The Centralina Workforce Development Board Helps Local Businesses Thrive

Four Local Companies Receive Incumbent Worker Funds for Employee Skills Training

The Centralina Workforce Development Board (WDB) is proud to recognize four area employers that have received Incumbent Workforce Development Program funding in the first round for 2006-2007. The Centralina Workforce Development Board approved these grants with funding provided by the NC Department of Commerce - Commission on Workforce Development. Each employer will receive the requested amount of funds to help upgrade the skills of their current workforce as listed below:

QEMS, Inc., located in Monroe (Union County), is a contract manufacturer of printed circuit boards. The company will train and certify 12 employees as Rework Specialists. Circuit Technology Inc. will provide training designed to improve quality, cut waste and improve productivity. They expect this training to make them more profitable and more competitive while increasing the skill levels of key manufacturing employees. QEMS, Inc. is also making an in-kind contribution of $8,400 (rework stations and materials) for the training plan. QEMS, Inc. will be receiving $ 24,480 in Incumbent Workforce Development funds through a contract with the Centralina WDB, based on the grant awarded November 1, 2006.

Southern Container Corporation, in Mooresville (Iredell County), manufactures corrugated boxes. They are suppliers to many major customers, such as Anheuser-Bush and Phillip Morris. The company will train 10 key manufacturing employees. Training will focus on the efficient operation of the Bobst DRO 1628 Rotary Die Cutter. Clemson University will provide classroom instruction as well as laboratory environment hands on training. Their goal is to increase the skill levels of these key employees in an effort to improve production and quality of flexographic printing and rotary die cutting. Southern Container Corporation will be receiving $ 20,350 in Incumbent Workforce Development funds through a contract with the Centralina WDB, based on the grant awarded November 1, 2006.

Wireway/Husky Corporation, in Denver (Lincoln County), manufactures metal pallets and wire racks and storage bins. The company will arrange training for 152 manufacturing employees. Training will include Welder Fabrication and Certification, ESL classes, 5S, and leadership Training for Supervisors. The Employers Association, Gaston College and ProSource Industrial Trainers will provide training. Wireway/Husky will be receiving $ 34,955 in Incumbent Workforce Development funds through a contract with the Centralina WDB, based on the grant awarded November 1, 2006.

Chip Ganassi Racing/Felix Sabates, in Concord (Cabarrus County), is one of NASCAR’s top Nextel Cup teams. Seven (7) of their Technicians and Engineers will receive software training through ALGOR, Creative Dezigns, Skillpath and NEXJen. The training is expected to improve work on mechanical event simulation and automotive design. Ganassi Racing will be receiving $ 6,612 in Incumbent Workforce Development funds through a contract with the Centralina WDB, based on the grant awarded November 1, 2006.

A grand total of $86,397 in economic development investment for existing businesses has made possible through the Incumbent Workforce Development Program this program year. A total of four employers are being served with 181 employees scheduled to receive training. We thank the companies, the training providers, and the employees for their willingness to build a stronger workforce and business environment in our region. For the Centralina WDB, workforce development is economic development.

The Centralina Workforce Development Board is now accepting applications for the second round of Incumbent Worker training funds for 2006-2007. The deadline for submission of applications to Centralina is January 25, 2007. 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 revised guidelines and application please visit the Centralina WDB What's Hot Webpage or contact Vail Carter, Centralina WDB Business Services Coordinator at 704.348.2710 or vcarter@centralina.org. Vail is also available to assist companies in the completion of the application.

Local Entrepreneur Triumphs Over Disability

Stanly County Small Business Owner Beth Townsend Revamps Celebration Gallery

It is certainly true, if you want to accomplish something in life all you really need to do is set your mind to it and go for it. That is exactly what local Stanly County resident Beth Townsend decided to do. With the support of Arc Services, Inc., Beth has overcome many obstacles to employment. Even though Beth is an adult with a disability she has not let that get in her way of accomplishing her dream. Before starting her own small business, Beth worked several different jobs. She worked in a veterinarian’s office, a green house, and in a childcare center. Although none of these were the right job match for Beth, she continued to remain positive and ultimately decided that she would be happiest being self-employed.

