Gov. Jay Nixon visited St. Francis Hospital in Maryville to congratulate Nodaway County leaders for being designated a Certified Work Ready Community. Gov. Nixon said Nodaway County’s successful efforts to strengthen its workforce training program is helping to attract and retain jobs to the community.
“Nodaway County brought together local businesses, educators and economic development leaders to earn this important designation certifying that the local workforce is ready to compete and win in the global economy,” Gov. Nixon said. “This is an outstanding example of what is possible when a community sets its sights on excellence and works hard to achieve it. I congratulate everyone here in Nodaway County on becoming a Certified Work Ready Community.”
“The Certified Work Ready Community program is a great way to assess the skill level of our existing and emerging workforce. This program allows us to firmly understand the strengths and weaknesses of our labor base so that we can shape local workforce efforts,” said Joshua McKim of Nodaway County Economic Development. “In addition, the CWRC is a great tool for the recruitment of investment, whether you are dealing with new or existing employers.”
In 2012, Missouri was selected as one of the first four states to participate in the Certified Work Ready Communities initiative by American College Testing (ACT). The initiative aligns workforce training programs with the economic development needs of communities; matches appropriate applicants to jobs based on skill level; and strengthens businesses by strengthening the workforce.
Jasper County, Missouri was named the first Certified Work Ready Community in the nation, and Missouri has 81 counties that are actively participating in the Certified Work Ready Community initiative and 36 fully certified counties.
By participating in the Certified Work Ready Communities initiative, Nodaway County is:
· Helping workers understand what skills are required by employers, and how to prepare themselves for success;
· Helping businesses effectively communicate their workforce needs to area education and workforce training programs;
· Providing educators with the tools needed to close the skills gap by establishing career pathways for students with stackable industry-recognized credentials; and
· Equipping economic development organizations with an on-demand reporting tool to promote the quality of their workforce.
Through this initiative, ACT has also awarded more than 77,000 National Career Readiness Certificates (NCRC) to workers in Missouri, including more than 6,520 certificates to Missouri veterans. NCRCs are accepted by more than 10,000 employers nationwide to verify individuals’ work skills.
Various agencies along with dozens of businesses throughout the county joined together to make this designation possible for Nodaway County, including the Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments, Nodaway County Economic Development, the Missouri Job Center, Kawasaki, SSM Health, Northwest Missouri State University, and Jefferson C-123 and Maryville R-11 School Districts.
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