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KTOL News Showcases Baxter WRC's Push to Certification January 21, 2025

A push to attain grant funding to help local students and businesses grow is underway through the ACT Workkeys Initiative. Check out the KTLO interview with Rebecca Camp, the Special Programs Coordinator for Mountain Home Public Schools. 

Highlight Reel for ACT Summit January 21, 2025

Catch the excitement for the ACT Summit 2025! Registration is now open.

Site Selection 2025 State of the State Rankings Published January 05, 2025

Site Selection magazine's annual State of the State rankings for 2025 are out. Publishers use annual growth of the WorkKeys NCRC as one of six key metrics in the rankings.

News Column Promotes Employer Opportunities for WRC December 18, 2024

The Batavian published a column this week from Chris Suozzi of the Genesee County EDC with strong emphasis on opportunities for employers in their rapidly-growing Work Ready Communities initiative.

Southwest Missouri Lands YouthBuild Grant December 15, 2024

The Workforce Investment Board of Southwest Missouri in Joplin will receive $1.2 million dollars from the Youth Build Program. The grant is designed to prepare young people from 16 to 24 for in-demand careers, with a special focus on construction apprenticeship.

Newspaper Showcases Variety of Choices to 11th Graders All Leading to Success December 13, 2024

The Republic-Monitor newspaper in the Work Ready Community of Perry County, Missouri recently showcased how the variety of choices to 11th grade students all work together for success.

Coach SwazZ Promotes NCRC in Sports-Themed Facebook Reel December 12, 2024

Chris Souzzi with the Genesee County Economic Development Corporation, also known as Coach SwazZ in this Facebook reel, shares motivations for earning the NCRC.

Congrats to Arkansas WRCs that Won Economic Development Grants December 12, 2024

Of the 13 locations receiving economic development infrastructure grants, 11 are in participating Work Ready Communities. The news team of Southwest Arkansas Today shared the list along with remarks from state officials.

Oswego County Graduate Riley Wood Shares Success Story at ACT Work Ready Community Designation Event December 05, 2024

Riley Wood, a 2023 graduate of Oswego County P-TECH, is making waves in the workforce as the youngest Regional Operator hired by National Grid. In this role, Wood oversees a distribution grid delivering high-voltage transmission to more than 566,000 customers across Central New York, showcasing the critical skills and expertise gained during their educational journey.
 
At a recent ceremony celebrating Oswego County as the first ACT Work-Ready Community in the northeastern United States, Wood spoke about the pivotal role of the National Career Readiness Credential (NCRC), earned through the ACT WorkKeys assessment, in transitioning from school to career.
 
“The applied schooling I received through P-TECH, including the ACT WorkKeys assessment, is the sole reason for my success in finding, obtaining and succeeding in my career,” Wood shared. “Not only does the ACT credential grab attention from employers, but it also helped me prepare for aptitude tests, which were key to landing my current job.”

Conquering New Dimensions of Workforce Challenges for Competitive Economic Development (Podcast) December 05, 2024

The disconnect between skilled workers and employers is wider than ever, with access to affordable housing and childcare now among the top challenges preventing new commercial investment and job creation. Collaborative workforce ecosystems, like those in Work Ready Communities, are uniquely equipped to tackle these issues, according to Chad Chancellor of the Next Move Group. Chad examines two crucial elements to succeed in the post-pandemic reality of economic development - expanding the scope of workforce ecosystem collaboration and enhancing the role of work-based learning in skills-driven pathways.