During the month of October 2008, the Centralina Workforce Development Board has been actively involved with events, seminars, training sessions, and other meetings all designed to help build a better workforce for our region. Beyond our involvement with the Monroe VR Employer Appreciation, Stanly Business Expo, and NC Workforce Development Partnership Conference events detailed in this e-newsletter, here are some the activities of the Board members and WDB staff for October:

Allied Health Regional Skills Partnership (RSP) Learning Exchange – held on Wednesday October 8 in Raleigh. The seven RSPs from around North Carolina made presentations to the NC Department of Commerce on the progress with forming and growing a regional partnership targeted to the allied health sector. David Hollars, Centralina WDB Executive Director, presented on behalf of the Competitive Workforce Alliance. The presentation is available at www.agreatworkforce.com.

Rowan Biz-Ed Connect meeting - held on Friday October 10 at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in Salisbury. Natasha Pender, Centralina WDB Program Associate participated in this meeting which included presentations from businesses and educators who participated in the “Walk a Day in My Shoes” program. This innovative program is designed to expose educators to many different career paths and was partially sponsored by the Rowan County JobLink Career Center.

Allied Health Regional Skills Partnership (RSP) Steering Committee meeting - held on Friday October 10 at Charlotte Area Health Education Center (AHEC) offices. This meeting facilitated by David Hollars, Centralina WDB Executive Director featured reports from RSP committees, including projected budget and financing for the next two years and a draft of RSP implementation plan. Emily Clamp, Centralina WDB Program Assistant also participated in the meeting.

Monroe Economic Development Commission meeting - held on Thursday October 2 at Carolina Money Saver in Monroe. Centralina WDB Executive Director David Hollars attended this meeting and provided participants with valuable local labor market information as well as updates on activities with the Union County JobLink Career Center and its partners.

Charlotte Regional Partnership Investors Forum – held on Wednesday October 15 at the CPCC Harris Conference Center. David Hollars, Centralina WDB Executive Director and Vail Carter, Centralina WDB Business Services Representative attended this important event focused on another targeted industry sector for this region – energy.

NC Commission on Workforce Development – Valuing Education Initiative Ad-Hoc Task Force meeting – held on Thursday October 16 at the High Point Chamber of Commerce. David Hollars, Centralina WDB Executive Director serves on this task force. David presented information on the Board’s Lifelong Learning Campaign to the group.

NC Career and Technical Education Association Fall Conference – held on October 29-31 at the Charlotte Omni Hotel. David Hollars, Centralina WDB Executive Director served as a facilitator and moderator for the Biotechnology Career Panel.

PY 2008 Annual Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Workforce training sessions for Adult and Dislocated Worker staff members – conducted by Patricia White, Centralina WDB Operations Manager on Wednesday October 1 and Thursday October 2 at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Business & Technology Center in Concord. A total of 34 WIA staff members received training.

NC Business Services Representatives meeting – held on Tuesday October 21 in Greensboro. Vail Carter, Centralina WDB Business Services Representative participated in this meeting and subsequent training session for new WDB Business Services Representatives.

Workforce Business Development and Assistance – provided by Vail Carter, Centralina WDB Business Services Representative for the following area companies:

• Food Lion (Salisbury) – Rowan County – October 6 (with David Hollars)
  
  
• Canac Kitchens (Statesville) – Iredell County – October 8 - Rapid Response team assistance for dislocated workers
  
  
• CR Home/Cochrane Furniture (Lincolnton) – Lincoln County – October 15 - Rapid Response team assistance for dislocated workers
  
  
• Keyper Systems (Harrisburg) – Cabarrus County – October 13

www.agreatworkforce.com

Competitive Workforce Alliance – Regional JobLink/One-Stop Career Centers Learning Exchange - Friday October 3, 2008, CPCC - Harris Conference Center
The Competitive Workforce Alliance hosted a Regional JobLink/One-Stop Career Centers Learning Exchange on Friday October 3, 2008 at the CPCC Harris Conference Center. Attendees included some 30 JobLink and One-Stop Career Center managers for the 16 county region, including four people from South Carolina, as well as workforce development board directors, staff, and other workforce professionals.