Beth started and opened her own business, “Celebration Gallery” in 2003. She started out selling personalized gift baskets and then evolved into selling small retail items. Last year Beth decided to revamp her business and began selling designer replica sunglasses, handbags, and jewelry. Since doing so, she has more than tripled her sales. Beth recently won the 2006 Arc of Stanly County Bill Sackter Citizenship Award. She then went on to win the 2006 Arc of the United States Bill Sackter Award. The award recognizes an outstanding individual with cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities who is an achieving, included member of society. Beth traveled to The Arc of United States Convention in San Diego in October to receive her award.

Beth is very well known throughout the Albemarle community and has a large network of friends. Not only does she run and manage her own business, she also serves on various clubs and committees, including membership on the Human Relations Team at Arc Services, Inc., Consumer and Family Advisory Committee Member for PBH (formerly Piedmont Behavioral Healthcare), Challengers Club Member, Current President of the Job Club, and a recent graduate of Leadership Stanly. In her free time she also enjoys spending time with her family, listening to music, shopping, and doing research to further improve her business. Beth is a true inspiration to her peers and a strong representative for all people with disabilities, as well as those aspiring to open their own business. The Centralina Workforce Development Board is proud to promote the success of Beth Townsend and congratulates her on all her accomplishments.

The Arc of Stanly County, Inc. and Arc Services, Inc. are committed to supporting, educating, and empowering people with disabilities to choose and achieve what is important to them – including their professional life! For more information about the organization visit www.arcofstanlync.org or contact Amanda Nicholson at 704.983.2174.

Crate & Barrel Expanding Lincolnton Plant

Facility Doubles in Size in Less than 2 Years with $8.4 Million Project

Crate & Barrel will spend $8.4 million to nearly double the size of its Lincoln County distribution center; less than two years after the operation opened. The project will add more than 10 jobs. Construction is slated to start in early 2007 to add 172,000 square feet to the facility, to bring it to 383,000 square feet.

In exchange for the promise to expand and add jobs, the Lincoln Board of County Commissioners has agreed to grant Crate & Barrel $177,000 in incentives to be paid over five years.

“This announcement by Crate and Barrel is welcomed and confirms the business-friendly environment offered by Lincoln County,” says Tom Anderson, chairman of the county commissioners.

In October 2004, the company announced it would spend $8.7 million to build a distribution center in Lincoln County Industrial Park. The facility opened in March 2005. The distribution center supplies furniture to the chain’s retail outlets and catalog sales, primarily in North Carolina.

Crate & Barrel is the retail name for Northbrook, III. – based Euromarket Designs Inc., which operates 145 stores in 25 markets, including a new store in South Park mall in Charlotte.

Germany-based Otto GmbH, the world’s largest mail-order company owns a majority stake of Euromarket Designs but Gordon Segal, co-founder and chief executive, still has operational control of the company.

The 550-acre Lincoln County Industrial Park is on Finger Mill road overlooking the U.S. Highway 321 north of Lincolnton.

For more information on employment with Crate & Barrel in Lincoln County, please contact Judi Morton at the Lincoln County JobLink Career Center at (704) 735-8035 or by e-mail at judi.morton@ncmail.net.

Mooresville Forming Nonprofit to Boost Development

Mooresville EDC Becomes a Nonprofit

Mooresville is beefing up its efforts to attract business and industry. After a study suggested that economic developer Melanie O’Connell Underwood and her staff break away from the Mooresville-South Iredell Chamber of Commerce, the agency is forming a nonprofit development group and has started a $1.8 million fund-raising campaign to cover its costs.

The goal is to get private business more involved with financing local economic-development efforts, says Underwood, who will be executive director of the new agency, to be called the Mooresville-South Iredell Economic Development Corporation (EDC).

“We want to become more dependent on the private sector than the public sector to keep economic development alive,” she says.

In March, Angelo Economics Inc., an Austin, Texas-based consulting firm recommended the change, saying Underwood’s office could be more effective if it were independent of the chamber and had its own governing board.

