Student Touches the Life of a MentorUnion County Mentor is Honored for Dedication to Weddington Student Jeanie, a mentor at Weddington High School has faithfully mentored her New Century Scholar, Danielle Greene, for five years. In accepting the award at a JobReady Partnership meeting, Jeanie said, “If you are in this room and you are not a mentor, you need to be. I have found it to be a challenging but most rewarding part of my life.” Jeanie exemplifies the role of a mentor in her caring manner and in her solid, consistent presence in Danielle’s life. Jeanie is making an investment in a youth and in Union County every time she visits her scholar. The New Century Scholars program, the largest business initiated educational program in the county, has a simple concept. Seventh grade students who have untapped potential are mentored through high school and are charged with being above average students and stellar citizens. Upon graduation, the students are awarded with a two-year tuition free education at South Piedmont Community College. The Centralina Workforce Development Board is proud to partner with the Union County JobReady Partnership to offer opportunities for growth for youth in the community. To the Centralina Workforce Development Board a strong youth becomes a strong leader. For more information on becoming a mentor please contact Stephanie Boger, Centralina WDB Program Associate, at (704) 348-2725 or by e-mail at sboger@centralina.org. For more information on the Union County JobReady Partnership please contact Linda Smith at (704) 289-5223 or by e-mail at jobready@ucps.k12.nc.us. Are you already a mentor or considering being a mentor? For some of Jeanie Avery’s mentoring tips check out the Youth Corner of this month’s E-Newsletter!
Mark Your Calendars!Lynne Scott Safrit is the Guest Speaker at the Next Centralina Workforce Development Board Meeting The featured speaker for the meeting is Lynne Scott Safrit. Lynne is President of Castle and Cooke, Inc. and is actively involved with the new N.C. Research Campus being developed in Kannapolis. She will provide information on biotechnical career opportunities in the Centralina region. She will also provide insight on the 5,000 technology jobs that will be created. Be sure to check out the October 2006 Centralina WDB E-Newsletter for a summary of Ms. Safrit’s presentation. For information on the Centralina Workforce Development Board and its meeting schedule, please contact David Hollars, Executive Director, at (704) 348-2717 or by email at dhollars@centralina.org.
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The
Centralina Workforce Development Board is having a special guest
speaker at the October 10, 2006 Board meeting. The meeting will
be held on the 
The
Incumbent Workforce Development training is designed to upgrade
employees' skills and increase companies' competitiveness in the
global marketplace. |
Local Business Bounces Back – Thanks to Centralina WDB’s Incumbent Worker ProgramOMNOVA
Solutions
OMNOVA Solutions in Monroe, NC set record sales and manufacturing performance in June just three years after it was forced to lay off 50 employees and undergo a restructuring of its production in June 2003. The layoffs came as the technology-based company opted to discontinue its heat transfer printing product line and focus on decorative laminates, but the company has rebounded, setting plant records in sales and production volumes as well as cutting production costs and hiring nine employees since the start of the year.
“It’s because of growth in those particular market segments and also improvements in our manufacturing operation,” Schrader said. The plant has also reduced its quality costs by 15 to 18 percent each of the last two years, which Schrader identifies as the cost of improving the quality of the plant’s products and manufacturing.