A panel of five speakers (primarily healthcare employers) provided an update on the current state of Allied Health profession jobs in the region. After individual presentations were made and Linda Strong (NC Department of Commerce) provided the employers an overview of available career center services, the panel of healthcare and education employers held an information exchange with the managers about how we can best serve individuals interested in Allied Health positions.

The afternoon session focused on the JobLink/One-Stop managers with a best practices session and breakout session to allow the managers to address challenges they are currently facing particularly with the current work climate. This session was such a success that Linda Strong used the “best practices” format for the JobLink Coordinators meeting at the NC Workforce Development Partnership Conference on October 23.

Competitive Workforce Alliance - Strategies for Change Management Seminar
Friday October 10, 2008
CPCC - Harris Conference Center
Change Management proved to be a “hot topic” for the 3 ½ hour seminar held on Friday October 10, 2008 at the CPCC Harris Conference Center. The seminar was conducted by Denis Hayes and hosted by the Competitive Workforce Alliance and the CPCC Corporate and Continuing Education division. Seminar participants came from corporate, nonprofit, education, government, and small business to learn ways to deal with changes that are happening in the workplace. There was lively exchange among the 65 participants who left the seminar equipped with several tips on how to deal with change in today’s work environment.

This seminar is the first of several such seminars planned for the coming months. Evaluations from the seminar are being reviewed and will assist us in planning future events.

These are only a few examples of how your Centralina Workforce Development Board is actively involved with our partners in our counties every month. To find out more about getting involved with the Centralina Workforce Development Board, please contact David Hollars at (704) 348-2717 or by e-mail at dhollars@centralina.org or visit our website at www.centralinaworks.com. The Centralina Workforce Development Board – The Competitive Force in Our Global Economy.

Employers and Educators participated on a panel discussion on Allied Health at the Regional JobLink/One-Stop Managers Meeting on October 3, 2008. From left to right: Page Michie, Sally Whitten, Ashley Jackson, Leticia Cape, and Kim Wedrick.

Dennis Hayes spoke to a group of business professionals, educators, non-profit coordinators, and government officials about Strategies for Change Management on October 10, 2008.

Tapping into the More Experienced Worker

Lincoln County JobLink Career Center Celebrates Older Workers

Even though the United States Department of Labor hosts a National Employ Older Workers Week every September, the Lincoln County JobLink Career Center celebrates its older workers every day.

Rose Sherrill, Jane Lewis, and Linda Hall are employed with the JobLink Career Center in Lincolnton through the Senior Community Service Employment Program under Title V of the Older Americans Act of 1965. For all three women, the job is not only a source of income, but a source of pride in a world where older workers often have trouble finding work.

The ladies came to the program for different reasons, one needed the job after getting laid off, and another says that the job helps her pay for a caretaker for her husband. All three ladies feel that the program has paid off in plenty of ways.

Linda Hall says she’s very happy with her job at the JobLink.

“I love it,” Hall said. “I mean, the environment here…Everybody’s got such a kind heart.”

Title V, which employs people age 55 and older, places qualified older adults in jobs that are part time. Participants are usually placed in a community service assignment to gain experience for their future. JobLink Career Centers are just one location that you might find an older worker in the program. Some are placed at libraries, hospitals and senior centers.

The Centralina Workforce Development Board is proud to see partners tapping into all available individuals for the workforce. Our workforce crosses age lines and county lines and the Board believes that every worker should be celebrated for their qualifications and hard work. For more information on the Title V program in the Centralina WDB region, please contact Emily Clamp at (704) 348-2732 or by e-mail at eclamp@centralina.org.

Jane Lewis (left), Linda Hall (center) and Rose Sherrill work at the front desk at the Lincoln County JobLink Career Center. All three are employed through Title V, a federal program that helps older workers find jobs.

There's a JobLink Near You!

