Certified Work Ready Community Initiative

1. Certified Work Ready Community Initiative Work Ready Communities and Work Ready Regions – How they should work together Presented by: Fred R. McConnel, Work Ready Community Leader Governor’s Office of Workforce Development September 11, 2008

3. 109 Certified Work Ready Communities – In Progress April 2007 Launch (1st round): • 49 Certified Work Ready Communities (36 Months) • 24 Accelerated Work Ready Communities (18 Months) April 2008 Launch (2nd Round): • 16 Certified Work Ready Communities (24-36 Months) • 20 Accelerated Work Ready Communities (12-18 Months) • 6 2007 CWRC’s re-applied as ACWRC’s Total CWRC’s – In Progress • 59 Certified Work Ready Communities • 50 Accelerated Work Ready Communities • Over 2/3 of Georgia’s Counties are participating in Work Ready!

4. Certified Work Ready Communities • County based criteria – Both • Obtaining credential • % existing workforce • % available workforce • (S: 3%,25%)(M: 2%,20%)(L: 1%,15%)(XL: .5%,5%) • Improving high school graduation rate • Commitment to increasing public HSGR • HSGR percentage increase based on class size • Community Commitment...

5. Work Ready Community Teams Team Leader (no designated organization or agency) County Commissioner Chairman Mayor of County Seat President, Chamber of Commerce President, Board of Education President, Technical College Local WIB Chairman DCA Regional Representative GDEc Regional Representative GDOL Regional Representative Local HS Graduation Coach Business Representative Many Others… Community Commitment

6. CWRC Responsibilities • How to increase the HSGR? • How to reach targeted audiences? • How do the county teams work together to accomplish their goals? • What is the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development (Fred) going to do to ensure that we are successful in becoming a Certified Work Ready Community?

7. CWRC Team Work Plan How to increase HSGR? • Determine how many additional students must graduate each year to achieve HSGR goal (use the cheat sheet) • Target the at-risk students who with intervention will be able to graduate • Use High School Graduation Coaches to identify at-risk students in all HS grades

8. CWRC Team Work Plan How to increase HSGR? • Example: Bowden County must graduate 5 additional students per year to achieve HSGR goal • Identify and locate 10 at-risk students in grades 10 through 12 and talk to graduation coaches on what assistance is needed • Mentoring • Contact local service clubs to provide assistance or mentor at-risk students (Community Coaches, Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions Club etc.)

9. CWRC Team Work Plan How to increase HSGR? • Larger Counties can break down their target number by schools • Example: Fisher County must graduate 60 additional students per year to achieve HSGR goal • 60 students / number of schools • 60 / 10 = 6 students per school x 2 (hedging) = 12 at-risk students per grade

10. CWRC Team Work Plan How to reach targeted audiences? • Existing Workforce: • Private (%)  Responsibility of the Chamber of Commerce, Technical Colleges, Economic Development and Incumbent Worker Training • Government (%)  Responsibility of local leaders (County Commissioners / Mayors). The government audience includes Federal, State, Local and Technical College workers.

11. CWRC Team Work Plan How to reach targeted audiences? • Available Workforce: • High School Graduates and Current HS Seniors (%)  Responsibility of Tech Prep Coordinator, High School Grad Coaches, counselors, principals… • Technical College Graduates (%)  Responsibility of VP’s of the Technical Colleges • GED Graduates (%)  Responsibility of local Adult Education • Unemployed (%)  Responsibility of Local Workforce Board, DOL representative, DFACS and Family Connections

12. CWRC Work Plan How do the county teams work together to accomplish their goals? • Most CWRC teams already hold meetings • Conduct county conference calls • Assign responsibility and hold team members accountable • Celebrate county milestones and talk about success in order to build support

13. CWRC Team Work Plan What is the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development going to do to ensure that we are successful in becoming a Certified Work Ready Community? • Conduct monthly conference calls with team leaders • Quarterly face to face regional meetings • Exchange best practices • Help communities solve problems • Fund initiative and support implementation • Available for additional meetings/support

15. Working Teams • Working Teams will participate in monthly conference calls • Quarterly face to face meetings • To share best practices • Help solve problems • Cooperate to improve the regional economy • Discuss monthly CWRC Data Reports

16. Accelerated Work Ready Communities • Received grants to enforce and accelerate county efforts to achieving Work Ready goals • 12 – 18 month timeline to complete goals • 1st Round ACWRC’s: Received $35,000 grants • 2nd Round ACWRC’s: • Counties not in WRR’s received $35,000 grants • Counties in WRR’s received $12,000 grants • 2007 ACWRC’s Completion Date: December 31, 2008 • 2008 ACWRC’s Completion Date: June 31, 2009 or December 31, 2009

17. ACWRC Best Practices • Gas Cards awarded to individuals who earn certificate • Additional cards awarded to individuals who improve their skills to Gold • Recognizing Work Ready HS and TC Grads with WR pins at graduation ceremonies • 12@12 Meeting with Business and Industry to educate on the benefits of WR employees and profiles • Advertisements using the testimonials of local elected officials, industry leaders or community leaders who have taken WorkKeys assessment • Parking WIB assessment vans outside of job fairs and career days

19. Bartow Brooks Elbert Floyd Franklin Hart Houston Jefferson Jenkins Jones Laurens Madison Monroe Pike Polk Stephens Troup Twiggs Upson Ware Warren Wilkes Road to Readiness Counties

21. Questions? • ACWRC Grants? • Best Practices? • County Performances? • Any Insider County Info? • Others? • How can we create stronger working relationships between CWRC’s and WRR’s? Thank you!