Schrader said the plant is continuing to hire new employees and doesn’t expect the growth to slow anytime soon. “We do see additional growth happening specifically in 2006,” he said. OMNOVA Solutions is one of the companies that participated in the Centralina Workforce Development Board's Incumbent Workforce Program. The Incumbent Worker funds provided by the Centralina WDB helped train OMNOVA employees in the LEAN Six Sigma process so that the company could be more competitive in their production. The Centralina Workforce Development Board believes that upgrading the skills of the current workforce is workforce development. For more information on employment with OMNOVA Solutions in Union County, please contact Randall Darnell at the Union County JobLink Career Center at (704) 283-7541 or by e-mail at Randall.Darnell@ncmail.net. For more information on how your business can expand and grow with the assistance of the Incumbent Workforce Program, please contact Vail Carter, Centralina Workforce Development Board Business Services Coordinator, at (704) 348-2710 or by email at vcarter@centralina.org. Report: Charlotte Region Ranks No. 2 for Entrepreneurs The
Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill region is the country’s
second-best market for entrepreneurs, according to a ranking
by
The rankings were determined by the National Policy Research Council, which uses its Entrepreneurial Activity Index to measure the best places to start and grow a company. The index consists of two parts – business formation and business growth – that gauge a number of factors. North Carolina ranked seventh on the magazine’s list of the best states for entrepreneurs. According to the Competitive Workforce Alliance’s State of the Workforce Study entrepreneurship is one of the top story lines for the Charlotte region and one of the areas of focus for the Centralina Workforce Development Board. The State of the Workforce Study showed that 75% of the 40,000 plus private sector businesses in the region employ less than 20 employees. The Centralina Workforce Development Board believes that entrepreneurship and small business growth is the key driver for our next economy and the Board supports programs that encourage entrepreneurship. For more information on programs in your community that support entrepreneurship or to find out how the Board can partner with your program, please contact Vail Carter, Centralina Workforce Development Board Business Services Coordinator, at (704) 348-2710 or by email at vcarter@centralina.org. |
Director
of Operations for the Monroe plant Jon Schrader said the shift
to focusing on decorative printing for furniture, kitchen
and bath, flooring, manufactured housing and recreational
vehicles has contributed to the plant’s improvement.
Schrader
added the plant’s growth was helped by its adoption
of the LEAN Six Sigma strategy, a business philosophy that
encourages the elimination of non-value-added steps and increased
volume production in order to increase efficiency.
Entrepreneur
cites a steady immigration of young, educated workers to the
area and large, business-friendly banking community as factors
in the ranking. The Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill region ranked
third on the list, and Las Vegas was fourth.
Lincoln
Health will continue to own the existing hospital property
and Carolinas HealthCare will lease it until it builds the
replacement hospital. 
During
the Aug. 21 press conference announcing the group's deal to
become a tenant at the North Carolina Research Campus, Button
spoke of diabetes and the expected increase in the number
of patients due to the rising trend toward obesity. 
BioMarker
Group's biggest product at present is Glycomark, a diabetes
test developed in conjunction with the company's partners
in Japan, the Toyota corporation and Nippon Kayaku. 
This
could mean that the growth of just one partner at the North
Carolina Research Campus might have a wide-ranging impact
throughout the area in terms of employment and economic growth.
Employment Statistics
Updated
Monthly on this E-Newsletter
| August
2006 (Source: NC Employment Security Commission) |
||
| County | Unemployment
Rate |
Persons
Employed |
| Anson | 8.1% |
10,398 |
| Cabarrus | 4.1% |
77,309 |
| Iredell | 4.4% |
70,672 |
| Lincoln | 5.2% |
35,266 |
| Rowan | 5.3% |
65,618 |
| Stanly | 5.3% |
28,577 |
| Union | 3.8% |
80,084 |
For more information on employment, click here
From School to Career and Beyond!
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College to Open a Career Center by December
Rowan-Cabarrus
Community College
(RCCC) is preparing for a career center to open by December
within sight of the new North
Carolina Research Campus.
Castle & Cooke, owners and developers of the Research Campus, is donating use of space in a former retail building on Dale Earnhardt Boulevard for the center.
The roughly 9,000-square-foot facility is being renovated by the college and will feature space for about 15 office cubicles, a reception room and two multi-purpose classrooms -- at least one of which will be a computer lab.
"We're very excited," said Jeanie Moore, vice president of continuing education programs at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. "We will be doing a lot of things here involving job-seeking skills."
Moore
said that the continuing education program will focus a number
of services at the new location to help people prepare for new
jobs and further skills training.
"Depending on the demand, we will most likely have what we call our career readiness certification program, a program developed through our human resources development program," Moore said.
These are a series of tests, she said, which allow prospective employees to see how their skills fit in a particular field, and to identify possible needs for skills training or future education.
"Clients can select a program of study or a particular job they're planning to train for, and there are some nationally normed standards for people who have been in those jobs," Moore said.