Anson County JobLink Career Center
116 West Wade Street
Wadesboro, NC 28170
Phone: 704-694-6551

Cabarrus County JobLink Career Center
2275 Kannapolis Highway
Concord, NC 28027
Phone: 704-786-3183

Iredell County JobLink Career Center - Mooresville
470-A North Broad Street
Mooresville, NC 28115
Phone: 704-664-4225

Iredell County JobLink Career Center - Statesville
1907 Newton Drive
Statesville, NC 28677
Phone: 704-878-4241

Lincoln County JobLink Career Center
529 North Aspen Street
Lincolnton, NC 28092
Phone: 704-735-8035

Rowan County JobLink Career Center
1904 South Main Street
Salisbury, NC 28144
Phone: 704-639-7529

Stanly County JobLink Career Center
2215 US Highway 52 North
Albemarle, NC 28001
Phone: 704-982-2183

Union County JobLink Career Center
1125 Skyway Drive
Monroe, NC 28110
Phone: 704-283-7541

For more information on Centralina region JobLink Career Centers, click here.

$2.5 Million Investment in Lincoln County Magna-Tech Plans a New Facility for Lincolnton Magna-Tech Manufacturing Corporation has announced that it will spend about $2.5 million to open a 25-employee facility in Lincoln County. The Indiana based company will heat-treat and seal automotive castings that are used in engines and transmissions. The facility will open this year in a Keith Corporate speculative building in the Lincoln County Industrial Park. Dan Irvin, Magna-Tech president, hints that more local investment may be coming. “We look forward to becoming a part of the community, and we are confident that locating in Lincolnton will create new opportunities for all of us,” Irvin stated. It’s the seventh facility in North and Central America for Magna-Tech. The closest to Charlotte is in Greenville, South Carolina. In Lincoln County, Magna-Tech will seal porous parts castings using a process called “vacuum impregnation.” During the process, air is removed from the pores of the parts and a resin is used to seal the surfaces. The Centralina Workforce Development Board is proud to see our region attracting global competitors in their global economy. Please continue to look to the Centralina Workforce Development Board monthly E-Newsletter for more updates on this development! Jig-A-Loo Comes to Statesville! Canadian Based Company Celebrates Grand Opening In September, Jig-A-Loo, a Canadian company, opened a five-person office on Cooper Street in Statesville. On Wednesday October 1, 2008 the Montreal based company that makes lubricating spray held a ribbon cutting ceremony. In attendance were company executives and local business and city leaders. Jig-A-Loo and Jig-A-Patch – a spray on spackle kit – are the company’s two main products. A second, more powerful lubricant will be on shelves soon and two other products are “in the pipeline” said Jean-Loup Barbeau, the company’s brand manager. The name Jig-A-Loo comes from a corruption of the French Canadian phrase “ti-gi-dou,” which Barbeau explained, kind of equates to that light bulb above the head moment of clarity. “It sort of means, “I got it,” he said. “But it’s also a good, catchy phrase.” Please continue to look to the Centralina Workforce Development Board’s monthly E-Newsletter for current up to date information on this new development. Local business and city leaders were on hand Wednesday for the ribbon cutting for the new Jig-A-Loo office on Cooper Street in Statesville. Stanly County Company to Receive $1.2 Million UPT in Locust Secures Contract with the US Army United Protective Technology (UPT) has received federal funding to assist with supplying the United States Army with state-of-the-art technology. Representative Robin Hayes announced this month that he had secured $1.2 million for UPT in Locust. The money will be used in the production of non-hazardous infrared coating for Army Aircraft Sensors. The coating UPT will produce presents none of the health or environmental impacts found in other currently used Anti-reflective coatings. Prototype examples and early stage data of this new capability have been presented to the Army and have received very positive feedback. “UPT’s hard coating technique will keep our military on the cutting edge of defense related needs, as well as ensure that our service members have the best possible equipment,” Hayes said. The federal funding will be provided as part of the FY 2009 Continuing Resolution, which overwhelmingly passed on the House floor. Please continue to look to the Centralina Workforce Development Board’s monthly E-Newsletter for current up to date information on this new development. A New Fresh Face Lincolnton-Lincoln County Chamber Puts New Look on Website The Lincolnton-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce launched their new and updated website on September 15, 2008. “It’s an updated look,” Lori Montgomery, membership services representative for the chamber, said. The new site allows chamber members to register to volunteer at events months in advance, and has been enhanced to give local residents, or people thinking about becoming residents, a better online experience and feel for the town. This section touches on everything from area churches and civic organizations to Lincoln County’s history and cultural offerings. So far, the chamber’s new website has received plenty of hits. According to Montgomery, there were between 600 and 700 visits recorded in its first 12-24 hours online. “I think there’s something for everybody here, not only members, but also the community,” Montgomery added. Cobblesoft International is responsible for the website’s upgrades and Steele Rubber Products (a Centralina WDB Incumbent Worker Grant recipient) is the host for the site. Be sure to visit their new website at http://www.lincolnchambernc.org/ and drop them a line on how you like it. Be sure to check out all of the new features and learn about the Chamber. October's Business Survey Prize Winner is… Each month, the Centralina Workforce Development Board holds a drawing from Business Surveys that area businesses have completed and posted on our website. Centralina is pleased to announce that the winner of this month’s drawing is Tuscarora Yarns, Inc. in Oakboro, NC. Gus Vanegas of Tuscarora Yarns, Inc. completed and submitted the survey. We thank Gus for helping us with our continuous improvement feedback process! For more information about Tuscarora Yarns, Inc. please visit their website www.tuscarorayarns.com. If you haven't completed the survey, you can do so now by going to our website. It only takes a couple of minutes and by completing the survey, it will guarantee your entry into our next drawing. For more information on the Centralina Workforce Development Employer Survey and the business services available through the Board and our local JobLink Career Centers, please contact Vail Carter at (704) 348-2710 or by email at vcarter@centralina.org.

