Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

 

County officials announced on Tuesday, Dec. 10, that Charlotte County has officially become a certified Work Ready Community.

According to County Administrator Daniel Witt, Work Ready Communities empower states, regions and counties with data, processes and tools that drive economic growth.

He further stated that the county will use the designation as a means for economic development to assist existing businesses in both retention and expansion and as a recruitment tool for new companies.

“As a part of the process to become a Work Ready Certified Community we had to complete National Career Readiness testing in our school system, our transitioning workforce, our current workforce and get employers in the county to sign on to support our initiative,” said Business Service Coordinator Terra Bailey Napier with the South Central Region of Virginia Career Works.

By achieving certified Work Ready Community status Charlotte is demonstrating they have a robust workforce development effort aligned with their economic development needs.

“This recognizes Charlotte County with a nationally recognized industry certification that employers are able to fill open job positions with qualified job seekers,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Garland Hamlett, Jr.

According to Napier, the commonwealth of Virginia is implementing Work Ready Communities through a local or regional economic development approach — utilizing Southern Virginia’s Dan River Region as its pilot for the program.

In April 2014 the Commonwealth established its criteria consisting of the Work Ready Communities Common Criteria and a threshold high school diploma or equivalent attainment rate of 70% or more of the working adult population (ages 18-64).

“Charlotte County, being certified as a work ready community, will be of great benefit to our students because this distinction may attract more employers to Charlotte County, which will provide potential jobs for our students after high school,” said Charlotte County Public Schools Superintendent Robbie Mason.