The office is already recognized as one of the region’s most effective economic-development operations. For the last four years, Iredell County has been named one of the nation’s top “micropolitan” areas in recruiting industry.

Mark Brady, chamber vice president of economic development, says the growing Mooresville area can’t rest with those successes. “We can’t be satisfied with status quo.”

Ben Goins, a chamber volunteer who’s spearheading fund-raising for the new EDC, says he’s already received commitments for the total $1.8 million campaign goal. “I think we’ll hit $2 million.”

Underwood’s office receives $110,000 per year from Iredell County and $90,000 per year from the city of Mooresville. Underwood expects that funding to stay in place after the nonprofit organization is formed. Plans call for the office to add one employee to its current three-member staff.

The overriding goal is to keep the community’s property taxes low, says Goins, who owns Main Street Investments, a stock brokerage and investments operation in Mooresville.

The new EDC will retain close ties with the local chamber, remaining in the 149 E. Iredell Ave. building that also houses the chamber. The EDC will likely move to vacant space in the building in January, Underwood says.

The Centralina Workforce Development Board is a proud partner with the Mooresville-South Iredell Economic Development Corporation. The Board believes that continuous evolution and thinking outside of the box to accomplish goals is the way business should be done. For more information on the Mooresville-South Iredell Economic Development Corporation please visit their website or contact them by phone at
(704) 664-6922.

Iowa Spring Manufacturing Bringing Jobs and Prosperity To Rowan County

New Division – Southern Atlantic Spring - To Open in Granite Quarry

Iowa Spring Manufacturing, headquartered in Adel, Iowa, will establish a new Southern division and by December will start making garage door springs in Granite Quarry. The plant will produce a major portion of the company’s springs that serve manufacturers and local service distributors in the overhead garage door industry. In coming to Granite Quarry, the company will create Southern Atlantic Spring as a new division.

In November, with the help of the Rowan County JobLink Career Center, Southern Atlantic Spring hired and trained 25 employees to work one shift, five days a week, with production expected to start in December. The first garage door springs will be shipped out by January 1, 2007.

Company officials said they expect to expand to a 35-40 person operation working two shifts by the end of 2007. The operation is taking over the former Wellington Leisure Products building at 127 Rowan Street. Since 1977, Iowa Spring Manufacturing has been designing, producing and delivering precision springs for agricultural equipment, construction machinery, overhead garage doors and appliances worldwide.

Granite Quarry Mayor Mary Ponds said that she hopes that the Southern Atlantic Spring’s arrival will encourage other industries to take a look at Granite Quarry. She said having the new employer will bring “new life and prosperity” to its neighborhood and the whole town.

Tim Bianco, president of Iowa Spring Manufacturing, stated that “Southern Atlantic Spring will help us continue to serve our mission of offering our customers a quality product, when they need it, at a competitive price. We appreciate the assistance provided by the Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development Commission in making this decision easier.”

The Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development Commission and the Rowan County JobLink Career Center have both assisted Iowa Spring Manufacturing with their move to the area, as well as locating qualified employees.

For more information on employment with Southern Atlantic Spring in Rowan County, please contact Debbie Davis at the Rowan County JobLink Career Center at (704) 639-7529 or by e-mail at Debbie.s.davis@ncmail.net.

Incumbent Worker Funds Now Available!

Round Two for the Incumbent Workforce Program is now Open!

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 round for submission of Incumbent Worker funding applications is currently open to local employers and runs through January 25, 2007. The maximum amount of funds available per business is $37,500. Since the grants are competitive, local businesses are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible.

A total of $3,000,000 in Workforce Investment Act funds has been designated by the Governor's Commission on Workforce Development to fund the Incumbent Worker training in North Carolina this fiscal year. One additional application period will follow and will be implemented through 2007.

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 Incumbent Worker guidelines and application, please click here or contact Vail Carter, Centralina WDB Business Services Coordinator at (704) 348-2710.

