News

There are multiple organizations in Huntsville that offer GED training and basic skills for those looking to better themselves. But should we be investing more in skills based training that provides adults with the necessary skills to fill much-needed trade and industrial jobs? One way that Huntsville can help those looking to better themselves is by becoming a “Work Ready Community.” Many communities have chosen to become “work ready” by offering citizens the opportunity to earn the National Career Readiness Certificate.

Hagerstown Community College President Jim Klauber will be closely watching a handful of proposals during the upcoming Maryland General Assembly session, which begins Wednesday in Annapolis. Klauber has requested support from local legislators for a pilot program to get Washington County certified as a Work Ready Community through ACT’s WorkKeys program.

Hawkins County recently achieved a first. The county became the first in Northeast Tennessee, and the Lakeway Area, to become an ACT Work Ready Community. 

Work Ready Communities helps local leaders level the playing field with a high performing workforce. Regions improve their workforce and compete on quality for location consultants, investors, and other decision-makers using data powered by the WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate. Site Selection magazine uses NCRC data yearly to rank state competitiveness. Click the headline to download a two-page overview on site selection insights for Work Ready Communities.

With today’s challenges, we must best serve and encourage individuals based on his or her passions and interest and not a one size fits all model of the past. In order for us to ensure every student has an opportunity to reach his or her full potential regardless of race, wealth, disability, or circumstance, we must address the needs of each student.

Video of Town Hall meeting televised at North Louisiana Technical College. It features Angie White (NLEP) one of our biggest WRC champions. Around the 32.10 mark she talks about WorkKeys specifically.

McNary High School in the certified county of Marion, Oregon promotes WorkKeys as an alternative for students struggling to meet graduation requirements. The posting by MHS also promotes the National Career Readiness Certificate benefits of employability and college credit with the NCRC.

Hawkins and Sullivan counties are the first counties in Northeast Tennessee to achieve Work Ready Community certification through the ACT National Career Readiness Certification program. Workforce development officials with the First Tennessee Development District say other counties in the region are close to obtaining the designation.

One of the largest crowds ever attended the Dickenson County Chamber of Commerce’s 2018 annual membership banquet at the Breaks Park on Friday night, Dec. 7 with the launch of ACT Work Ready Community Initiative for the county. The WRC local team presented a video for the attendees on Work Ready Communities and what it will mean to Dickenson County once we become certified.

Adult education programs at the Emerson Family School continue to go strong, with more than 130 new enrollments this year, not including students already in the program. Emerson offers several adult education programs, including high school equivalency courses, high school diploma completion courses and WorkKeys certification. In August, Emerson added an English conversation class on Fridays, mainly catering to the families of international researchers at Mississippi State University.