"Students
can assess their skill levels and see if they meet the prescribed
benchmarks or not."
Moore said that it was possible there might be some General Education
Diploma (GED) programs offered at the site if they became needed.
"We haven't made that decision yet," she said.
At
the ceremony announcing the plans on Sept. 6, RCCC President Dr.
Richard Brownell called the center another example of "a
phoenix rising from the ashes" in Kannapolis.
"The question we hear most often with regard to the North
Carolina Research Campus is, 'How will local citizens benefit
from this development?' " Brownell said.
The answer to that question is the thousands of jobs expected to be created, not just by the Research Campus itself but by the growth of services and biotechnology-related industries in the Kannapolis area.
Brownell
echoed the words of campus founder David Murdock, who has often
called the community college's training and retraining of workers
a key part of the Research Campus' success.
"We
pledge the full support of your community college to this venture,"
Brownell said.
The career development center on Dale Earnhardt Boulevard will
also offer skills training for workers who may not have experience
in applying for a job.
"We'll be doing a lot of things involving job-seeking skills, like resumé-writing, interviewing, those kinds of soft skills courses that we find people may need," Moore said.
"A lot of the former Pillowtex workers never had the opportunity to interview or apply for another job," she said. "And so that will be part of the testing, assessment and counseling that will be offered at the career center."
The facility will be the precursor to a larger building that RCCC will build on the grounds of the Research Campus and which will serve as a career development and training center, alongside facilities of the University of North Carolina, Duke University, UNC-Charlotte and other institutions.
The Centralina Workforce Development Board is proud to partner with Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in the development of the new career center. 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.
BioWork is the Word!
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College OffersBiotechnology Continuing Education Course
In April 2006, the North Carolina BioNetwork awarded Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (RCCC) a grant of $131,655 to equip a Biotechnology Lab for the BioWork program. BioWork is a 140-hour introductory course bringing together the basics of manufacturing technology and the fundamentals of science. This knowledge is essential for competent, entry-level technicians in biotechnology, chemical, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Sample modules in the BioWork course include:
-
Your New Job: Orientation to process manufacturing industries
-
Working Safely: Basic safety attitudes and approaches.
-
Building Quality into the Product: Say what you do and do what you say.
-
Measuring Process Variables: The metric system and variables critical to controlling processes
-
Learning the Nuts and Bolts: Process manufacturing equipment, systems, and plant utilities.
-
Maintaining Sterile Processes: Working in aseptic manufacturing environments.
BioWork can be taught to the public through Continuing Education or customized as part of an industrial training package. Selected units can be taught based on company or employee needs. The fifteen students who are currently enrolled come from diverse backgrounds but are very motivated, according to Jody Lublanezki, lead instructor for the BioWork course. For Dianne Linker, former Pillowtex employee, the motivation is practical, yet heartfelt. “It would be nice to find a job in the area where I live and to be a part of the emerging new face of Kannapolis.”
RCCC will offer a second round of BioWork beginning October 17. Potential students are scheduling appointments now to take the Career Readiness Certification Assessment. A prerequisite of the BioWork course is a Silver Career Readiness Certificate.
This exciting program is one of many that will be part of an ongoing effort to help our current and our future workforce prepare for the many exciting careers of the future.
For more information on the BioWork courses, please contact Carol Allen at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College at (704) 788-3197or by e-mail at allenc@rowancabarrus.edu.
Career Readiness = Success!
Mitchell Community College’s First Career Readiness Certificate Class Receives Their Credentials
Mitchell
Community College recently presented Career Readiness
Certificates to the first group to complete the requirements for
this credential. Using ACT’s WorkKeys, a nationally recognized
assessment, these recipients demonstrated proficiency in Reading
for Information, Applied Math, and Locating Information. This
credential is gaining widespread acceptance by employers and documents
that prospective employees possess the skills needed to be successful
in the workplace. This credential is a great addition to any course
of study or curriculum.
According to the North Carolina Community College System, a total of 1,019 Career Readiness Certifications have been received statewide as of September 18, 2006. Congratulations to these students!
