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Southwestern Community College
joins 34 other North Carolina
community colleges as an official
sponsor and site for the new
Career Readiness Certificate
initiative to train and certify
the state’s workforce.
Pam Gobel with the NC Community
College System unveiled the
program during a campus meeting
June 19 with representatives
from SCC, the public schools,
local business and industry
and others from the community.
"Gov. Easley says North
Carolina is creating the strongest
workforce in the nation and
CRC is a strong economic development
tool to insure our workers
have the knowledge, talent
and skills to succeed in the
21st century workplace,”
said the Raleigh-based Gobel.
CRC is a WorkKeys assessment-based
credential that gives employers
and job/career seekers a uniform
and standard objective measure
of key workplace skills. It
is being used by job seekers
across the country for entry-level
jobs and for promotion assessment
within the company.
Partnerships
with local business
and industry is
crucial to the new
Career Readiness
Certificate initiative
unveiled at Southwestern
Community College
June 19, said Joan
Moulton, SCC’s
CRC director. From
left are Vicki Greene
with Region A, Pam
Gobel with the NC
Community College
System, John Hollifield,
human resources
manager with Caterpillar,
and Moulton.
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Workers are assessed to verify
their different skill levels
critical to job success. If
a worker is lacking in certain
areas, then CRC training helps
fill in the gaps for them.
When the worker is then certified,
employers know for sure that
they are hiring qualified
workers, Gobel said.
A key element of the CRC
is an accessible and verifiable
database which provides employers
a county- and individual-specific
workforce skill-set profile.
Counties with a verifiable
workforce-specific database
will have a critical advantage
in recruiting new businesses
and industries, as well as
helping upgrade and modernize
existing enterprises, Vicki
Greene with Region A said
at the meeting.
"The first thing a prospective
employer asks is, ‘What
is your workforce like?’
Gobel said. "Sure you
can say it is good, but then
they will say, ‘Show
me.’ Well, with CRC
database you can show them
specifics.”
"We have invited key
business leaders in the area
to participate in the development
and implementation of this
exciting new program,”
said SCC’s Joan Moulton,
who is directing the program.
The CRC purpose is to build
strong connections between
employers and the workforce,
she said.
"CRC eliminates the
dead end for employees and
employers,” Gobel told
the group. “For instance,
if a person applies for a
job but doesn’t have
all the necessary skills the
employer no longer has to
say, ‘Sorry, you are
just not qualified.’
Instead, an employer can say,
‘Go to SCC and they
will teach you the skills
you need to fill this position.
Then come back and see us.’
For individuals, CRC increases
their chances for employment
and promotion. They can receive
training to help them obtain
certification and the certification
is a portable credential recognized
nationwide by employers. Through
the database they can post
resumes and search job postings.
For employers, CRC simplifies
hiring by streamlining the
application process, matches
the right person with the
job and reduces training time
and increases the skill level
of existing employees, according
to Gobel.
For more information, contact
Moulton at 586-4091, ext.
361.
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posted
6/22/07
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