JobLink Career Centers Are Rechartered!

The Centralina Workforce Development Board has proudly rechartered the JobLink Career Centers in Iredell County (Statesville), Stanly County, and Union County. Each center has also completed the new rechartering guidelines set forth by the North Carolina Commission on Workforce Development, including a comprehensive business plan and site visit to each center. The site visits were conducted in late June.

Each JobLink Career Center has a Management Team that oversees the activities and development of the center. The Management Team is made up of local partners including, the JobLink Center Manager, Employment Security Commission, Department of Social Services, Vocational Rehabilitation, Community College, local school systems, community-based organizations, and many others. All JobLink Partners in Iredell, Stanly, and Union counties have worked extremely hard to complete the rechartering process. Each partner contributes to the success of the center by ensuring that customer needs are met all under one roof!

The Centralina Workforce Development Board is very proud of such an impressive team of partners that work together at each center to help job seekers find employment and training and help local employers find qualified workers. Thank you for all your hard work and effort!

The Centralina Workforce Development Board is using requirements and standards that exceed the Commission on Workforce Development's minimum criteria and has previously rechartered all eight JobLink Career Centers in the region.

For more information about the recharted JobLink Career Centers listed above please contact David Hollars at dhollars@centralina.org

Former Pillowtex Employees Celebrate Successes

Working hard and helping others…

Former Pillowtex employee Evelyn Davis recently finished her GED in April and has entered Medical Office Assisting at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College for the Summer 2004 semester. She states, "for anyone still wondering what they should do now that they are out of work, I would encourage them to go back to school. It's hard, but when you get that diploma in your hand, it's like you've won the jackpot!"

In addition to continuing her education, Evelyn has also established a support group of five women who are cheering each other on to finish their programs of study. Evelyn believes in the power of encouragement and stated, "If you don't have the support of somebody, you won't make it." She states that the support group is in place to share all emotions. If the group wants to cry, they cry and if they want to share something good, they all rejoice!

Changing careers…

"When the plant closed in July of 2003, I thought I might look into carpentry work, but at the age of 54 I didn't think that was practical for long-term work," states Terry Lyerly. After a short time of being laid off from Pillowtex, Terry decided to pursue a career in the medical field after his experience serving in the Medical Corp of the United States Army. He enrolled at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in the fall of 2003 and completed the Certified Nursing Assistant Program. During one of his visits to the Cabarrus County JobLink Career Center (www.cabarrusjoblink.com), an advisor helped Terry look up jobs on the computer. Terry applied at the VA Hospital in Salisbury and got an interview. Shortly thereafter he was hired. For anyone still trying to find a job or decide about school, Terry states "go ahead and do it with all the willpower you have and the rest will come."

The following chart provides the total number of former Pillowtex Employees who are enrolled in a training program, have returned to work, and those who have completed a GED.

Enrolled in a Training Program 1,353
Returned to Work 1,017
Completed GED 90

Evelyn Davis (right) with Jean Griffin and Brenda Cline, members of her support group. Not Pictured: Linda Cook and JoAnn Deaton.

 

 

NEED A SPEAKER?

Invite a representative from the Centralina Workforce Development Board. To arrange for a speaker please visit
www.centralinaworks.com/speaker.cfm or call Stephanie Boger at 704.348.2725.

  

Employment Statistics

May 2004
(Source: NC Employment Security Commission)
County
Unemployment Rate
Persons Employed
Anson
9.8%
9,738
Cabarrus
7.5%
72,229
Iredell
5.0%
66,979
Lincoln
6.4%
3,4051
Rowan
8.7%
64,930
Stanly
7.2%
24,568
Union
4.7%
71,262

For more information on employment, click here

Board Approves Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Adult, Dislocated Worker, & Youth Service Providers

At its June 8, 2004 meeting, the Centralina Workforce Development Board approved the Workforce Investment Act Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth service providers for the upcoming program year (July 1, 2004 - June 30, 2005).

The Board released Request for Proposals (RFPs) in April soliciting offers to utilize federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funds to provide services for Adults, Dislocated Workers, and/or Youth in the seven county region.

