Work Ready Awards Recognize Excellence In Workforce Development

ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue and the Governor's Office of Workforce Development today announced the inaugural Work Ready Awards, which recognized and honored the partners, businesses and individuals who have supported Work Ready and made it a success. Governor Perdue also announced that Jefferson County has been named the state’s first-ever Certified Work Ready Community, a designation showing the county has the talented workforce that business demands and the educational infrastructure to drive economic growth and prosperity.

“Together we are providing richer job opportunities for Georgians and delivering larger dividends to the companies that call our state home,” said Governor Perdue. “Work Ready demonstrates that Georgia knows what it is going to take to competitive in the future and we are preparing our workers and companies today.”

The Work Ready Awards, held at the Georgia Freight Depot, also showcased the state’s first-ever Certified Work Ready Community – Jefferson County. The community engaged a broad base of partners and demonstrated a commitment to improving its public high school graduation rate and succeeded in driving current workers and the available workforce to earn Work Ready Certificates.

“The Jefferson County community built a strong public-private partnership and used that group to promote Work Ready throughout the community,” said Governor Perdue. “I am so proud of this effort and for the county’s ongoing efforts to engage students, citizens, employers and others in the value of Work Ready and the strength of our rural communities.”

Jefferson County improved its public high school graduation rate from 75.5 percent in 2006 to 79.1 percent in 2008 – an impressive improvement of nearly four percentage points in only two years. At the same time, the county exceeded its Work Ready Certificate goals in every category, for a total of 397 Certificates earned – 40 percent higher than the county’s goal.

“Earning Certified Work Ready Community status ensures our citizens have the foundation skills necessary to staff existing jobs and to master the innovative technologies new jobs will require tomorrow,” said Lil Easterlin, team leader and executive director of the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. “We are transforming our economy and giving our community a competitive advantage in attracting new business and jobs.”

The county's efforts were led by a team of economic development, government and education partners including: the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, Sandersville Technical College – Jefferson County Center, Jefferson County Board of Commissioners, Jefferson County Board of Education and Jefferson County High School, Jefferson County Family Connections, Development Authority of Jefferson County and the East Central Georgia Consortium.

To earn the Certified Work Ready Community designation, counties must demonstrate a commitment to improving public high school graduation rates and ensuring county residents ready to enter the workforce obtain a Work Ready Certificate.

During the Work Ready Awards, two businesses where recognized as Work Ready Businesses of the Year:

• Solo Cup Company, the global manufacturer of single-use food and beverage service products, instituted Work Ready into its three Georgia facilities earlier this year. Working with DeKalb, Athens and Augusta Technical Colleges, the company created job profiles and began using Work Ready to hire the most qualified candidates – resulting in more than 70 new hires. The company has reduced training time, increased productivity, lowered turnover rates and created a path for employee promotion and training.
• Toppan Interamerica, a Japanese firm with manufacturing operations in Henry County, worked with Griffin Technical College to profile two of its critical positions. To date, the company has hired 76 employees with Work Ready Certificates. By implementing the initiative, the company has improved the quality of its hires, leading to more streamlined recruitment and training and significant cost savings.

Three Georgians who have used Work Ready to advance their careers were named Work Ready Success Stories:

• Joy Anthony was working toward a position in Quad/Graphics’ competitive corporate training program when she earned her Platinum Work Ready Certificate. She showcased her score during the interview process and was admitted to the program. Anthony said she believes her Work Ready Certificate provided proof of her skills and talent and gave her a competitive edge.
• Daniel Griffith was delivering pizzas and searching for a better job when he realized Lithonia Lighting, an Acuity Brands company, used Work Ready to make hiring decisions. Griffith earned a Silver Work Ready Certificate and was able to land the job he wanted. Only four months after joining the company, he was promoted and has today doubled his salary from his pizza delivery days.
• Zane McElroy was facing a tight job market and few opportunities despite a degree information technology. A staffing company immediately saw his potential and encouraged him to take the Work Ready assessment, where he earned a Platinum Work Ready Certificate. Based on his skill level, McElroy got a job at TD Automotive, a highly sought-after employer.

The Work Ready Awards also recognized those working at the state’s technical colleges to make the initiative a success as the Work Ready Job Profiling Team of the Year and Work Ready Administrators of the Year:

• Athens Technical College's economic development team – Jerry Barrow, Tony Thompson and Tommy Lyon – have developed a team approach that creates strong job profiles that companies can use to find the best-quality employees. The team has completed 16 job profiles for eight companies and the pace of their work continues to grow.
• Ellen Harvill has been instrumental in making Work Ready a success in the Columbus area, reaching out to Columbus Technical College students, industries and individuals and promoting the value of the initiative at every level.
• Tammy Hufstetler has long believed in making a difference in her community. As the Work Ready Coordinator for North Metro Technical College, she promotes the initiative on campus and throughout the community to communicates its benefits to both job seekers and employers.

Georgia's Work Ready initiative is based on a skills assessment, certification and skills gap training for job seekers and a job profiling system for businesses. By identifying both the needs of business and the available skills of Georgia's workforce, the state can more effectively generate the right talent for the right jobs.

For more information on the Work Ready initiative please visit the Web site at www.gaworkready.org

# # #