Washington County’s Workforce Now Stronger than National Average

Jun 12, 2017

Greenville, MS – The Washington County Economic Alliance (WCEA) is pleased to announce that Washington County’s certified workforce is now ahead of the national average of Silver Certificate holders in the Certified ACT Work Ready Community initiative. In Washington County, 56.3% of those who have taken the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) have obtained a Silver Certificate, greater than the national average of 56.1%. The achievement puts Washington County at a competitive advantage for industry recruitment and existing industry support.

“We are excited at the news that our Silver Level test scores are now above the national average of 56.1%,” said Cary Karlson, Executive Director of the Washington County Economic Alliance. “Having had two ACT Profiles completed in the bank and manufacturing industries, we see having as many Silver Level certificates as possible will help us as we recruit new companies to the Delta. In addition, located within a 45 minute drive time, we have over 2000 Silver National Career Readiness Certificates that have the skill level necessary to work in multiple industries.”

In January 2017, Washington County became a Certified ACT Work Ready Community. Once that goal was obtained, Washington County began the maintenance phase, under which ACT initiates new goals for testing, employer support, and job profiling. Washington County has reached 82% of its maintenance goals. As of June 2017, Washington County has attained a total of 1244 National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) with 700 reaching a Silver Level, which is the preferred NCRC level for manufacturing jobs.
Washington County has also began profiling job positions with local companies. Profiling assists employers to identify skills and skill levels current and prospective employees need to be successful at a specific position. Once a job position is profiled, employers and HR professionals can utilize the profile as a hiring tool. Local companies interested in have a job position profiled can contact WCEA to learn more information.

ACT Work Ready Community empowers states, regions, and counties with data, process, and tools that drive economic growth. Participants are leveraging the NCRC to measure and close the skills gap and building common frameworks that link, align and match their workforce development efforts. For more information, visit http://workreadycommunities.org/.

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