Wiregrass Work Ready Region Core & Home Team Meeting

1. Wiregrass Work Ready RegionCore & Home Team Meeting Presenters:Tony Powell – WWRR Project Manager/Authorized Profiler Christy Cobb – Georgia Work Ready Program Administrator

2. May 18 Meeting Recap & Follow-Up on Action Items

3. May 18 Agenda • Welcome & Introductions – Brandy & JoAnne • Introduction to Georgia Work Ready Initiative - Christy • Georgia Work Ready Website Overview - Tony • Core/Home Team Presentations – Tony & Brandy • Guest Speaker – Bob Dixon, HGTC Regional Project Manager

4. Follow-up on Action Items • Shirt Sizes • Links to GWR website • “We Support Georgia Work Ready” signs • GAP Training • Wiki Space • Marketing ideas • Additional team members • Opportunities to speak to groups

5. Toll-free #’s for Technical Colleges • Altamaha Technical College • 1.888.755.2832 – Baxley Campus • 1.800.645.8284 – Jesup Campus • East Central Technical College • 1.800.575.0567 • Okefenokee Technical College • 1.877.332.8682

6. Training Needs Survey

7. TRAINING NEEDS SURVEY Please complete the Training Needs Survey that has been distributed to you at this time.

8. Be Work Ready Initiative

9. Be Work Ready Initiative • Purpose is to encourage unemployed Georgians to earn a Work Ready Certificate and/or improve their core job skills • Provides funds to assist with job search expenses for unemployed Georgians • Only those who are unemployed and are 18 years of age or older are eligible to apply • Applicants must have earned a Work Ready Certificate since September 1, 2008

10. Be Work Ready Initiative (continued) • Individuals must have earned a WR Certificate and/or improved their WR Certificate level through skills gap training to be eligible • Applicants complete a short questionnaire & application to qualify • If they qualify, they will receive a Be Work Ready incentive package containing: • Pre-paid Visa card • Letter of recommendation from Governor Perdue to be used in job interviews • Information about life-long learning opportunities • Georgia Work Ready lapel pin

11. Be Work Ready Initiative (continued) • Pre-paid Visa card • When an individual earns a bronze, silver, or gold level WR Certificate, they are eligible for a $50 incentive. • When they earn a platinum, they are eligible for a $100 incentive. • When an individual improves their WR Certificate level in any way, they are eligible for a $100 incentive (only eligible for one incentive for improving their WR Certificate level). • For more info, visit www.begaworkready.org.

12. Georgia Work Ready Outreach Materials

13. Outreach Materials • Gold/Platinum level • T-shirts • Caps • Lunch coolers • Notebooks • Portable Electronic Cases • Other • Portfolios • Polo shirts • Insulated totes • Coolers • Pens

14. County by County Review of Measures

15. Work Ready Certificates – County Metrics(as of 5/31/09) *County certificates earned *County certificate goals *County goal met/exceeded *Region certificate data

16. Work Ready Certificates - County/Level Region “Go for Gold” = 473 certificates earned Currently @ 34 % 5/31/09

17. Accelerated Certified Work Ready Communities

18. Accelerated Certified Work Ready Communities (ACWRC) • 6/30/09 – Applications submitted for all 7 counties to obtain ACWRC • Awaiting approval from Governor’s Office of Workforce Development

19. Accomplishments May 19 – July 14

20. May 19 – May 31 • Established ECTC Work Ready Assessment Schedules through December 31 • 5/26 – Brandy attended Advisory Council Meeting for CTAE program @ ACHS to present WR initiative • 5/27 – Tony attended CEO Roundtable Meeting in Fitzgerald – as result, will be presenting WR initiative to group at next meeting • 5/28 – Tony, Brandy, & Christy attended Round 2 Regional Conference Call

21. June • Ordered Outreach Materials • 1st issue of WWRR e-newsletter • Fitz-Ben Hill Co Chamber added GWR link to their website • 6/3 – Tony & Christy attended Business Expo/Job Fair held at ECTC BHI Campus – WR booth • 6/10 – Tony, Brandy, & Christy attended ‘Be Work Ready’ Conference Call • 6/11 – Tony, Brandy, & Christy attended Resource Fair for Pilgrim’s Pride in Douglas – WR booth • 6/24 & 6/25 – Work Ready booth @ iTeach Conference in Fitzgerald

22. July 1 – July 14 • Tony developing relationships with Temp Agencies • Seeing an increase in # of GAP enrollments • 7/7 – Christy presented WR initiative during New Student Orientation @ ECTC • 7/7 – Tony met with 4 representatives from South Georgia College to determine opportunities to partner • 7/14 – Tony, Brandy, Christy, & JoAnne leading 2nd Core/Home Team Meeting on BHI Campus of ECTC

23. Upcoming Events

24. July • 7/15 – Christy to present WR initiative to Rotary Club in Hazlehurst • 7/15 – Christy to present WR initiative to EMP 1000 class on BHI Campus of ECTC • 7/21 – Tony, Brandy, & Christy leading Kick-Off Meeting for Industry Network Team on Coffee Campus of ECTC • 7/22 to 7/24 – Tony, Brandy, & Christy attending Round 2 Conference at Stone Mountain

25. August • Christy will be working with IT department about Online Registration for WR assessments for ECTC • Goals • Have Industry Network database completely updated • Contact past assessors to enroll in GAP training and reassess to obtain Gold certificate

26. Challenges/Opportunities

27. Challenges & Opportunities • Support County Teams when needed • Assist in identifying ways we can reach our goals • Assist in indentifying resources to allow us to reach our goals WE NEEDYOUR INPUT!!!

28. Drawings

29. WWRR Leadership Team • Tony Powell • Region Project Manager/Authorized Profiler • 229.468.2296 • tpowell@eastcentraltech.edu • Brandy Wilkes • Region Coordinator/Authorized Profiler • 229.468.2228 • bwilkes@eastcentraltech.edu • JoAnne Lewis • Business & Industry Representative • 912.384.1873 • jlewis@douglasga.org • Christy Cobb • Georgia Work Ready Program Administrator • 229.468.2218 • ccobb@eastcentraltech.edu

30. THANK YOU!