Centralina Leading the State AgainAll JobLink Career Centers Rechartered at Level II and Higher
The North Carolina Commission on Workforce Development in partnership with the Centralina Workforce Development Board has established a framework to assess quality standards, performance accountability and continuous improvement in the region’s JobLink Career Centers, which are one-stop employment and training centers. The process of chartering the state’s JobLink Career Centers is the tool for which each center maintains accreditation. The chartering process is based on seven principles: Leadership, Information and Analysis, Strategic Planning, Human Resource Utilization, Process Management, Customer Satisfaction, and Results. There are three levels for which each Center in North Carolina can obtain chartering. The Statewide process requires more than a year of preparation and extensive documentation. The Centralina Workforce Development Board provides local oversight and guidance for the centers in the region. Anson County JobLink, both Iredell County JobLinks, Lincoln County JobLink, Stanly County JobLink and Union County JobLink all received the JobLink Level II awards. The Cabarrus County JobLink Career Center received the JobLink Level III award, which is the state’s highest credential. Only 21 of the state’s 105 JobLink Career Centers have earned the Level III designation. The Level II and Level III charters for the all centers with the exception of the Rowan JobLink do not expire until 2010. The charter of the Rowan County JobLink Career Center which was rechartered last year expires in 2009. Centralina Workforce Development Board Executive Director David Hollars said “Workforce Development is trying to hit a constantly moving target, and the professionals at our local JobLink Career Centers have always met the challenges placed before them with a commitment to excellence for individuals and businesses using their services. The Level II and Level III recognition by the NC Department of Commerce validates that the Centralina Workforce Development Board and the JobLink Career Center system are doing the right things to ensure that we have the competitive workforce for our global economy.” The Centralina Workforce Development Board is extremely proud of all of the JobLink Career Centers in the Centralina region. The Board appreciates the JobLink Career Centers hard work and community outreach in the region. A prepared workforce is job one for the Centralina Workforce Development Board and the JobLink Career Centers in the Centralina region. For more information on the awards please visit the Centralina Workforce Development Board website at www.centralinaworks.com or you can contact David Hollars at (704) 348-2717 or by email at dhollars@centralina.org.
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The
On
October 4 at Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte a panel discussion
was held that would give the folks from California a chance to ask
leaders in the region how one industry cluster could affect such
a large region both positively and negatively. Panel members included:
David Hollars, Executive Director, Centralina Workforce
Development Board, David Dunn, Vice Chancellor
of University Relations and Community Affairs at the University
of North Carolina at Charlotte, Laurie Walker,
Director of Transportation Systems Technologies at Central Piedmont
Community College, Laurie Wilks, Senior Vice President,
Lowe’s Motor Speedway, and Andy Papathanassiou,
Executive Director, North Carolina Motorsports Association.
Target
Stores
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Thinking Lean = Success!Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Lean Thinking Focus Group RCCC will take the shared information to other area employers and establish a lean enterprise advisory council comprised of company leaders in Cabarrus and Rowan counties. It’s all part of RCCC’s efforts to help local employers become more efficient and competitive and, in the process, more profitable.
Lean thinking is a management philosophy that focuses on waste reduction to improve overall quality. A basic lean enterprise concept is that steady elimination of waste leads to reduced costs. The Centralina Workforce Development Board is proud to partner with Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and private industry to help build a faster, leaner workforce for the region. For more information on lean training please contact Vail Carter at (704) 348-2710 or by email at vcarter@centralina.org. Honoring Local Employers in Stanly CountyStanly County JobLink Career Center and Vocational Rehabilitation hold Employer Appreciation DayThe Stanly County JobLink Career Center partnered with the Albemarle unit of NC Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services to host an Employer Appreciation Day on Thursday October 25, 2007 at the VR office at 702 Henson Street in Albemarle. Over fifty people from various employers attended the event. Some of the employers at the event were Stanly County Schools, Britthaven Nursing Center, ARC Services, and American Fiber. The NC Department of Commerce’s JobLink Mobile Bus Unit was also on hand to show employers all the services that the JobLink Career Center can offer to businesses in the region. During the event, Dianne Lowder from IH Services was presented with a plaque to show appreciation for the assistance she provides in placing employees in a position. “I am proud of the Albemarle office,” said Ken Millsaps, assistant regional direct of Vocational Rehabilitation. “I am proud of the continued increasing number of qualified workers the Albemarle office provides to its community.” The Albemarle Vocational Rehabilitation specially thanked Nathan Sanges, manager of the Stanly County JobLink Career Center, for all his hard work and partnership in celebrating local employers. The Centralina Workforce Development Board is a proud partner with the Stanly County JobLink Career Center and Vocational Rehabilitation. The Board is proud to see its partners thanking the employers in the region for what they provide the workforce. The Board believes that partnerships in the region lead to progress in the region. For more information on the Employer Appreciation Day in Stanly County, please contact Nathan Sanges at (704) 982-2183 or by email at Nathan.sanges@ncmail.net.