Employment Statistics
 Updated Monthly on this E-Newsletter

For more information on employment, click here

Salisbury Youth RANKS Among the Best in the State of North Carolina

Sherman Rankin Received Governor’s Award for Outstanding Youth

The 2008 Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Workforce Development Banquet was held at the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center in Greensboro N.C. on Thursday October 23, 2008. Nearly 800 people from across the state gathered in Greensboro for the 2008 NC Workforce Development Partnership Conference in which the awards ceremony was the highlight of the three day event.

Mr. Sherman Rankin, a 19 year old participant in the Salisbury-Rowan Community Action Agency’s Workforce Investment Act (WIA) program, received the Governor’s Award for Excellence as an “Outstanding Youth”. Sherman was selected from nearly 100 nominations from all across the state of North Carolina for his commitment to education and dedication to being a provider for his family and role model for his son.

Sherman has been a participant in the WIA youth program since 2003. On the road to becoming a high school dropout, Sherman credits the WIA program and staff at Salisbury-Rowan Community Action Agency with helping him to turn around his life. He is planning and preparing to attend Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in January of 2009 and major in Radiology. Sherman has proven, single handedly, that the WIA program really does work!

The Salisbury-Rowan Community Action Agency is a WIA Youth contractor in Rowan and Cabarrus counties for the Centralina Workforce Development Board, Inc. The Centralina Workforce Development Board, Inc. is extremely proud to have the winner of the 2008 Governor’s Award in its region! For more information about the Salisbury Rowan Community Action Agency please contact JoAnn Diggs at 704-216-2189 or the Centralina Workforce Development Board at (704) 348-2717 or visit www.way2work.org.

Sherman Rankin stands along side his supporters and mentors as he receives the 2008 Governor’s Award for Excellence. From left to right Thomas Barksdale II, Almond Miller, David Hollars, Sherman Rankin, Alvia Rankin and Joann Diggs.

Employers Honored for Supporting Vocational Rehabilitation

Union County Partners Thank Local Employers with Appreciation Day

The Monroe Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VR), in conjunction with the Union County JobLink Career Center held an Employer Appreciation event on Thursday October 9, 2008. The event was held at the Vocational Rehabilitation offices in Monroe and allowed the partners to recognize local employers who hired people with disabilities. The employer event is part of Vocational Rehabilitation’s celebration of October as Disability Awareness month. At the event, City of Monroe Mayor Bobby Kilgore declared October 15, 2008 as a day to locally raise awareness about employment possibilities for people with disabilities.

Kelly Wicker with Market Express in Monroe was given special recognition as an employer who consistently works with Vocational Rehabilitation and hires referrals from the local VR office.

Vocational Rehabilitation Unit Director and Centralina Workforce Development Board member Mary Walls thanked all the employers for their efforts in hiring those with disabilities, calling them an “overlooked and untapped resource.”

“We want to provide you with a qualified person,” she said, then adding that people with disabilities have a “talent” and “purpose” and should be employed accordingly.