Employers interested in receiving funding for upgrading the skills of their current workforce are urged to contact Vail as soon as possible 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 Friday January 25, 2007.

Looking for A Way to “Hatch” Your Ideas?

Artisan and Business Incubator Planned for Anson County

EbizAnson.org is a cooperative virtual shop provided by New Ventures Business Development, Inc., a nonprofit corporation providing resources for starting and growing businesses. The ebizAnson.org providers are artists, crafts people, and merchants either from Anson County or with ties to the county.

The site offers acclaimed artistic works, quality crafts, and select merchandise for sale. The products offered are constantly changing so be sure to bookmark the site and check it for updates. The purpose of the site is to support, preserve and celebrate authentic culture through the handmade products of Anson County citizens.

New Ventures Business Development, Inc. will also be opening an 8,100 square foot artisan and small business incubator featuring many of the providers listed on the EbizAnson.org site by March 2007.

It will be located in the South Piedmont Community College Lockhart-Taylor Center in Wadesboro. The space will offer studio space for artisans and craftsmen and office space suitable for businesses needing advanced technology. The flexible design can fit any specifications, large or small, and offers a custom fit at a bargain price.

Centralina Workforce Development Board member Dr. Don Altieri is the director of New Ventures Business Development, Inc. and has served on the Board since February 2004. The Centralina Workforce Development Board is proud to have Board members, like Dr. Don Altieri, that bring innovative ideas and are willing to commit to helping develop a highly skilled, productive workforce for the region.

For more information on the available spaces at the incubator please contact Chester Caulder by email at ccaulder@nvbdi.org or by phone at (704) 272-5457. For more information on the New Ventures Business Development, Inc. please contact Dr. Don Altieri at (704) 272-5457 or visit their site at www.nvbdi.org.

November'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 BestSweet Inc., located in Iredell County. Gayle Hobbs of BestSweet, Inc. completed and submitted the survey. According to Gayle, BestSweet, Inc. has used four of the region’s JobLink Career Centers for wage surveys, listing job orders, labor market information and unemployment insurance. BestSweet was also one of the Centralina WDB’s original recipients of Incumbent Worker funding in 2003. We thank Gayle for helping us with our continuous improvement feedback process!    For more information about BestSweet, Inc. please visit www.bestsweet.com.

If you haven't completed the survey, you can do so now by logging onto our website at http://www.centralinaworks.com/survey. 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.

Anson County JobLink Career Center
Cabarrus County JobLink Career Center
Iredell County JobLink Career Centers
Lincoln County JobLink Career Center
Rowan County JobLink Career Center
Stanly County JobLink Career Center
Union County JobLink Career Center

 

Employment Statistics
 Updated Monthly on this E-Newsletter

October 2006
(Source: NC Employment Security Commission)
County
Unemployment Rate
Persons Employed
Anson
7.0%
10,517
Cabarrus
4.0%
78,192
Iredell
4.3%
70,896
Lincoln
4.8%
70,896
Rowan
4.9%
66,449
Stanly
4.9%
28,788
Union
3.7%
80,998

For more information on employment, click here

Community College’s Head is in the Right Place!

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Hires Director for Biotechnology Program

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s (RCCC) biotechnology program kicked into high gear with the hiring of Dr. Ed Otto as the new director of the biotechnology program at the college.

“I’m delighted to be here,” Otto said. “I think the program is an exciting opportunity for the community and for RCCC.”

His first task will be to help determine the needs of the college’s future students by planning the curriculum and perhaps most importantly, helping leaders plan the college’s facilities at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis.

“To me, biotechnology is a revolutionary technology that is important in medicine, in nutrition and in so many different areas,” said Otto.

Dr. Ed Otto brings to the college years of experience as a researcher and administrator of scientific projects in the biotechnology area. He holds a doctorate in molecular biology from Duke University, in addition to graduate and undergraduate degrees from the University of North Carolina.

Among his past accomplishments, Dr. Otto has been a director of the Office of Cellular, Tissue and Gene Therapies at the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Biologic Evaluation and Research, director of Genetic therapy, Inc. in Washington, D.C. and manager of the North Carolina BioNetwork Pharmaceutical Center in Winston-Salem.