Anson County Reaps Benefits of Employer ExpansionSouthern Fabricators, Inc. adding 25 Jobs over the Next Two Years
The company will add 20,000 square feet to its facility, allowing the company to install laser technology and automated materials-handling capabilities. Please continue to look to the Centralina Workforce Development Board’s monthly e-newsletter for more developments on this exciting event in the region. Can’t wait for the e-newsletter at the end of the month? Go straight to the Centralina Workforce Development Board’s website at www.centralinaworks.com for faster updates on what is happening in the region. Looking for a Place to Start Your Business?Retail Business Incubator Opened in Salisbury The retail incubator will provide the owner tools needed to grow a successful business while providing reduced overhead costs and technical assistance. “So many small startup business owners unfortunately have the idea that if they open their doors, the crowds will come,” said Betz Bigelow, project manager with Downtown Salisbury. “So many of them go out of business rather quickly because they don’t have the business education and training they need.”
Please continue to look to the Centralina Workforce Development Board’s monthly E-newsletter and its website (www.centralinaworks.com) for up to date information on this exciting new development in the region. |
Rowan-Cabarrus
Community College
RCCC’s
Customized Training and Development Office, part of the
college’s Continuing Education Department hosted and
coordinated the focus group. Companies that participated
were Berenfield Containers, Freightliner, W.A. Brown, PowerCurbers,
Innospec, and Oiles America. N.C. Representative Fred
Steen and Vail Carter of the Centralina
Workforce Development Board also participated.
“This
was an opportunity for us to show companies how much we
appreciate them,” said Vocational Rehabilitation Unit
Manager and Centralina Workforce Development Board member
Mary Walls.
Southern
Fabricators Inc
Salisbury
officials have opened a new incubator project for retail
businesses, sponsored by 
R.F.
Microdevices
L.B.
Plastics, Inc
When
it first opened L.B. Plastics Inc. had a 20,000 square-foot
building and now it has 324,000 square-feet for the manufacture
of vinyl railings, fence posts, decking and related products.
Well
they are back again in the headlines! Did you know that
Employment Statistics
Updated
Monthly on this E-Newsletter
| September
2007 (Source: NC Employment Security Commission) |
||
| County | Unemployment
Rate |
Persons
Employed |
| Anson | 6.3% |
10,623 |
| Cabarrus | 4.4% |
79,961 |
| Iredell | 4.6% |
75,563 |
| Lincoln | 5.0% |
37,274 |
| Rowan | 5.9% |
67,407 |
| Stanly | 4.8% |
28,898 |
| Union | 3.9% |
85,429 |
For more information on employment, click here
Employer Seminar Showcases South Piedmont Community College Launch of Career Readiness Certification Program in Union County
The
Business and Expansion Program of Monroe
Economic Development in partnership with South
Piedmont Community College (SPCC) and the Centralina
Workforce Development Board held a half-day employer seminar
on October 10, 2007 in Monroe. The seminar also served as a kickoff
for the Career Readiness Certification (CRC) program for Union County.
The North Carolina
Community College System awarded grant funding of $28,000
to SPCC to help implement the CRC program in Union County. The program
had already started in Anson County. The Centralina Workforce Development
Board supplied the funding to SPCC to get the CRC program started
in Anson County.
Speakers for the employer seminar included Lisa Hildreth, President of Mar-Key Specialized Staffing, Randall Darnell, Manager of the Union County JobLink Career Center, Stuart Wasilowski, Vice President of Workforce Development and Continuing Education at SPCC, Linda Kappauf, Director of Human Resource Development at SPCC, Stacy Smith, Training Generalist with PGT Industries in Salisbury, and David Hollars, Executive Director of the Centralina Workforce Development Board.
Attendees at the seminar heard from private and public sector human resource practitioners about successful strategies they use to find and retain qualified employees. Some of the topics of discussion were: “What are Job Seekers Looking for in an Employer?”, “JobLink’s Business Services”, “Career Readiness Certificate: Ensuring a Candidate’s Skill Level”, “How the CRC had Helped Recruit Quality Employees”, and “A Regional Perspective on the Career Readiness Certification”.