The Monroe office, which is part of the Albemarle Vocational Rehabilitation unit, has exceeded its goal and placed 152 individuals in the job market during the past fiscal year.

The Centralina Workforce Development Board is a partner with the Monroe Vocational Rehabilitation and the Union County JobLink Career Center and would like to join them in thanking the participating employers. For more information on the Employer Appreciation Day please contact Mary Walls at (704) 289-2543.

Mary Walls, Bobby Kilgore and Margret Oshita take a moment to celebrate their local employers.

Mary Walls and Terri Cato present Kelly Wicker an award for consistently working with Vocational Rehabilitation.

Stanly Business Expo 2008 a Great Success!

Stanly County Chamber of Commerce Holds 6th Annual Business Expo

The Stanly County Chamber of Commerce hosted the annual Business Expo 2008 on Wednesday October 8, 2008. The event was held from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm at the Stanly Regional Medical Center’s Family and Education Center in Albemarle.

The expo featured hundreds of products and services that are available in Stanly County. Area businesses and non-profit organizations displayed their wares in a variety of colorful and informative settings as each booth competed for “best in show”.

“The Chamber is pleased to sponsor our 6th Annual Business Expo,” said Chamber President and CEO and Centralina Workforce Development Board member Tom Ramseur. “I am most appreciative of the sponsors, exhibitors and our Expo committee that works so hard to produce such a fine event.”

Dr. Mike Taylor, President of Stanly Community College and co-chairman of this year’s Expo calls this a perfect way for the customer to meet the person behind the business.

“This is an opportunity for businesses to let the community know about their products,” he says. “With this Expo, the Chamber is offering businesses the cheapest advertising around. Attendees all say participation pays back.”

The Business Expo 2008 was presented by Windstream Communications. Sponsors include Stanly Community College, Bank of Stanly, Stanly Regional Medical Center, Home Care of the Carolinas, Alliance Medical, Inc., Storm Technologies, 1010WSPC, Stanly Power Equipment, and the Stanly News and Press. The Stanly County JobLink Career Center and the Centralina Workforce Development Board also participated in this event. For more information on the great event please contact CaShaun Miller at (704) 982-8116 or by e-mail at cmiller@stanlychamber.org. You can also visit their website at www.stanlychamber.org.

Keith Bryson with Wendy’s Embroidered Specialties discusses his products with interested customers at the Stanly County Business Expo 2008.

Kim Mullis with United Way of Stanly County talks about the fall 2008 campaign with expo goers.

Centralina Workforce Development Board Has Training Money to Help Your Business!

Incumbent Worker Funds Now Available

Want a great way to help upgrade the skills of your current workforce and prepare for the future? The Centralina Workforce Development Board can help. The Board is currently accepting applications from local businesses for Incumbent Workforce Development training.

The Incumbent Workforce Development training is designed to upgrade employees' skills and increase companies' competitiveness in the global marketplace.

The second application round for funding will close on Tuesday January 20, 2009, with one more round to follow. The maximum amount of funds available per business is $25,000. Since the grants are competitive, local businesses are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible.

The Centralina WDB looks forward to working with new local businesses to submit applications, as well as, past companies who want to resubmit from previous periods. For more information and to review the NEW Incumbent Worker guidelines and application, please visit the Centralina WDB website or contact Vail Carter, Centralina WDB Business Services Coordinator at (704) 348-2710.

Please contact Vail prior to submitting your application to the Board. Vail is available to assist your company in completing the application and getting it to the Board for review prior to Tuesday January 20, 2009. So don’t delay, submit your application today!

Leading the Cutting Edge in BioWork

South Piedmont Community College Receives Grant to Upgrade BioWork Courses

South Piedmont Community College (SPCC) has been awarded $39,322 from the North Carolina BioNetwork to build upon the popularity and need for its BioWork course. SPCC will soon offer the more advanced Bioprocessing in the Workplace course in place of Biowork. Bioprocessing will give students additional skills required by this industry.

The BioWork course SPCC has offered during the past two years has equipped students with a basic knowledge of lab safety and protocol while they learned elements of basic math, chemistry, cell structure and microbiology essential in the biotech workplace.

