Leading the Way in Our Global EconomyTop Executives Brief Board on Developments with the NC Research Campus
The Centralina Workforce Development Board was honored to have two of the key individuals involved in the development of the North Carolina Research Campus present an update on progress with the campus and answer questions at their recent October 10th meeting. Mr. Tom Sanctis, Vice President of Commercial Construction and Mr. Anthony Sparrow, Vice President of Residential Development for Castle & Cooke, Inc. provided the latest news on developments at the Research Campus in Kannapolis. They presented a video that provided the details on what the future campus will look like. They also shared the vision and commitment by Castle & Cooke, Inc. in making the biotech hub a reality. Kannapolis was the chosen destination for the North Carolina Research Campus because of its reputation for a workforce with a strong work ethic and powerful sense of community.
Anthony Sparrow reported on the need for housing for the community with the anticipated job growth with the development of the Research Campus. He noted that plans are underway for a mix of housing in Cabarrus and Rowan counties, including single-family, condominiums, and apartments on the campus. Both Mr. Sanctis and Mr. Sparrow stated that having a qualified workforce is critical and asked the Centralina WDB to work in partnership with Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, the local JobLink Career Centers, and other agencies to make this happen. The North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis will combine the research of renowned universities, cutting-edge training from community colleges, and the know-how of private enterprise to create an exceptional biotech hub. It will offer state-of-the-art laboratory and office space for more than 100 biotech companies. The Centralina Workforce Development Board is proud to support such an innovative endeavor and is committed to a skilled and quality workforce throughout the region who will embark on new careers at the North Carolina Research Campus. For more information on the NC Research Campus, including new developments and announcements, please visit www.centralinaworks.com and click on the “NC Research Campus” page.
If You Have the Skilled Workforce, the Employers Will ComeBuilding
a Competitive Workforce The Competitive Workforce Alliance, made up of the Centralina Workforce Development Board, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Workforce Development Board, the Gaston Workforce Development Board, the Catawba workforce System, Region C Workforce Development Board and Western Piedmont Workforce Development Board, released the State of the Workforce Study in January 2006. The study examines the current state of the workforce and where we as a region need to go in the future to spur economic development. The Alliance has been presenting the State of the Workforce Study to key stakeholders in the region and generating local strategies to address the challenges outlined in the study.
Remember, you can access the State of the Workforce Study - Executive Summary, Full Report, and complete Data Appendix at www.centralinaworks.com. For more information on the Summit or State of the Workforce Report please contact David Hollars at (704) 348-2717 or by email at dhollars@centralina.org.
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The
two leaders presented information on the current labor demands
for the campus. Mr. Sanctis stressed the need for construction
workers. He anticipates approximately 1,000 to 2,000 workers on
the campus erecting the buildings by next summer. Overall, the
construction should take anywhere from five to eight years. He
shared that their will also be secondary jobs in the areas of
surveying, catering, marketing, and many others. Seventy local
firms are already involved with the plans and beginning steps
for the research campus. Castle & Cooke, Inc. is also working
closely with Rowan-Cabarrus Community College to design the curriculum
for the laboratory technician program. The campus is a “job
generator” and will sustain the community for the long term
according to Mr. Sanctis. Many bio-tech jobs will be available
through LabCorp (Laboratory Corporation of America) and NC State
University. Mr. Sanctis also shared that they anticipate employing
5,000 people at the campus plus an additional 30,000 throughout
the surrounding area. “Research is the key to the success
of the campus,” stated Sanctis, and what was once on the
horizon is here now.
Dr.
Julie Norman, Assistant Director of Workforce Development
for the State of West Virginia, was the guest speaker for the summit,
addressing the best practices on how to align workforce and economic
development. After her presentation the executive directors of the
Centralina Workforce Development Board, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Workforce Development Board, the Gaston Workforce Development Board,
and the Catawba Workforce System served on a panel for a question
and answer session.
A
special thanks to the sponsor, 
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.|
Drug Producer to Expand Lincolnton Plant and Add Jobs$14 Million Project will be Second Expansion in a Year at Actavis A generic drug manufacturer from Iceland will spend $14 million to expand its pharmaceuticals plant in Lincolnton while adding about 50 jobs.
"Everyone in the region is talking about growing the biotechnology industry," says Barry Matherly, executive director of the Lincoln Economic Development Association. "In Lincoln County, we are making it happen." The Lincoln Board of County Commissioners has approved $224,175 in incentives for Actavis on its pending addition. The inducements will be paid over five years. Tom Anderson, county board chairman, believes further growth of the plant in likely."We want to support Actavis and help them to continue to grow in Lincoln County," he says.