Regarding her company’s integration of the Career Readiness Certification into their hiring and promotion process, Stacy Smith of PGT said “It’s the only tool out there that truly measures workplace skills. The test demonstrates and proves that they have the workplace skills needed for the performance on the job.”
Many Union County employers expressed immediate interest in getting their employees CRC certified and learning more from SPCC about how the CRC can help their recruitment and retention process.
The Centralina Workforce Development Board is proud to partner with the JobLink Career Centers and the region’s community colleges to help train the workforce for the future. The Board promotes continuous training and continuous improvement for all businesses and job seekers in the region. For more information on the Centralina Workforce Development Board or the CRC program through your local JobLink Career Center, please visit our website at www.centralinaworks.com.
Developing Regional Talent
Charlotte Regional Partnership and the Competitive Workforce Alliance Planning 2nd Annual Workforce/Economic Development Summit
The
Charlotte Regional
Partnership and the Competitive Workforce Alliance
are holding the 2nd Annual Regional Workforce/Economic Development
Summit: Developing Regional Talent on Tuesday November
13, 2007 at the Charlotte Marriott Executive Park from 2:00 PM -5:30
PM.
This
Summit will focus on the payoff of working regionally to educate
and train a competitive workforce and how members of the community
can be part of the solution. Many issues will be covered including:
how to identify critical talent shortages, what learning institutions
are doing to prepare the workforce in both the hard/technical skills
and soft skills employers need, and what employers, elected officials,
nonprofits and others can do individually and together to help/complement
educational institutions' efforts.
Speakers at the summit will include Dr. Peter Gorman, Superintendent of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System, Dr. Tony Zeiss, President of Central Piedmont Community College, and Dr. Phil DuBois, Chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Peter Creticos, President and Executive Director of the Institute for Work and the Economy and Senior Research Associate at Northern Illinois University Outreach, will speak on coordination efforts on a national perspective, and David Hollars, Executive Director of the Centralina Workforce Development Board, will speak on a local perspective about how to coordinate economic development and workforce development on workforce retention and improvement.
For more information on the Summit please visit www.centralinaworks.com. If you are interested in attending you can call Emily Clamp, Centralina Workforce Development Board Program Assistant, at (704) 348-2732 or email her at eclamp@centralina.org for an invitation or more information on the Summit. Please continue to look to the Centralina Workforce Development Board’s monthly e-newsletter for more information.
A Campaign for Lifelong Learning
Centralina Workforce Development Board Kicks Off Strategic Effort to Target Workforce Literacy Issues
The Centralina Workforce Development Board kicked off its Campaign for Lifelong Learning on Tuesday October 23 with a planning meeting held at the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce in Kannapolis. A group of 20 leaders from around the region met to discuss the results of a recent research project that Centralina engaged DCA, Inc. to work on that would gather data that would assist in developing strategies for addressing literacy needs in the region. As part of their plan, DCA was also asked to examine the potential for a campaign to increase literacy within the workforce in the Centralina region. DCA’s approach has used the broad definition of literacy – the basic skills needed to function competitively. As a result of their extensive research and surveying of the area’s needs, an emerging campaign has developed.
The Campaign for Lifelong Learning in Centralina will concentrate on four key literacy areas: promoting a certified universal skill set, communicating workforce resources, increasing two-year degree holders, and sustaining prosperity through financial literacy. A planning group for the campaign has been identified to help initiate the process.
These
four key areas were formed into groups that will meet and discuss
potential strategies for specific key topic areas, a bold but achievable
5-year goal will be set, and strategies to meet the goal and the
resources it will take to reach the goal will be identified. The
subgroups will be meeting throughout November with a meeting of
the large planning group scheduled for December.
The Centralina Workforce Development Board is proud to partner with leaders in the region from many organizations including public schools, community colleges, economic development and private industry to reach out to the region and put an end to illiteracy. If you are interested in participating in the Campaign for Lifelong Learning, please contact Emily Clamp at (704) 348-2732 or by email at eclamp@centralina.org for more information about the upcoming meetings.
A High Tech Partnership
Mitchell Community College Receives Grant from Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation
Mitchell Community College’s (MCC) Mooresville Center is growing at a fast pace, with its latest classroom building slated to begin construction next year that should be completed in 2009.
Lowe’s
Charitable and Educational Foundation gave Mitchell
CC a $250,000 boost toward stocking the new classrooms with the
latest in educational technology. The three-story building will
be Mitchell Community College’s third expansion since the
Mooresville Center opened in 1984. The last expansion that occurred
in 2003 added seven classrooms and an updated reception area.
