Centralina JobLink Career Centers Score with Successful Rechartering

The Centralina Workforce Development Board has proudly rechartered the JobLink Career Centers in Lincoln and Rowan Counties. Each center has also completed the new rechartering guidelines set forth by the North Carolina Commission on Workforce Development, including a comprehensive business plan and site visit to each center. The site visits were conducted in early October.

Each JobLink Career Center submitted a detailed Business Plan as part of the rechartering process. Both centers were noted for having excellent participation of various partners in their respective counties. The Management Team oversees the activities for each center. The team is made up of local partners including, the JobLink Career Center Manager, Employment Security Commission, Department of Social Services, Vocational Rehabilitation, Community College, local school systems, and community-based organizations such as Goodwill Industries and Experience Works.

The Centralina Workforce Development Board is very proud of such an impressive team of partners that work together in Lincolnton and Salisbury to help job seekers find employment and training and help local employers find qualified workers. Special thanks to the JobLink managers - Ms. Judi Morton in Lincolnton and Mr. Dan Peninger in Salisbury. Thank you for all your hard work and effort!

For more information about the recharted JobLink Career Centers listed above please visit our website - www.centralinaworks.com or contact David Hollars at dhollars@centralina.org.

Child Care Industry Provides Jobs and Revenue for North Carolina

Ms. Karen Ponder, President & CEO for the North Carolina Partnership for Children spoke to the Centralina Workforce Development Board at their October 12, 2004 Board meeting. Karen presented the Economic Impact Study on the NC Child Care Industry. The study found that the child care industry in North Carolina is a significant industry while at the same time is a crucial part of the state's economic development infrastructure. This study, which was released to over 150 of our state's business leaders, elected officials and policy makers found that child care generates over $1.5 billion in direct revenue and directly supports the employment of over 46,000 people.

In the Centralina region, the child care industry generates over $91 million in gross revenues and employs 2,739 taxpayers in 450 facilities. Ms. Ponder stated that to be competitive in the new world economy, quality child care in North Carolina MUST be considered a vital and valuable part of the education and economic development infrastructure. High quality child care offers immediate, short and long term returns on investment and better prepares children to learn in the public education system.

The North Carolina Partnership for Children is the non-profit agency that oversees and gives technical support to Smart Start, North Carolina's early childhood initiative. For more information about this study please contact the North Carolina Partnership for Children/Smart Start at 919.821.7999 or Kponder@smartstart-nc.org.

Featured Board Member of the Month!
- MR. BOB STOWE -

A strong voice for private industry and for Anson County, Bob Stowe has been serving on the Centralina Workforce Development Board for over four years. In his day job, Bob is the Human Resources manager at Coffing Hoists Company in Wadesboro. Coffing Hoists manufactures electric and manual hoists, which serve as lifting devices for material handling products.

Bob is originally from Hamlet, North Carolina, but has also lived in Atlanta, Georgia. When he was in the 9th grade, Bob and his family moved to Wadesboro. He is a graduate form the University of North Carolina with a degree in Industrial Relations.

Bob has lived in Wadesboro for twenty years with his wife, Iva and their daughter, Rachel who is currently an 8th grade student at Anson Middle School. Mrs. Stowe is the Minister of Music and Organist at First Baptist Church in Wadesboro.

Bob currently serves as the chair of the Centralina Workforce Development Board Strategic Planning Committee. He has also served two years on the Workforce Development Board Accountability Committee. Bob is very involved with his community. He has chaired the Anson County Chapter of the American Red Cross, served one term as chair of the Anson County Chamber of Commerce, and was also the former president of the Wadesboro Civitian Club. Bob also currently serves as a Southern Piedmont Safety Council Board Member and is an officer for the Anson County Personnel Association, as well as a church officer and a Sunday School Teacher.

In his spare time Bob enjoys traveling, hiking, and family activities. Bob enjoys fishing and sailing, and is thinking about becoming a golfer. The Centralina Workforce Development Board and staff would like to thank Bob for all his hard work and commitment to the Board, as well as his community. Please continue to look for featured Board members in future issues of the Centralina E-Newsletter.




Featured Board Member Bob Stowe currently serves as chairman of the Centralina Workforce Development Board Strategic Planning Committee.

Employment Statistics
(Updated Monthly on this E-Newsletter)

September 2004
(Source: NC Employment Security Commission)
County
Unemployment Rate
Persons Employed
Anson
7.8%
9,495
Cabarrus
4.9%
72,732
Iredell
4.3%
66,892
Lincoln
5.7%
34,289
Rowan
5.0%
65,382
Stanly
5.8%
24,438
Union
3.8%
71,759

For more information on employment, click here

I-Care, Inc. Partners to Help Feed 400 Needy Families

I-Care, Inc. partnered with volunteers from Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and the Mooresville Christian Mission to distribute boxes of food and personal care items to approximately 400 needy families in the Mooresville/South Iredell area on Thursday, October 14, 2004. The Dale Earnhardt Foundation sponsored the food distribution, in partnership with the international hunger relief organization Feed the Children. A similar distribution was made on the same day in Kannapolis. The Centralina Workforce Development Board was honored to help sponsor t-shirts for volunteers at the event.