By upgrading the curriculum, SPCC helps ensure the competitiveness of local, regional and state biotechnology industries. Better trained workers help existing industries to be successful and help communities attract new industries related to biotechnology. As the NC Research Campus opens this month, prospective workers are looking to SPCC for training that will help them be competitive for employment.

In addition to upgrading short term biotech training at SPCC, the grant will allow the college to operate a summer camp for local high school students who want to explore a career in biotechnology.

The Centralina Workforce Development Board is a proud partner with South Piedmont Community College and congratulates the College on receiving the grant. The Board looks forward to seeing the positive outcomes from this program throughout the region and into the future. For more information about the biotech training opportunities at SPCC, please contact Heather Woodson at (704) 272-5438 or visit their website at www.spcc.edu.

NC Research Campus Update

Find Out What’s the Latest With This World Renowned New Development

NC Research Campus is Open for Business!
On Monday October 20, 2008, Castle & Cooke’s North Carolina president Lynne Scott Safrit announced to a crowd of gatherers that the NC Research Campus was open for business! Researchers, educators, political leaders and David Murdock himself dedicated the Core Research Laboratory in the opening ceremony.

“What you see before you today is the start of a bright future for Kannapolis and, I hope, for the state of North Carolina,” Murdock said.

With the Core Laboratory open the next step is to get community involvement, this includes finishing the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College building on campus and getting more of the community on the campus.

UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State University are moved into their buildings, which opened on the 20th as well. The newest academic member, Appalachian State University, is moving to a temporary office at the Campus to start its nutrition and exercise science programs.

PepsiCo Inc. Joins the NC Research Campus
PepsiCo Inc. will open a biology and nutrition research lab at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis. The beverage maker will build a 4,000 square-foot lab on the Campus. PepsiCo Inc. is based in New York and owns such brands as Frito Lay, Quaker Oats and Pepsi beverages.

Charlotte Biotechnology Conference to Feature NC Research Campus
Organizers of the seventh annual Charlotte Biotechnology Conference dedicated a large portion of the one-day event to discussions about the $1.5 billion life sciences complex in downtown Kannapolis.

The Charlotte Research Institute hosted the conference on Tuesday October 28, 2008 at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Directors and researchers from the eight universities with a presence in Kannapolis, including UNC-Charlotte, pitched their research projects to business leaders and entrepreneurs who attended the conference.

The conference is a “one-stop shop” featuring all facets of North Carolina’s growing biotechnology industry – research, economic development, investments and entrepreneurship. For more information please visit www.charlottebiotechnology.com.

Available Jobs at Campus Posted on New Website
In response to the tremendous interest in working at the NC Research Campus, Castle & Cooke has created a new job website at www.jobsatncrc.com.

The website is a clearing house for jobs offered by the universities and companies that are at, or will move to, the campus. Through this website, employers can post job listings and applicants can submit applications to the correct human resources department.

Since the UNC institutes are satellite branches of their constituent universities, job candidates have to submit applications to individual universities.

Please stay tuned to the Centralina Workforce Development Board’s monthly E-Newsletter for more developments on these exciting stories. 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.