As a director of the college’s biotechnology program, Otto has the responsibility for helping college leaders know what courses to require, what types of equipment to purchase, and how to meet the current and future needs of employers across the region.

Dr. Otto spoke at the November 14, 2006 Centralina Workforce Development Board meeting about biotechnology and what the Board could do as a partner to help prepare the current workforce, as well as the emerging workforce, for the coming trends. He also discussed the two new associate’s degrees in biotechnology offered at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. The degrees focus on training for research and development support jobs, as well as medical, life sciences and pharmaceutical research and development.

The Centralina Workforce Development Board is proud to partner with Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in the development of new career fields in the area of biotechnology. The Board promotes continuing training and continuous improvement for all individuals in the region. A prepared workforce is job one for the Centralina Workforce Development Board.

For more information on the new associate’s degree programs at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College please contact Jeanie Moore at moorej@rowancabarrus.edu. For more information on the Centralina Workforce Development Board, please contact David Hollars at (704) 348-2717 or by email at dhollars@centralina.org.

NC Research Campus – Biotech Business Update

Pelican Life Sciences of Huntersville will join the businesses already locating to the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis. Pelican Life Sciences is backed by a $100 million equity commitment from Grotech Capital Group and Ferrer, Freeman and Co.

At the Research Campus, Pelican Life Sciences will create an international research and development center. The facility will focus on applied research and the coordination of Pelican’s research and development efforts at various facilities. The company initially anticipates having five to ten researchers based at the Research Campus.

“We’re very happy to be in business with Pelican Life Sciences,” Clyde Higgs, vice president of business development at the Research Campus said in a press release. “We continue to reach out and find success with exciting companies like Pelican Life Sciences in the medical devices, diagnostics, health and wellness and agri-bio tech fields.”

The company’s mission is to facilitate life science research by providing products for discovery and detection. They focus on supplying the needs of researchers and technicians with personalized, adaptive solutions. The company has three main segments: microbiology consumables, molecular biology consumables and life science reagents.

Pelican Life Sciences plans for the N.C. Research Campus include:

  • A 350-campus that complements North Carolina’s biotech corridor, including the Research Triangle Park, the Triad and Charlotte.
  • An initial 311,000 square-foot building to house the core laboratory, a state-of-the-art contract manufacturing biogenic facility and tenants. Campus partners broke ground on the building in February.
  • One million square feet of office and lab space.

Southern Piedmont Imaging has filed an application with the state to develop a $7.7 million diagnostic center at the North Carolina Research Campus.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Northeast Medical Center, Southern Piedmont Imaging has applied to the Certificate of Need Section of the N.C. Division of Facility Services.

The proposed diagnostic center will include a CT scanner, radiography, mammography, ultrasound and bone density imaging services. The project includes 14,353 square feet of new construction.

The state will hold a public hearing on the request at 1 p.m. December 13, 2006 at Cannon Public Library in Concord, 27 Union Street.  The state invites written comment on the proposal. Comments must be received by the Certificate of Need Section, Division of Facility Services, 2704 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699.

Want to learn more about the NC Research Campus and the exciting developments involving biotechnology in our region? Then visit Centralina WDB website for all the latest information.

Bookmark This Now!

Southern Rural Development Center Launches a New Online Toolkit

The Southern Rural Development Center has launched an online Southern Region Information Toolkit in partnership with the Mississippi State University Extension Service and the Delta Data Center. Available data includes population, education, and economic indicators; historical trends to help users determine the nature and direction of changes that have taken place in these indicators over time; location quotients that provide an easy method for determining how closely an area’s economy mirrors the structure of the national economy; and shift-share analysis that helps users understand the factors behind job growth. Data is available at the national, region, state, and county levels and can also be broken down by metro/non-metro status. Please visit the website at www.srit.srdc.msstate.edu/ for more information.