Workforce Investment Act (WIA) - Services to ADULTS

  • Employment Security Commission (ESC)
    Anson, Cabarrus, Iredell, Lincoln, Rowan, and Stanly counties
  • Union County Community Action, Inc. - Union County

Workforce Investment Act (WIA) - Services to DISLOCATED WORKERS

  • Employment Security Commission (ESC) - Anson, Cabarrus, Iredell, Lincoln,
    Rowan, Stanly, and Union counties

Workforce Investment Act (WIA) - Services to YOUTH (In-School and Out-of-School)

  • Anson County Schools - Anson County
  • Salisbury-Rowan Community Service Council, Inc. - Cabarrus and Rowan counties
  • I Care, Inc. - Iredell and Lincoln counties
  • The Resource Development Center, Inc. (RDC) - Stanly County
  • Union County Community Action, Inc. - Union County

Centralina Workforce Development Board members at their June meeting.

**************
Centralina Workforce Development Board Welcomes New Member

The Centralina Workforce Development Board is pleased to welcome Ms. Beth Wanke, Human Resources Manager with Perdue Farms, Inc. in Concord, who has committed to serving on the Board and supporting its mission to provide a workforce development system in the region that results in a highly skilled, productive workforce. Beth has been very instrumental in assisting Perdue Farms with the Incumbent Workforce Development Program that was awarded to the company in August 2003. Perdue Farms is an active and growing employer in Cabarrus County.

The Centralina Workforce Development Board appreciates the commitment made by Beth Wanke to serve on the Board as well as all the time and hard work contributed by current and former members. For more information about the Centralina Workforce Development Board please visit www.centralinaworks.com or contact David Hollars at 704.348.2717.

*************
Board Elects New Officers

The Centralina Workforce Development Board is pleased to announce the election of its new officers for the upcoming year. Mr. Bob VanGorden will continue to serve as chair of the Board. Bob is President of BVG Consulting in Concord. Ms. Jan Comer will serve as vice-chair. Jan is Human Resources Manager at Win Cup, Inc. (formerly Polar Plastics) in Mooresville. The Board looks forward to continued quality leadership in the upcoming year.

For more information about additional Centralina Workforce Development Board members, please visit www.centralinaworks.com/board.cfm.

News You Can Use
Upcoming Events:
  • Centralina Workforce Development Board Meeting
    Tuesday, August 10, 2004 @ 4:30 PM
    Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce - Kannapolis
  • Centralina WDB Community Relations
    Committee Meeting
    Thursday, July 22, 2004 @ 4:00 PM
    Win Cup, Inc. - Mooresville
  • Rowan County School-to-Career Council Meeting
    Friday, July 23, 2004 @ 12:00 PM
    Rowan-Cabarrus Community College - Salisbury

  • Centralina WDB Committee Leadership Meeting
    Thursday, August 5, 2004 @ 9:30 AM
    Carolina Carpet Care & Restoration - Concord

  • Centralina WDB Performance Evaluation
    Committee Meeting
    Thursday, August 12, 2004 @ 3:00 PM
    Textron Fastening Systems - Stanfield

  • Ms. Jackie McWhorter is currently serving as the Interim Manger at the Mooresville JobLink Career Center. Welcome Jackie! Jackie can be reached at 704.664.4225 or Jackie.mcwhorter@ncmail.net.

  • Ms. Cristina Arlow is the new Lincoln County Literacy Council Director. The Lincoln County JobLink Career Center welcomes her and values the partnership. Cristina can be reached at lincliteracy@hotmail.com.

  • The US Department of Labor has awarded the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Foundation a $2 million grant to administer a Steve Young Memorial Scholarship Program. The program will provide job training and other services for spouses of sworn law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. The process for serving these spouses will be directly through the North Carolina JobLink Career Centers. The grant requires the JobLinks to provide case management services to the recipients. For more information please visit http://www.grandlodgefop.org/symsp/index.php

Visit our website at www.centralinaworks.com to learn more about the Centralina WDB
To send a comment about our E-Newsletter, click here.
To learn more about the Centralina Council of Governments please visit www.centralina.org
CentralinaWORKS is a publication of the Centralina Workforce Development Board. If you do not wish to receive this E-Newsletter in the future, please send a return e-mail and type "REMOVE" in the Subject Line and you will be removed from our distribution list. The CWDB does not share its distribution list with other organizations. Please feel free to share this E-Newsletter with co-workers and other business associates.