Youth Learn Leadership Skills in a Corn Maze! Early in the evening on Wednesday October 15, 2008 youth from the Union County Community Action Agency gathered at the Aw-shucks! Corn Maze in Monroe for a leadership development activity. AwShucks! Corn Maze is an outdoor adventure experience teaching team building skills that’s required in today’s work environment. Centralina WDB staff member Natasha Pender also participated in this fun and educational event. The evening began with a pizza dinner, followed by a hayride. The youth played horse shoes and a game called corn hole and then when it started getting dark, the youth grabbed flashlights and prepared to split up in teams and go into the maze in the corn field. The first team went and about 5 minutes later the second team went into the maze. Each team had maps and worked as teams to figure out the maze and work their way through. The evening concluded with a bonfire and a final activity, Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Case Manager, Paula Holmes, asked youth to write down one thing/vice that they have and as a symbolic act of leaving that in the past, the youth said out loud: Today I leave this “bad thing” in the past, knowing that my future is better and brighter without it. The youth then threw the paper into the fire. WIA participant and panelist for the 2008 Youth Services Summit Shayla Crawford said that she wanted to leave behind her bad attitude. Afterwards youth roasted marshmallows and talked. All of the participants had a great time and they are already looking forward to another visit to the Corn Maze! Union County Community Action Agency operates the Workforce Investment Act Youth services in Union County for the Centralina Workforce Development Board and its Youth Council. For more information on the Union County Community Action Agency, please contact Eunice McGee at 704-283-1114, extension 237. For more information on the Centralina Youth Council, please contact Natasha Pender at (704) 348-2725 or by e-mail at npender@centralina.org. Youth from UCCA, Inc. taking a hayride at the AwShucks! Corn maze. * * * * * * * Boys & Girls Club of the Piedmont Receives $50,000 The United Way of Iredell County has made a significant contribution to the Boys & Girls Club of the Piedmont. The $50,000 donation will help 66 children participate in the club’s programming this year. “It’s very exciting to see the support the folks of United Way and the community has shown to the Boys and Girls Club,” said Interim Chief Professional Office and Centralina Youth Council member Rudy Davis. “It’s not surprising given the caliber of leaders here at United Way and in the community. The United Way’s support will help fund the Boys & Girls Club’s operating budget, which is projected at $750,000 next year. It costs $750 to fund programming for each participant, Davis said, and the club plans to serve 1,000 children within the first year of operation. The operating budget will fund everything from membership to a host of other costs, including utilities, staff, equipment, field trips and curriculum. The club, which is being built at the corner of Cochran Street and Garner Bagnal Boulevard, is slated to open in February 2009. The Centralina Youth Council is proud to see partners working together to reach the future workforce in our region. For more information on the Boys & Girls Club of the Piedmont and the Centralina Youth Council please contact Natasha Pender at (704) 348-2725 or by e-mail at npender@centralina.org. * * * * * * * A.L. Brown High School in Kannapolis Brings iSchool Program to Students A.L. Brown High School is once again breaking ground in the technology field for our youth. They are offering to their youth a chance to be enrolled in UNC Greensboro’s iSchool. iSchool is a state-funded program that allows juniors and seniors to take general education college courses on the internet. Bringing iSchool to A.L. Brown this fall made sense, said Principal Debra Morris, considering the online courses enable students to earn both high school and college credit simultaneously without paying tuition. iSchool classes meet daily for 90 minutes, like traditional courses offered at A.L. Brown, but students have the advantage of saving their work and returning to it after school and at home – as long as they meet their weekly deadlines. “It’s a lot more independent,” said Alexxa Posey, a junior taking courses through iSchool and the NC Virtual Public School. “It means more responsibility, because you don’t have a teacher in front of you all the time.” The iSchool classes do have a facilitator, who is a liaison between students and their UNC Greensboro instructors. They ensure students are on task and not abusing their computer privileges. For more information on UNC Greensboro iSchool courses and the enrollment process go to http://ischool.uncg.edu/dcl/web/ischool/. * * * * * * * New Mentoring Program Created in Monroe Connecting Futures opened this past summer in Monroe with the mission to help create a positive, successful future for those who might otherwise never experience success. Sharon Allen is the Executive Director of the non-profit organization that helps underprivileged teenagers and young adults develop in a positive way to become successful, contributing members of society. Allen stated that once she founded Connecting Futures she saw a need for a mentor program aimed to at-risk girls to improve their interpersonal, social and emotional skills. That is when the program called King’s Daughters was born. King’s Daughters pairs girls with a mentor, typically a woman in the business world, who helps them learn how to present themselves at a job interview or how to dress on the first day of work. Another aspect of King’s Daughters is aiming girls toward high education. “College isn’t for everyone,” Allen said. “But there are technical schools or other schools that will help these girls.” The main goal for the mentoring program is education first, then interpersonal or social behavior. By educating the girls, Allen hopes to open their eyes to what they can become and realize there is more out there for them. The Centralina Workforce Development Board and the Centralina Youth Council are proud to see organizations thinking outside of the box to reach the youth in our region. Please note that the King’s Daughters program will be featured at the Centralina Youth Council meeting on Thursday November 18 at the Boys & Girls Club in Concord (contact Natasha Pender at npender@centralina.org). For more information on the King’s Daughters program, please contact Sharon Allen at 704-606-5364 or by e-mail at sallen@cfutures.org.

Visit our website at www.centralinaworks.com to learn more about the Centralina WDB
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