UPDATE: A Great New Beginning

Lincoln County Literacy Council holds Open House at New Location

In the May 2006 Centralina Workforce Development Board E-Newsletter, we ran an article detailing how the Lincoln County Literacy Council was forced to move to a new location and pay rent. For several years, the Literacy Council had been using space at the Post Office in Lincolnton rent free. After the building was purchased, the new owners were going to start charging the Council rent. Having to pay rent would increase the Council's yearly budget of $22,000 by $9,200. The extra money equaled a budgetary increase of 45 percent, said Christina Arlow, executive director.

After the troubling news Arlow reached out to individuals and businesses in the community for support. Thanks to local businessman Barry Stowe, the Lincoln County Literacy Council found a temporary home in Lincolnton with businesses donating money to help pay for the rent. The Council also applied for grants to find funding so that they could stay in the new building.

Thanks to the hard work of volunteers and with community support, the Lincoln County Literacy Council held an open house on November 17, 2006 to thank all the businesses and individuals who helped them keep their doors open to serve the public. The new permanent address for the Lincoln County Literacy Council is 814 E. Main Street.

The Lincoln County Literacy Council provides literacy-tutoring, classes, seminars and training to local residents free of charge. Since the move the Council also offers English as a second language, and basic computer classes in their computer lab. The Lincoln County Literacy Council is open Monday through Thursday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. For more information on the Lincoln County Literacy Council please contact Christina Arlow at (704) 732-4189 or by email at Lincliteracy@charterinternet.com.

The Centralina Workforce Development Board is a proud partner with the Lincoln County Literacy Council. We were honored to help the Council secure a permanent location. Coordinating workforce, education, and community resources to put an end to illiteracy is an effective approach and only one of the roles that the Centralina Workforce Development Board plays across the region. Fighting illiteracy in the region is one of the goals of the Centralina Workforce Development Board and it was identified as a major storyline in the State of the Workforce Study. For more information on the Centralina Workforce Development Board or the State of the Workforce Study please contact David Hollars at (704) 348-2717 or by email at dhollars@centralina.org.

Job Seekers and Employers Flock
to Fair

Lincoln County JobLink Career Center holds a Successful
Job Fair

The Lincoln County JobLink Career Center held a career fair at the East Lincoln Community Center in Denver on Thursday October 19, 2006 from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM. Employers participating in the fair ranged from small family owned companies to large banks. The attendees came prepared with their resumes and dressed for a possible on-site interview.

Ms. Judi Morton, manager of the Lincoln County JobLink Career Center, said that although the local unemployment rate remains relatively low a lot of people are still looking for work. “I asked my staff as to what percentage of people were employed and looking for something else versus people unemployed and looking for a job. The split was about 40 percent and 60 percent”, said Morton.

Earlier this year, a similar career fair, also sponsored by the Lincoln County JobLink Career Center, was held in Lincolnton at the Betty G. Ross Park. That career fair was also a great success.

The Lincoln County JobLink Career Center is located at 529 North Aspen Street and offers a wide range of services for job seekers and employers. For more information on all the professional services the JobLink in Lincolnton offers, please contact Judi Morton at (704) 735-8035 or by email at Judi.Morton@ncmail.net. To find out where the closest JobLink is to you or your company please visit www.centralinaworks.com.

The Centralina Workforce Development Board Youth Council is proud to announce the membership of two new young adults. The Council warmly welcomes Ms. Derrika Hill and Mr. Marque Bennett.

Ms. Hill is a student at North Rowan High School in Spencer. She is an active participant in the Salisbury-Rowan Community Service Council Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Program. Her career goal is to become a pediatrician. Derrika will be joining the Centralina Youth Council as a young adult representing Rowan County.

Mr. Bennett is a student at Anson High School in Wadesboro. He is also an active participant in the Anson County Schools Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Program. He expressed interest in joining the Centralina Youth Council after visiting several meetings as a guest. Mr. Bennett will be joining the Centralina Youth Council as a young adult representing Anson County.

Both Ms. Hill and Mr. Bennett were officially appointed to serve as members at the November 16, 2006 Centralina Youth Council meeting at the Boys & Girls Club in Concord. The Council looks forward to the important input and young adult leadership that both members will provide for the upcoming year. Congratulations to both Derrika and Marque!