The Centralina Workforce Development Board is proud to partner with Mitchell Community College, Rowan Cabarrus Community College, JobLink Career Centers in Iredell, Cabarrus, Rowan counties, and the North Carolina Community College System to pilot this innovative program. The Centralina Workforce Development Board believes that a qualified workforce is the key component to a successful local economy. For more information on the Career Readiness project, contact Beverly Hedrick at (704) 878-3235 or Anne Corbell at (704) 878-3208.
United Way Builds Strength in Local Community
Anson United Way has Merged with the United Way of Central Carolinas
Anson
United Way has merged with United
Way of Central Carolinas, Inc. effective September 1, 2006.
According to a United Way press release, the boards of directors of both Anson United Way and UWCC approved the merger in early August.
The release states that Anson United Way will now be part of the
largest United Way organization in the Carolinas and one of the
largest in America, meaning better access to technology, marketing,
finance and human resources support, as well as access to more
financial resources to improve local services.
Anson United Way will still maintain its own board, volunteer
committees and campaign cabinet.
Anson Community Hospital Administrator Fred Thompson campaign chairman for Anson United Way, states that “We realized we needed the resources of a larger organization, and United Way of Central Carolinas gives us that.”
“It really opens a lot of doors for us,” Anson United Way’s board chair Jennifer Huntley stated about the merger. “We’ll be able to do more for the community. We’ll be able to spend full-time efforts on United Way. UWCC has provided staff support and marketing materials and videos. The marketing materials will be a big thing for us.
“It’s important to emphasize that even though we’re now partners, this money will stay in Anson County to help people right here,” she added.
The Centralina Workforce Development Board is proud to have one of its members, Dr. Don Altieri, serving on the local United Way Board in Anson County.
For more information on the United Way campaign, please call Brook Crider at (704) 694-2600 or Jennifer Huntley at (704) 694-4036.
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Are you ready to give our youth a new future? The Centralina Workforce Development Board Youth Council certainly is. Members of the Council had the opportunity to hear about a new program at their September 21st meeting at the Boys and Girls Club in Concord. Mr. Trey Michael discussed the Hop on the BUS! Initiative.
The Centralina Workforce Development Board, through the recent State of the Workforce Study, has identified how entrepreneurs can drive our next economy. The Board believes that coordinating education, workforce, and community resources to promote entrepreneurship opportunities may be on of the most effective approaches to attracting younger workers to the region. To get the ball rolling, the Centralina Youth Council has committed $1,000 dollars to any student team in the region that enters the Hop on the BUS! Competition and makes it to the semi-finalist round. The competition is creating awareness about entrepreneurship and starting your own business for teens who might not think of that avenue as a career option. Hop on
the BUS! is a joint initiative between 4-H, Junior Achievement,
NC REAL Enterprises, NC Rural Economic Development Center,
and the NC Department of Public Instruction. Registration
for the Competition began on September 6, 2006 and closes
on October 20, 2006. For more information or to register and
get started visit www.hoponthebus.org.
Or contact Trey Michael at 919-807-3877. * * * * * * *
More and More Interested in Healthcare Careers
Cabarrus College of Health Sciences recently announced a growth spurt for students applying to the school. The college received 431 applications for the fall. This is an 81 percent increase compared to 2003. However, the college only enrolled 155 new students for this semester. Classes started on August 21, 2006 and approximately 350 students were enrolled. This is a 13 percent increase from last year.
