Governor Perdue Expands Work Ready Initiative

Communities Encouraged to Work Together to Improve Employee Talent, Grow Strategic Industries

ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue today announced a major expansion to the state's Work Ready Program, giving communities more tools to build the talented workforce that business demands and the means to drive growth and prosperity.

Georgia's Work Ready program is comprised of a skills assessment and certification for job seekers and a job profiling system for businesses. By identifying both the needs of businesses and the available skills of Georgia's workforce, the state can more effectively generate the right talent for the right jobs.

The program expansion includes two Work Ready designations – Work Ready Community and a new designation, Work Ready Region. This program expansion will ensure Georgia has the talent necessary to staff existing jobs and to master the innovative technologies new jobs will require.

"Work Ready is putting Georgia ahead of the pack in creating a talented workforce ready to succeed in the jobs of today and tomorrow," said Governor Perdue. "By aligning education and training programs with the needs of business, we are making sure that Georgia is meeting hiring needs and delivering a competitive advantage."

Work Ready Community

Governor Perdue announced that 72 counties have made a commitment to become Certified Work Ready Communities and will have three years to reach the goals necessary to earn the designation.

To be designated a Georgia Certified Work Ready Community, counties must demonstrate a commitment to improving high school graduation rates and show that graduates are entering the workforce and workers are obtaining certifications as Work Ready.

The counties that are in progress to become Certified Work Ready Communities include: Appling, Baldwin, Barrow, Bartow, Bibb, Brooks, Bulloch, Butts, Catoosa, Chattooga, Clarke, Cobb, Coweta, Crisp, Decatur, Dougherty, Douglas, Elbert, Fannin, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Gilmer, Grady, Greene, Gwinnett, Hall, Harris, Hart, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Jenkins, Jones, Laurens, Long, Lowndes, Macon, Madison, Marion, Meriwether, Mitchell, Monroe, Muscogee, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Peach, Pickens, Pike, Polk, Putnam, Rockdale, Schley, Seminole, Stephens, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Thomas, Toombs, Towns, Troup, Twiggs, Union, Upson, Walker, Walton, Ware, Warren, Wayne, Webster and Wilkes.

Work Ready Region

The new Work Ready Region designation builds on the community program, encouraging multiple counties to work together to develop talent pools to meet the needs of the region's new and existing businesses.

"Communities will work together across regions to support a common economic development strategy," said Governor Perdue. "To help drive new thinking and develop Georgia's talented regions, we will be making competitive regional grants available."

Competitive Work Ready Region grants will be awarded to a limited number of applicants that successfully demonstrate creating regional solutions to improving the region's high school graduation rate, engaging with at-risk and out-of-school youth, supporting high school and middle school career coaches, retraining dislocated workers, increasing post-secondary graduation rates and upgrading the skills of the existing workforce.

Partnering with Business

"At the heart of the Work Ready program is solid partnerships between Georgia's businesses, education and local economic development professionals," Governor Perdue said. "These community efforts are being led by chambers of commerce, technical colleges, development authorities and members of boards of education. Only by working together can we prepare for a more successful future."

To demonstrate the success of this partnership strategy, Governor Perdue also announced the role of Georgia Power as the Work Ready business champion. "Work Ready will help us by providing more, better qualified candidates to fill our lineman jobs," said Mike Garrett, CEO, Georgia Power.

For participating companies such as Georgia Power, the Work Ready program can result in improved employee selection and advancement procedures, reduced overtime and job turnover, increased productivity and higher employee morale.

Since creating the Governor's Office of Workforce Development (GOWD) in August 2006, more than 7,300 Georgians have qualified for a Work Ready Certificate, communicating they have the fundamental employability skills that are critical to business success.

For more information on the Work Ready initiative please visit the Web site at www.gaworkready.org .