Want to know more about the Centralina Youth Council? Then visit www.way2work.org for information on this exciting and innovative group.

* * * * * * *

Lowe’s YMCA & Community Partners Launch New Teen Program in Iredell County

A vital part to building successful communities is having a highly skilled and prepared future workforce. Mooresville has recognized this and is committed to giving teens the opportunity to pursue a path towards economic independence. Lowe’s YMCA in partnership with the Town of Mooresville/Winnie L. Hooper Community Center, I-CARE, Inc. and Mooresville Graded Schools has recently launched an exciting new program, Building Teens: Spirit, Mind, and Body. The program will be collaboratively implemented beginning the first of next year.

Various local faith-based and non-profit partners have also committed to the initiative. Building Teens is pilot one-year program consisting of education and life-enhancing activities, and will consist of three base components offered weekly. The pilot year of the Building Teens Program will consist of two six-month sessions, the first to begin in January 2007 and the second to begin in July 2007.

Twenty-five youth in the Mooresville Graded Schools between the ages of 14 and 18 years will be invited to participated based on predetermined criteria of need, including income level, school performance, and potential risk of ‘drop out.’. The fist component addresses nutrition, physical exercise, and holistic health. Component two will guide youth through the process of attaining necessary skills to become poised, confident young men and women. The last component will be a rotation of offerings from various service providers. Program offerings will include faith-based activities; anger management; job, scholarship, and college application processes; team-building activities; ecology-based learning; and sexual health education, etc.

Parent Nights and Workshops, incentive activities and trips, as well as, a graduation dinner and ceremony will also be included in the program. “As collaborative partners for youth we must recognize potential early, and become the teen advocate in order to meet the needs for achieving success. The connection will provide our youth with support, knowledge, and skills needed to become productive citizens,” says Barbara Johnson, Director of the Winnie L. Hooper Community Center and Centralina Youth Council Member. The Centralina Workforce Development Board proudly supports the efforts of the new program. The Board also provides Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funding youth services offered by I Care, Inc. in Iredell County. For more information about the Building Teens: Spirit, Mind and Body Program contact Donna Corriher, Experience Specialist, Program Director Rotations and YMCA Offerings at 704.716.4005 or Bryan Duncan, Executive Director of I-Care, Inc. at 704.872.8141.

* * * * * * *

Stanly Life Path Program Receives Grant from Alcoa Foundation

Congratulations to The Resource Development Center, Inc. Youth Life Path Program in Albemarle who recently received a grant for $5,000 from the Alcoa Foundation. Claudia Covington accepted the funding at the Foundation Banquet held on November 7, 2006 at Alcoa Primary Metals, USA Badin Works in Badin. The money has been designated to support three homeless youth that are currently enrolled in the Life Path Program. The youth are GED and community college students and have already gotten “back on track” thanks to the support of the Life Path Program.

The Alcoa Foundation has several areas of excellence that grant requests can be made towards. Global Education and Workplace Skills is the category that the Life Path Program qualified for through their grant proposal. The money specifically supports access and retention efforts that actively seek and retain children and adults from disenfranchised backgrounds to gain equity and parity in education and the workplace.

The three homeless young adults have already given back to their community by “paying it forward” to a new non-profit titled, Homes for Hope. The group of three volunteered their time by cleaning and painting a home for a homeless family in Albemarle to move in for Christmas.

The Centralina Workforce Development Board provides the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funding for the Stanly Youth Life Path Program and is proud of their efforts to reach out to local business to support the needs of youth in the community. For more information about the Stanly Life Path Program please visit http://www.thelifepath.com or call 704.982.0120.

* * * * * * *

Several new youth development centers are being constructed around the state of North Carolina and Concord is one of the sites that recently celebrated the groundbreaking of a $15 million, 96 bed building, the Cabarrus Youth Development Center. The center is part of Concord’s Stonewall Jackson Youth Development Center Campus. The idea behind the new center is to build it so youth can be closer to home and therefore gain better involvement with the families.