Registered Nurses top off the Associate’s Degree Category on the Centralina Workforce Development Board Growing Occupations List with an average hourly wage of $24.21. About 60 percent of the college’s graduates go on to work at NorthEast Medical Center in Concord. The rest of the student graduates typically stay in the college’s five-county service area: Cabarrus, Rowan, Stanly, southern Iredell and northern Mecklenburg. For more information about Cabarrus College of Health Sciences and to read the entire article about enrollment please visit www.cabarruscollege.edu. To view the entire list of growing occupations for the Centralina Region, click here. * * * * * * *
1. Get to know your mentee. Have them complete a questionnaire about themselves. Ask about their birthday, favorite color, address, favorite TV shows, outdoor activities, etc. File this questionnaire and pull talking points from it when needed. 2. Let the mentee take you on a school tour. This is a great icebreaker. At lunch, they may introduce you to their friends. 3. Always remember your mentee on their birthday. Also pick a holiday, such as Valentine’s Day and Christmas, and take a small gift or card. This helps to bond and makes the youth feel important and special. 4. Be a good listener. Keep your visit within 30 minutes. Always ask how things have gone since your last visit- school, home, activities, new friends, etc. 5. When topics arise where you need assistance, seek the school’s guidance supervisor at a separate time. 6. Always find something to brag about or compliment – your mentee’s new haircut, grades, new achievements, etc. 7.Help them through bad times. Focus on the good and not the bad. If their grades have fallen, stress your youth’s potential and ways to pull the grades up (tutoring, extra study time, etc.) With these tips a great mentor can become a superstar! The Centralina Workforce Development Board is proud to partner with organizations to build stronger youth in the community. To the Centralina Workforce Development Board a strong youth becomes a strong leader. For more information on becoming a mentor please contact Stephanie Boger, Centralina WDB Program Associate, at (704) 348-2725 or by e-mail at sboger@centralina.org. For more information on the Union County JobReady Partnership please contact Linda Smith at (704) 289-5223 or by email at jobready@ucps.k12.nc.us. * * * * * * *
Grant Opportunities Now Available… Involve Your Youth!
North Carolina is one of ten eligible states. Applications are accepted and reviewed throughout the year. For all the details refer here.
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Mr.
Michael is the Marketing Education Consultant with the North
Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The initiative
is an opportunity for young North Carolinians to gain experience
and knowledge of entrepreneurship. It is designed to create
a real life experience, allowing students to discover what
it would be like to generate an idea and build it into a business
of their own. This is the first state-wide business plan competition
for high school aged students, grades 9-12, and a great way
for young adults to put innovative ideas into action. 
Admissions
Director Mark Ellison credits enrollment growth to the college’s
programs and the interest of people wanting to go into healthcare.
“Nursing is one of the things that is really driving
that because of its visibility,” Ellison said. About
165 students are enrolled in the college’s nursing associate’s
degree program. The college also offers associate degrees
and diplomas for science, occupational therapy assistant,
surgical technology and medical assistant. The bachelor’s
completion degree program in medical imaging has also been
added to the menu of options for students at Cabarrus College
of Health Sciences. 
Jeanie
Avery was recently named 2006 Mentor of the Year by the Union
County JobReady Partnership. We asked Jeanie for some of her
top tips for becoming a superstar mentor. 
North Carolina Workforce Development Partnership Conference 2006
Opportunities for Tomorrow’s Workforce… Is upon us today. It is that time of year again as workforce professionals across North Carolina gear up for the Workforce Development Partnership Conference 2006. The conference will be held October 25-27 at the Sheraton Four Seasons Hotel and Joseph S. Koury Convention Center in Greensboro. Several featured presenters have been highlighted. They include, Ed Gorden, Celina Shands Gradijan, Mary Ann Lawrence, Bob Knight, John Metcalf, and Erskine Bowles. Also, many excellent featured workshops have been outlined. A few titles include, Case Management, Business Services, Career Readiness Certification, Workplace Diversity, Youth Services, and Economic Development Partnerships.
Registration and preliminary agenda information can be found online. The early registration deadline is September 25, 2006. So don’t delay and sign up today! For more information about the NC Workforce Development Partnership Conference please contact Robbin Davis Broome, Conference Coordinator at (919) 329.5588 or rbroome@nccommerce.com.
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Comings, Goings,
Kudos… |
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·
Centralina Workforce Development Board meeting ·
Centralina Executive Planning Committee meeting ·
Centralina WDB Workforce Readiness Committee meeting ·
Centralina WDB Youth Council meeting ·
Centralina WDB Community Relations Committee meeting ·
Tuck Day – Outdoor Business Expo ·
Lincoln County Career Fair ·
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
Cultural
Competence: Serving NC’s Latino Market, Part 1 LMI:
A Guided Tour Delivering
Excellent Customer Service in the JobLink 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. |