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Adair gets on Work Ready Community If Adair County wants to be competitive in attracting new business it is essential that we embrace the Work Ready program. By Ron Heath, Chair, Adair Work Ready Community Committee Chamber Insights Adair County received word that the Kentucky Work Force Investment Board has approved the county's request for a one year extension to meet all the criteria to obtain full recognition as a Work Ready Community. You may ask "Why is it important for Adair County to pursue this certification?" The number one goal of the Economic Development Authority, City Council, County Board of Supervisors, the Chamber of Commerce, and concerned residents is to attract new businesses and industries to the area. Yet to date there's little to show for the thousands of dollars that has been spent on various programs to achieve that goal. Surveys and studies have shown that the single most important factor for companies in determining where to expand or relocate is the availability of a qualified work force. Counties can offer tax incentives, convenient access to major highways, and a variety of other perks, but none of that matters if there aren't enough skilled workers to meet a company's need. Instead of pouring more of the county's scarce financial resources into programs and personnel to attract new companies maybe we should look more closely at how Adair County can offer businesses and industries what they really need - skilled workers. This is where the Work Ready Community program can be of value. What's more, the cost to implement this program is negligible and any money spent to achieve Work Ready status doesn't leave the area. Because it's invested in education, it stays right here in the community. If Adair County wants to be competitive in attracting new business it is essential that we embrace the Work Ready program. Of the 120 counties in KY, only three are not yet engaged in the Work Ready process. Almost half the counties are either fully certified as Work Ready or have received the designation as a Work Ready Community in Progress. Every county around Adair is in some stage of the application process. Unless we continue to pursue full Work Ready Community status, Adair County will be at a competitive disadvantage in trying to attract new industry. A Work Ready Community designation provides tangible evidence to prospective industries that the county has skilled workers and that the community is committed to continue to institute programs that enhance their skills. It also helps assure that businesses already in the community have a pool of qualified candidates when looking to hire new employees. Certification as a Work Ready Community requires the county to meet or exceed the following six criteria: * Graduation Rate: The County must have a plan to raise the high school graduation rate to 98% by 2022. Currently, the graduation rate is 90.4%. The new vocational programs the high school began offering this past year and the ones currently being planned will help keep more students engaged in their education so they don't quit school early.The Work Ready Community Committee can't achieve these criteria without the support of area businesses and concerned residents. The success of this program hinges on providing incentives for students and adult learners so they have a reason to participate. This can be accomplished in several ways. Businesses can offer first preference in interviewing prospective employees for participants in either of these soft skills based programs. What a positive message it sends to students if they hear from prospective employers that they are giving preference to students who have participated in one of these soft skills development programs. It wouldn't take long for that message to circulate through the community. This would help assure that even more students choose to participate in the future. Offering internships to participants in these is another way for prospective employers to help promote soft skills. Students gain important "hands on" experience in an actual job setting. In addition to providing an incentive for students to make the extra effort to improve their soft skills, internship opportunities provide prospective employers a chance to gauge how well students put their training into practice before the hiring process. What's most critical is giving participants in these programs an advantage over those who choose not to do the extra work required. First preference for interviewing, internship opportunities, and public recognition needs to be the "hook" for educators to draw their interest. The goal should be to involve every student in this soft skills development program. The success of this program is fully dependent on how engaged the business community is willing to embrace it. Do you know any employers who aren't looking to hire employees who understand the importance of showing up for work every day and on time, following rules, having a positive attitude, and being conscientious about his/her job responsibilities? Obtaining full Work Ready Community certification and maintaining it will, over the next few years, change the work culture in the county. If companies looking to expand to new areas or relocate to more desirable locations know there's a strong pool of potential employees with a commitment to work hard and be conscientious about their job responsibilities they are willing to invest the time and resources it takes to teach them the necessary skills. That's what will help most to attract new business and industry to Adair County and the actual cost to taxpayers in Adair County is negligible. This story was posted on 2015-09-22 09:19:05
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