The Jackson Project is a pilot rehabilitation program based on one-on-one interaction with staff and focused skill building. The program will be housed at the Youth Development Center. The new facility is designed with that in mind. Each of the three, 32-bed divisions of the building will have its own classroom and dining space. The center is scheduled to open between October 2007 and January 2008.

Stonewall Jackson Youth Development Center opened in 1909 and sits on about 70 aces of land. It serves as home for approximately 80 young men from Cabarrus, Rowan, and Mecklenburg counties who have been convicted of crimes. The Centralina Workforce Development Board is pleased to have the new facility in the region and endorses the efforts to rehabilitate young adults back into the community and the workforce. For more information on the Cabarrus Youth Development Center and Jackson Project contact 704.786.9163 or visit www.ncdjjdp.org.
 


What's Happening in the Region?

Comings, Goings, Kudos…

  • The Centralina Workforce Development Board would like to welcome a new Board member. Ms. Shelly McCraw is the Vice-President/Manager of the Lincolnton branch of Carolina Trust Bank. We welcome her to the Board and look forward to working with her.
  
  • Marc Anker recently joined the staff at the BizHub Network as their Network Administrator, specifically working with the new Resource Navigator for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Marc can be reached by email at marc@bizhub.org or by phone at (704) 330-6736.
  • Roger Hyatt has been named the interim superintendent of the Mooresville Graded School District. Hyatt has been serving as interim director of the Mooresville Center of Mitchell Community College. He is filling in after Superintendent Bruce Boyles’ resigned earlier this month to accept the superintendent’s post in Cleveland County.
 
  • Anson County JobLink Career Center has a new Workforce Investment Act (WIA) case manager. Mr. Lee Baxley started November 27, 2006. The Anson JobLink Career Center is located at 116 West Wade Street in Wadesboro.
  • Theresa Reynolds has accepted a position as Vice-President of the Piedmont Triad Partnership. In that capacity, she will be in charge of implementing the much-publicized WIRED project. Theresa was most recently the Executive Director for the Northwest Piedmont Workforce Development Board. We wish her all the best in this exciting new endeavor.

• Centralina Workforce Development Board meeting
Tuesday January 9, 2007 – 4:30 PM
Cabarrus Regional Chamber – Kannapolis

• Centralina WDB Youth Council meeting
Thursday January 18, 2007 – 10:00 AM
Boys and Girls Club - Concord

• NC Job Hound Training
Thursday December 14, 2006 – 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM or 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Citizens Resource Center – Dallas
Register with Gene Scott at gscott@nccommerce.com

• Small Business Opportunities: Making Buy Locally More Than A Motto
January 8, 16, 23, 2007 – 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Stanly Community College – Business Resource Center
Cost: Free   Contact: Betty O’Neal at 704.991-0142

• Grant Writing and Grant Seeking
Monday January 29, 2007 – 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Stanly Community College – Business Resource Center
Cost: $5    Contact: Betty O’Neal at 704.991-0142

• Wingate University’s 2007 Annual Career Fair
Thursday February 15, 2007 – 11:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Wingate Campus - LaVerne Banquet Hall
To participate as a employer, please contact Beth Smedley at 704.233.8024

• Junior Achievement is looking for volunteers and sponsors in Cabarrus & Rowan Counties:
Opportunities:
-Volunteer
-Sponsor a class or child
-Help lead the success of Junior Achievement in Cabarrus County
Contact: Stacey Richards, Junior Achievement District Manager
704.563.4858 or srichards@jacarolinas.org

NC Workforce Development Training Center Training Announcements

WorkforcePlus: With a Youth Focus
December 5, 2006
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: Workforce Development Training Center – Raleigh
Fee: None


3M’s of Case Management
December 7, 2006
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: Workforce Development Training Center – Raleigh
Fee: $60.00

For more information about these and other training offerings or to register for training, please visit: www.ncwdtc.com

Visit our website at www.centralinaworks.com to learn more about the Centralina WDB
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To learn more about the Centralina Council of Governments please visit www.centralina.org
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