“When
you come by, you’re going to know you’re at Mitchell
Community College,” MCC President Douglas Eason said. “We’re
grateful to Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation for
seeing fit to realize this dream.”
The Centralina
Workforce Development Board is a proud partner with Mitchell Community
College and encourages partnerships between colleges and businesses
in the region. The Board promotes continuous improvement
within the workforce. For more information on the Centralina
Workforce Development Board please contact David Hollars at (704)
348-2717 or by e-mail at dhollars@centralinaworks.com.
NC Research Campus Update!
Find Out the Latest Happenings at One of the Most Happening Places in Our Region
New
Tenant at the Campus
The
NC Research Campus
has sealed a deal with a new tenant to be housed on site. Anatomics,
a manufacturer of surgical biomodels and custom implants will locate
their offices on the Campus grounds.
The company uses patient CT scans to create custom anatomical biomodels for presurgical procedure planning, custom implant design and pre-shaping of surgical hardware.
“We are excited to locate our US Head Office and manufacturing facility on the North Carolina Research Campus and are looking forward to working personally with the regional health care community as well as the list of impressive companies here at the campus,” said Larry Ward, CEO of Anatomics’ US business unit.
A
City Already Transforming
As
the NC Research Campus continues to grow and get closer to completion
the town of Kannapolis is already starting to feel the positive
effects.
With the success of two new restaurants that opened recently (Restaurant 46 and De Pompa’s) and increased traffic Mayor Bob Misenhiemer says that it is evidence that the Research Campus already has pumped new life into the town.
“If you look in the city right now downtown, you’re going to see more vehicles there on the streets than we have seen in a long, long time,” Misenheimer said. “It’s a positive sign.”
For more information on what is going on at the NC Research Campus please visit the Centralina Workforce Development Board’s website at www.centralinaworks.com. Stay tuned to the Centralina Workforce Development Board’s monthly e-newsletter for more updates on this exciting development.
Southern Growth Launches Two New Online Tools
Southern
Growth Policies Board is pleased to announce the launch
of two new, searchable web-based tools and the redesign of the Southern.org
website.
The Southern.org website has been redesigned to provide users with
improved navigational tools and greater access to Southern Growth's
research, toolkits, best practices and publications. Southern Growth
added a scrolling regional calendar as well as two new, searchable
online tools -- the Southern
Compass News Portal and The
Southern Growth Idea Bank.
The Southern Compass News Portal at http://www.southerncompassnews.org
includes a searchable archive of Southern Growth's weekly email
newsletter, Southern Compass, with additional tools. The portal
offers users the opportunity to research articles, publications,
press releases, announcements and trends in four broad areas -Community
& Quality of Life, 
Globalization,
Technology & Innovation and Workforce Development-chronologically
for up to a year's worth of Southern Compass issues. Users can search
more than 900 articles by keywords, broad categories, chronologically
or in combination. The Southern Compass News portal also offers
links to a comprehensive list of research tools in economic and
community development as well as links to regional newspapers and
recent Southern Growth press announcements. Users can sign up for
the Southern Compass newsletter via the portal or check the site
each week to view the latest edition.
The Southern Growth Idea Bank at http://www.southernideabank.org
is an online compendium of smart ideas, best practices and innovative
programs from across the Southern region. The Southern Growth Idea
Bank allows users to search for programs by state, by a specific
category or by keywords. The Idea Bank includes more than 175 programs
covering a broad range of topics from leadership to foreign relations
to emerging industries to career preparation in K-12 and life-long
learning. The program profiles within the Idea Bank cover ideas
from academic institutions, businesses, nonprofits, public-private
partnerships and governments at the national, regional, state and
community levels.
As always, check the Southern.org website frequently for information
and updates about Southern Growth's advisory councils, regional
projects, publications and tools.