Actavis acquired the plant as a part of its $810 million acquisition of the generic drug business of New Jersey-based Alpharma in late 2005. The pending expansion in Lincolnton comes at the expense of Actavis' 240-employee plant in Baltimore County, Md., a former Alpharma operation that's slated to close by 2008. That 268,000-square-foot plant, which had 600 employees as recently as 2002, has faced several challenges since 2001, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found it didn't meet federal manufacturing standards. Alpharma
spent million of dollars to fix the problems but also scaled
back the operation. The Centralina Workforce Development Board is proud to have the Director of Human Resources for Actavis, Mr. Tom Miltier, as an active member of the Board for the past five years. For more information on employment with Actavis 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. |
For
The
company will install equipment for manufacturing liquid pharmaceuticals
for such products as nasal sprays, while also making other
modifications to the plant. The facility opened in 1989 in
the 300-acre Indian Creek development off N.C. Highway 150.
The 230-employee operation makes ointments, creams and other
products. 
Dan
Parmer, SCC program head for Computer Engineering Technology,
teaches CTC employees about operating systems and their functions,
how to improve computer performance, configure network routers,
install Wi-Fi devices and network adapters, as well as gives
direction on how to implement a variety of network access
configurations. 
Cabarrus
County's Economic Development Corporation (EDC) has selected
a new logo and refined its name as part of its efforts to
advance its marketing efforts. 
Employment Statistics
Updated
Monthly on this E-Newsletter
| September
2006 (Source: NC Employment Security Commission) |
||
| County | Unemployment
Rate |
Persons
Employed |
| Anson | 7.6% |
10,427 |
| Cabarrus | 4.0% |
77,526 |
| Iredell | 4.3% |
70,483 |
| Lincoln | 4.9% |
35,314 |
| Rowan | 5.0% |
65,825 |
| Stanly | 4.9% |
28,732 |
| Union | 3.7% |
80,309 |
For more information on employment, click here
New Biomedical Partnership Announced
South
Piedmont Community College (SPCC) officials unveiled
a partnership with Charlotte-based bio-engineering company Trans-World
Med Corporation to develop training programs for the
biomedical and health-care industries, as well as a drawing of a
roughly 50-acre mixed-use development in downtown Indian Trail that
would house the company’s offices and manufacturing operations.
Trans-World President Charles Richardson said he expects the development to employ at least 100 workers, although it could take some time before that is a reality. Richardson said the project will serve as a recruitment draw for biomedical workers from all over the county and spark interest in the field among the local community.
“I believe we can actually build a biomedical campus there,” he said.
Trans-World builds high-tech implantable devices for cardiac patients designed to monitor heart patterns and transmit data to a staff of nurses. Richardson said the device saves heart transplant patients from having to undergo routine biopsies following the procedure to determine if the body is accepting the transplant.
“The nurses may know if something’s wrong before the
patient knows,” Richardson said.
SPCC President John McKay said the school, as part of a $129,284
BioNetwork grant from the State
Board of Community Colleges, will develop several programs
designed to foster the growing biomedical industries in the county
and buy equipment for a new microbiology lab.
“We see this as where things are heading in the future,” McKay said.
Among
the programs is BioWorks, which is intended to provide short-term
training for displaced workers looking to break into the industry,
and an associate degree program in biotechnology in collaboration
with Gaston College. In the Centralina region, South
Piedmont Community College and Rowan-Cabarrus
Community College are the only two colleges that offer
the BioWorks program. South Piedmont Community College will work
with Trans-World to begin providing training next fall for EKG technicians
and for workers looking to design, build and repair biomedical technology.
Meanwhile, Richardson said the Indian Trail development, in addition
to its biomedical benefits, could provide assistance for the county’s
medical facilities, which he said are suffering from a shortage
of nurses. SPCC Trustee Chairman E. Lynn Raye said the development
will also provide an economic boost for the county.
“This is something we can depend on for the long term,” Raye said. “It brings some really good-paying, high-tech jobs to the county.”
The Centralina Workforce Development Board is proud to partner with
South Piedmont Community College in the development of new career
fields. 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 Centralina Workforce Development Board,
please contact David Hollars at (704) 348-2717 or by email at dhollars@centralina.org.
Things are Going to Get a Bit More DIRTy!
DIRT
Motorsports, an Oklahoma based dirt-track racing sanctioning
body, will move its headquarters to Concord early next year.
The company, which sanctions more than 2,000 races annually in the
United States and Canada, will move to the West Winds Business Park
off Interstate 85, across from the Concord Regional Airport.
DIRT
Motorsports, which will bring some 50 jobs to the area, plans to
invest $1.26 million in the facility over the next three years,
according to North Carolina Governor Mike Easley’s office.