I-Care, Inc. is a community action agency devoted to helping low-income families as well as, provides Workforce Investment Act (WIA) services to youth in Iredell and Lincoln Counties. For more information, please contact Ms. Jean Harrison at 704. 872.8141.

Ali Cecchini, I-Care, Inc. Youth Case Manager, with Kelly Earnhardt at the Feed the Children Event in Mooresville.

*******
Centralina Youth Stars Shining Bright!

Reyna Bautista and Marcus Alexander, former Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth participants, graduated with their General Education Diploma (GED) from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in August 2004. "I am extremely proud of both Reyna and Marcus," stated Ms. Joann Diggs, WIA Director at Salisbury-Rowan Community Service Council. Joanne added, "Reyna studied extra hard to overcome her language barrier and once Marcus put his mind to it all kinds of doors opened for him!"

Reyna, who assisted with Spanish translation service last year for former Pillowtex workers, is currently enrolled at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. Marcus is now enrolled at Livingstone College in Salisbury. The Centralina Workforce Development Board congratulates Reyna and Marcus on their success as well as all our outstanding youth stars!

Ms. Bautista and Mr. Alexander spoke about their accomplishments at the Centralina Youth Council meeting on October 21. For more information about the Youth Program in Rowan and Cabarrus counties please contact the Salisbury-Rowan Community Service Council at 704.216.2189.

Reyna Bautista and Marcus Alexander are the proud recipients of their GED diplomas.

*******
Summit Addresses Quality of Afterschool Programs

The North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs (NC CAP) and Partners in Out of School Time (POST) held an Afterschool Summit for representatives involved in afterschool, child care, education, business, government, ministry, philanthropy, and juvenile justice on October 6, 2004 at The Speedway Club at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord. Community leaders attended from Anson, Cabarrus, Catawba, Iredell, Gaston, Mecklenburg, Lincoln, Rowan, Stanly, and Union counties.

Participants spent the day listening to presentations given by state and local leaders and actively engaging in small facilitated discussion groups. Speakers included Mr. John Dornan, Executive Director of the Public School Forum of North Carolina.

The summit was a huge success, providing the opportunity for local stakeholders to create dialog about barriers to access and high quality afterschool programs for all youth in their community and how to develop successful partnerships to work together to overcome current barriers. Participants also shared strategies that neighboring communities have implemented in solving afterschool issues.

NC CAP was created by Governor Mike Easley to bring together our state's afterschool providers, community leaders, and policymakers to build a network that addresses the afterschool program issues of quality, accountability, accessibility and sustainable funding. NC CAP envisions that the result of this collective work will make access to quality afterschool a reality for every child. For more information about NC CAP visit www.nccap.net



 

 

NEED A SPEAKER?

Invite a representative from the Centralina Workforce Development Board. To arrange for a speaker please visit
www.centralinaworks.com/speaker.cfm or call Stephanie Boger at 704.348.2725.

  
 


News You Can Use
Upcoming Events:

  • Centralina Workforce Development Board Meeting
    Tuesday, November 9, 2004 @ 4:30 PM
    Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce - Kannapolis

  • Centralina WDB Performance Evaluation Committee Meeting
    November 4, 2004 @ 3:00 PM
    Textron Fastening Systems - Stanfield

  • Centralina WDB Committee Leadership Meeting
    November 4, 2004 @ 9:30 AM
    Carolina Carpet Care & Restoration - Concord
  • Centralina WDB Youth Council Meeting
    November 18, 2004 @ 10:00 AM
    Cabarrus County Schools Administrative Offices - Concord
  • Centralina WDB Community Relations Committee Meeting
    November 18, 2004 @ 4:00 PM
    Win Cup, Inc. - Mooresville
  • Rowan County School-to-Career Council Meeting
    November 19, 2004 @ 12:00 PM
    Rowan-Cabarrus Community College - Salisbury
  • Union County JobReady Partnership Meeting
    December 9, 2004 @ 12:00 PM
    Monroe
  • New Opportunities for Workers (NOW) Program - Informational Meetings
    The NOW Program helps dislocated workers evaluate and pursue business ownership as a career option. NOW is a partnership among the N.C. Rural Center, the N.C. Community College System, NC REAL Enterprises, and the North Carolina Commission on Workforce Development, with funding from the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA).
    To learn more about the program please attend an upcoming meeting in your region:
    - EAST: November 10, 2004 at Kinston Enterprise Center from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
    - WEST: November 18, 2004 at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM **LUNCH IS PROVIDED** Please RSVP to Malinda Todd at mtodd@ncruralcenter.org or 919.250.4314 by October 26, 2004.
  • The Anson County Department of Social Services will begin taking Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) application November 1-12, 2004. For more information, contact the Anson County DSS
    at 704.694.9351.
  • Congratulations to Centralina Youth Council Member, Ms. Barbara Johnson!
    Ms. Johnson was recently inducted as a member into the Mooresville Senior High Athletic Hall of Fame.

Visit our website at www.centralinaworks.com to learn more about the Centralina WDB
To send a comment about our E-Newsletter, click here.
To learn more about the Centralina Council of Governments please visit www.centralina.org
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