Welcome to Our New
E-Newsletter

Dear Friends of Workforce Development,

Welcome to the first issue of the Centralina Workforce Development Board E-Newsletter The Board's Marketing/Communication and Technology Committees have been hard at work in the development of our website (www.centralinaworks.com) as well as other marketing materials in an effort to keep our region better informed of workforce development issues. We recognize that current times have been tough for many of our industries throughout our region. The Board has been working diligently on behalf of all citizens as well as business and industry in facilitating job placement and training services for our region.

As our board continues to work with partnering agencies to supply the current needs of employers we are also working diligently on future workforce development needs. We have been in discussion for the past year with Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development and key industry officials in determining what the Board should provide to meet the needs of employees and employers in the future. This effort will keep the Centralina region on the cutting edge for workforce development innovations.

Thank you for your interest in the Centralina Workforce Development Board and we look forward to working with citizens and business and industry in making the Centralina region a great place to live and work.

Yours truly,

Mark F. Whitley
Chairman

News You Can Use

Phil Kirk, president of NC Citizens for Business and Industry and chair of the State Board of Education, will be our speaker at the February 12 meeting of the Centralina Workforce Development Board. The meeting will be held at the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce in Kannapolis.

The Centralina Workforce Development Board has been recognized by the NC Department of Commerce for exceeding established performance levels and additional performance criteria for Workforce Investment Act (WIA) programs for the year ending June 30, 2001. Congratulations to all WIA program operators, their staff, and WIA participants.

Employment Statistics
(Updated Monthly on this E-Newsletter)

For more information on employment, click here.

JobLink: One-Stop for Employment Success

Perhaps you've noticed the JobLink Career Center logo in your county or as you have traveled across the state. JobLink Career Centers use statewide and national resources to address workforce issues locally.

As you'll see from this success story below, JLCCs get results in the communities they serve:

In July 2000, E. Knotts was facing unemployment after approximately 30 years of work in the textile industry. She graduated from high school in 1971 and entered the workforce in 1973. During her years in textiles, she raised a family of two sons as a single parent.

Upon notice of her plant closing, Ms. Knotts quickly realized that she lacked the skills to gain other employment. She decided she wanted to continue her education. She had instilled the value of an education in her children and now that they were grown, they encouraged her to further her education.

Ms. Knotts worked diligently on remedial classes and utilized the PLATO Lab. In January 2001, she entered the Early Childhood Curriculum at South Piedmont Community College in Anson County.

She made outstanding academic progress in all of her classes and in October 2001, reward for her dedication came in the form of an invitation for induction into the Alpha Omega Psi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa. Phi Theta Kappa is a highly prestigious international honor society for students who excel academically at two-year colleges. Ms. Knotts felt honored to be invited and received tremendous support from her family to accept the invitation.

Click here to locate the JLCC in your county

Visit our website at www.centralinaworks.com to learn more about the Centralina WDB
To send a comment about our E-Newsletter, click here.