The company will receive a $20,000 incentive grant from the One North Carolina Fund, which the governor uses to promote economic development and job creation across the state. Cabarrus Economic Development, a nonprofit organization that seeks to recruit new businesses, will match that grant.
“We are very excited to become part of this vibrant area,” says Tom Deery, DIRT Motorsports president. “The active Motorsports cluster, the access through the Charlotte airport and the quality of life are all big reasons why we chose Concord.”
DIRT Motorsports organizes and promotes more than 16 national and regional dirt track auto racing series.
The Centralina Workforce Development Board is proud to partner with Cabarrus Economic Development in their efforts to bring another quality employer to Cabarrus County. The Centralina Workforce Development Board believes that economic development is workforce development. For more information on employment with DIRT Motorsports in Cabarrus County, please contact Carolyn Mays at the Cabarrus County JobLink Career Center at (704) 786-3183 or by email at Carolyn.mays@ncmail.net.
Put Your Career in Maximum Overdrive!
Mitchell Community College Adds Truck Driver Training
Mitchell Community
College (MCC) has teamed with Caldwell
Community College and Technical Institute to begin
offering an eight-and-a-half-week certified truck driver training
program in Statesville.
Tim Brewer, vice president for instruction at Mitchell, said Caldwell will provide the instructors and equipment, including trucks, and Mitchell will provide the classroom space.
“There’s a significant need in this area for more trained drivers," Brewer said.
Registration
and classes began in October. A second session is also being planned
for around January. Class size is limited to about 12 students,
Brewer said, “We fully anticipate that these classes will
fill.”
MCC President Douglas Eason said Caldwell is “a leading institute” in this type of training. “Every college cannot run every program,” Eason said, adding that sharing resources offers students more and reduces costs.
Brewer said students will receive “open road” driving time and complete the course as certified drivers.
The Centralina Workforce Development Board has approved the new curriculum for WIA funded participants interested in the training. For more information on the certified truck driver-training course at Mitchell Community College, please call (704) 878-4361 or visit www.mitchellcc.edu or visit the JobLink Career Centers in Statesville or Mooresville.
Look Out World Here They Come!
Centralina Workforce Development Board Sponsors Gaston College GED/Adult High School Graduations
Many organizations and schools throughout North Carolina designate September as "Literacy Month." They take time to celebrate and create awareness around the importance of literacy.
This
includes Gaston College,
which recently held their 2006 General Education Development (GED)
and Adult High School Graduation for students, including those
from Lincoln County and surrounding areas. The ceremony took place
at the Myers Center Auditorium on September 22, 2006 at 7:00 p.m.
Family and friends filled the auditorium to celebrate a once-in-a-lifetime
event for the students. Several students were awarded a special
diploma with honor.
To
be eligible for this award, a student must have a grade point
average of 90 or above in the Adult High School Diploma program
or a total score of 3000 or above in the GED program. These graduates
wore honor tassels of gold on their caps.
As a proud partner and supporter of local community colleges such as Gaston College and their efforts to increase literacy for local citizens, the Centralina Workforce Development Board sponsored a reception immediately following the ceremony. Graduates were presented with a Centralina WDB gift bag, including a Job Hunting skills handbook. Light refreshments were served. The reception also gave students the opportunity to congratulate one another and take pictures with family members and friends.
The
Board congratulates each student on their hard work and continued
success! For more information on Gaston College Continuing Education
programs please visit www.gaston.edu.
According to the Competitive Workforce Alliance’s State
of the Workforce Study having strong programs that
help make the workforce more literate is one of the drivers for
success in the Charlotte region and one of the areas of focus
for the Centralina Workforce Development Board. The State of the
Workforce Study showed that only 79% of 3rd grade students are
proficient in reading and math in North Carolina. The Centralina
Workforce Development Board believes that literacy and workforce
development are interlinked in helping to build a strong local
economy and the Board supports programs that encourage literacy.
A New Day is DAWNING in Anson County
Anson County JobLink Career Center Becomes More Visible in the Community
The Anson County JobLink Career Center has recently added a new feature to their building on 116 West Wade Street in Wadesboro.
This month the Anson JobLink revealed their new awning that covers the store front windows at their location. “The awning has changed the whole face of the facility and makes the JobLink much more visible to the community,” Grady Kindley, manager of the Anson County JobLink Career Center, said.
“It
adds to our capacity to market all of the services that we offer
at the JobLink Career Center and lets us do our job better,”
Grady said.