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Centralina State of the Region Youth Services Summit Evaluations Are InThe Centralina Workforce Development Board and the Centralina Youth Council held its first annual State of the Region Youth Services Summit at the Speedway Club at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord on Friday September 14. The Summit had over 70 participants that participated in the first of many annual Youth Summits offered by the Centralina Workforce Development Board and the Centralina Youth Council. Guest speakers included Thomas Barksdale II, a motivational speaker, and Lakeshia Liphford, from Job Corps. Participants attended workshops in the morning and in the afternoon session, attendees were able to hear from a panel that represented youth agencies. Evaluations for the summit were submitted by 58 attendees. Some of the comments received were that the Summit “was a great learning experience,” “very informative,” “a great opportunity to make new contacts,” and “overall, a great summit.” Suggestions for next year’s summit were “to include youth,” “invite employers and politicians,” “allow attendees to take advantage of more than one session,” and to “have workshops teaching independent living skills.” For a complete summary of the Summit evaluations, please click here. The first annual State of the Region Youth Services Summit was a great success! The Centralina Workforce Development Board and the Centralina Youth Council would like to thank all of those who participated and hopes that the information given will help agencies reach the youth in the region. If you are interested in presenting at or attending the 2008 State of the Region Youth Services Summit, please contact Natasha Pender at (704) 348-2725 or by email at npender@centralina.org.
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The
Centralina Workforce Development Board's Youth Council was
proud to have Ms. Liz Tennent of 
The
organization offers many programs to youth including “Kids
Health Matters”, which is a short-term self esteem
building program designed to expose youth to many of the
social issues and topics that may affect them. Other programs
include: “Teen Court” which provides an alternative
to Juvenile Court for less serious offenders referred by
Juvenile Court personnel, “Juvenile Restitution”
which serves as a bridge between the juvenile offender and
the victim, “Support Our Students” which is
designed to provide middle school students with after-school
assistance, including homework, tutorials and social opportunities,
and “Juvenile Court Psychology Service” which
provides psychological assessment and counseling to juveniles
and their families. They also offer a great mentoring program
called “X2 TIMES TWO” that pairs youth with
a positive mentor from the community.
One
organization that is happy to see the new partnership is
the 
Students
at 
Court
TV selected the Kannapolis school for the visit in conjunction
with work already done at the school by its cable TV partner,
Time Warner Cable. Through its Hands Helping Heroes Initiative,
Time Warner Cable donated $50,000 to A.L. Brown last spring
to help provide resources for the school’s new Freshman
Academy. A special thanks to new Centralina Workforce Development
Board member Pat Woods from Kannapolis
City Schools for being a big part of this endeavor.
As
a proud partner and supporter of local community colleges
such as Gaston College and their efforts to increase literacy
for local citizens, the Centralina Workforce Development
Board sponsored a reception immediately following the ceremony.
Graduates were presented with a Centralina WDB gift bag.
Light refreshments were served. The reception also gave
students the opportunity to congratulate one another and
take pictures with family members and friends. 
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What's Happening in the Region?Comings, Goings, Kudos…
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•
Centralina Workforce Development Board meeting •
Centralina WDB Community Relations Committee Meeting •
Centralina WDB Youth Council Meeting •
Customer Service Training for the Cabarrus County and
Rowan County JobLink Career Centers •
Tourism Dollars in the Stanly Economy •
Rowan County Job Fair for Military Veterans •
Introduction to Computers •
Medical Terminology •
Introduction to Computers •
Career Exploration •
Junior Achievement is looking for volunteers and sponsors
in Cabarrus & Rowan Counties:
NC Workforce Development Training Center Training Announcements eTrain
Course: Customer Service in Continuous Improvement Environment eTrain
Course: Planning and Documentation For
more information about these and other training offerings or to
register for training, please visit: www.ncwdtc.com |
•
Lisa Conger is now the Director of the
Career and Technical Education for Cabarrus County Schools.
Welcome Lisa!
•
Anita Brown, Chancellor of the Cabarrus
College of Health Sciences announced her retirement in May
of 2008. Brown has been with the college for 35 years and
has been its CEO since 1994. You will be missed Anita!
•
Bill Cowan has resigned as Rowan County
manager to head up a real estate development venture in
Pinehurst. Cowan has accepted a position as director of
real estate development for Pinewild Realty. He will continue
to serve as manager until December of 2007.
•
Ronnie Bryant, chief executive of the Charlotte
Regional Partnership, has been named an Honorary Life Member
by the International Economic Development Council. The designation
is reserved for active or former members of the organization
who have furthered the profession of economic development.
Congratulations Ronnie! 
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Visit
our website at www.centralinaworks.com
to learn more about the Centralina WDB |
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To
learn more about the Centralina Council of Governments please visit
www.centralina.org
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| CentralinaWORKS is a publication of the Centralina Workforce Development Board. If you do not wish to receive this E-Newsletter in the future, please send a return e-mail and type "REMOVE" in the Subject Line and you will be removed from our distribution list. The CWDB does not share its distribution list with other organizations. Please feel free to share this E-Newsletter with co-workers and other business associates. |