to surpass the 19 percent Gold threshold. The Georgia Auto Alley, to date, includes Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Haralson, Paulding, Pickens, Polk and Walker Counties. Bartow, Catoosa and Chattooga Counties have earned Certified Work Ready Community status, and eight counties in the region are currently working toward the designation.
The region's proximity to Chattanooga, future home of a Volkswagen facility, plus a history of skilled workers ready to fill advanced manufacturing jobs make it an attractive location for business.
Georgia’s technical college system is a key partner in the success of the Work Ready program. Each year, the Work Ready Awards also recognize the Work Ready Job Profiling Team of the Year and Work Ready Administrators of the Year from the technical college system. This year’s winners are:
Patty Hart, Georgia Northwestern Technical College: Ensures individuals understand the value of Work Ready and have access to both assessments and skills gap training to ensure they are ready for employment. In addition to serving as the instructor of economic development programs for the Walker County campus of Georgia Northwestern Technical College, Ms. Hart has never missed a Work Ready administrators meeting or conference call. Her attention to detail makes her stand out among the more than 120 administrators around the state. She has a history of organizing and promptly submitting Work Ready paperwork and meticulously maintaining the assessment schedule for GNTC, allowing job seekers to quickly find the information they need. Ms. Hart exemplifies the traits of cooperation, precision and compassion that are needed in an effective Work Ready Administrator.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College – Honorable Mention For Job Profiling Team of the Year: GNTC’s job profiling team consists of Patty Hart and Tim Hart.