The Anson JobLink Career Center is located at 116 West Wade Street in Wadesboro and is open from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. To find out about all of the services that the JobLink has to offer you, wither you are a job seeker or an employer, visit their website at www.ansonjoblink.com or contact Grady Kindley at (704) 694-6551 or by email at grady.kindley@ncmail.net.
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School Adds Biotechnology To Its Curriculum
“We are really excited about being on the cutting edge,” said Elaine Jenkins, LCS associate superintendent of curriculum at the recent Board of Education meeting. During the semester students will learn about the biotechnology field, including the biomanufacturing process, working in laboratories and career possibilities. David Bynum, director of the Lincoln County School of Technology, said that North Carolina is the leading state in the Southeast and third in the nation in biotechnology.” In our opinion we need to get on the band wagon,” Bynum said.
Because
of the set amount of employment months career and tech has,
the program is restricted to how and where it can be offered. “It’s a program we definitely want to have at each high school,” she said. The Centralina Workforce Development Board and the Centralina Youth Council believes that prepared youth lead to a prepared workforce. The Board is proud to see youth in the region learning skills that will become transferable and will allow them to build a career. For more information on the Centralina Youth Council please contact Stephanie Boger at (704) 348-2725 or by email at sboger@centralina.org. * * * * * * *
If you are interested in joining the planning committee or have any suggestions for potential speakers or workshop topics, please contact Centralina WDB staff member Stephanie Boger at 704.348.2725 or sboger@centralina.org. This is a wonderful opportunity to get involved and network with youth leaders from across the region. Thank you in advance for your willingness to consider helping our group on this important endeavor. * * * * * * *
The College Foundation of North Carolina has opened registration for the February 17, 2007 Free Application for Student Aid Day (FAFSA). On that day, college financial aid officers and other financial aid specialists will assist students in the completion and the electronic submission of their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms. The program is open to individuals who plan to attend college in the 2007-08 academic year, and will be held at 51 sites across North Carolina. There are several locations in the Centralina region, these locations include: To find other locations in the state please click here. Please remember to register for the event. FAFSA Day is a service for high school seniors and their families, and others who will be in college during the 2007-08 academic year. The College Foundation of North Carolina offers many free services on their site and through 866-866-CFNC, the CFNC toll-free phone number, to help North Carolinians in middle and high school plan and prepare for college.
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Parent Alliance Committee Looking for Volunteers
Anyone
interested in becoming a mentor will be required to go through
a screening process. It will involve a criminal background
check, a reference check, and a DMV check. Potential applicants
will also go through a one-on-one interview as well. For more
information on the Parent Alliance Committee or to start the
mentor application process contact Retha Stewart at 704.662.3016.
This is an important role you can play to impact a young person’s
life and keep them on the right track to becoming a leader
of tomorrow’s workforce. Be a part of the PAC! |
In
response to the growing industry in North Carolina, 
The
course, which was announced in September, was developed in
collaboration with the North Carolina Biotechnology Center
and the North Carolina Department of Instruction and will
be offered for ninth and tenth-graders with a classroom maximum
of 20 students.
A
part-time teacher at Lincoln High School has been upgraded
to full-time to teach the course.
The
Centralina Workforce Development Board Youth Council is planning
host a Youth Summit to be held in the spring of 2007. Youth
leaders from around the region will be invited to attend the
“State of the Region for Youth Services” experience
with several guest speakers and workshops on best practices.
The
recently formed Parent Alliance Committee (PAC), through the
The
PAC is specifically seeking out mentors for high schools students
first. Due to the schools district’s high dropout rates
and test scores, mentors are the priority. Also, male mentors
are very much needed for those young adults who come from
singe parent homes.
There's a JobLink Career Center Near You 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 |
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Comings, Goings,
Kudos… |
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·
Centralina Workforce Development Board meeting •
Centralina
WDB Youth Council meeting •
Centralina WDB Community Relations Committee meeting •
Centralina Executive Planning Committee meeting •
Career Readiness Certification Kickoff Luncheon •
Leadership for Women Conference •
Southeast Information Communication Technology (ICT) Conference
2006 •
Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Network •
Junior Achievement is looking for volunteers and sponsors in Cabarrus
& Rowan Counties:
NC Workforce Development Training Center Training Announcements
Delivering
Excellent Customer Service in the JobLink Career Center For more information about these and other training offerings or to register for training, please visit: www.ncwdtc.com
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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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| CentralinaWORKS is a publication of the Centralina Workforce Development Board. If you do not wish to receive this E-Newsletter in the future, please send a return e-mail and type "REMOVE" in the Subject Line and you will be removed from our distribution list. The CWDB does not share its distribution list with other organizations. Please feel free to share this E-Newsletter with co-workers and other business associates. |