Building a ready workforce

Local employers gathered Thursday at Lenoir Community College to learn more about the state’s WorkKeys and Career Readiness Certification programs.

The event was part of Lenoir County Schools recognition of Career and Technical Education month.

Smithfield Packaging Human Resource Director Brad Smith was among those who attended the meeting. He said there are nearly 320 employees working at the Smithfield plant in Kinston.

“We are doing pretty well now despite the bad economy,” Smith said.

The unemployment rate for Lenoir County was 11.9 percent in December, well above the state average. While many employers may be hesitant to hire new employees during the down economy, when the economy does rebound, employers will have the option to use WorkKeys and CRC programs to help select new hires.

Four years ago, the state embraced the WorkKeys and CRC programs. Pam Gobel, N.C. Community College System Director of the CRC program, said there are nearly 42,000 people in the state who are CRC-certified.

“The program has really taken off,” Gobel said.

CRC allows people to take a job skills assessment test, which employers can use to screen job applicants.

LCC Coordinator for Continuing Education Special Programs Susan Gale said CRC’s are graded in a bronze, silver or gold category. Those with a gold CRC have better options in the job market than those with a bronze CRC.

“There are about 1,000 people in Lenoir County with a CRC,” Gale said. “It does help workers and employers.”

WorkKeys and CRC tests workers’ skill sets including communication, problem solving and interpersonal skills. WorkKeys spokesman David Sweaney said employers really aren’t interested in what job applicants know but in what job applicants can do.

“WorkKeys allows employers to assess what level of skills a person needs to learn a job,” Sweaney said.

LCC President Dr. Brantley Briley said he has embraced the CRC and WorkKeys programs.

“This is the direction we need to go,” Briley said. “It’s a great economic development tool.”

Matt Bulman, Curtiss-Wright Corporation Regional Human Resource Director, said his company has hired 25 new employees with CRC qualifications in the past year.

“We couldn’t find and qualified machinists before using CRC,” Bulman said. “I contacted Cleveland Community College to find out more about the program.”

During January 2008, Cleveland Community College, located in Shelby, had just eight people who were CRC-qualified. Bulman said nearly 1,400 people are CRC-qualified near Shelby this month.

According to Sweaney, school boards nationwide are moving towards allowing high school seniors to take the CRC. Alabama’s State Board of Education was the latest to approve a motion to require seniors to take the CRC.

“Not everyone goes to a four-year college,” Sweaney said. “The CRC helps market those who are ready to go directly into the job market.”

LCC recently hired a CRC specialist to help educate the public on the program. Gale said tutorial classes and practice tests are offered related to the certification process. Each CRC has a list of job skills listed on the back that any employer can immediately evaluate during the job hiring process. Job profiles allow employers to match the necessary skills for each job with a job candidate that matches the requirements.

“It does work,” Gale said. “Employers will have an opportunity to see how many bronze, silvers and golds there are before they decide to expand or relocate to an area.”

Many companies nationwide now advertise that they prefer CRC graduates to apply for jobs. Local officials said they expect this trend to continue.

“A skilled workforce will bring new business into North Carolina,” Gobel said. “CRC is growing statewide.”

Chris Lavender can be reached at 252-559-1078 or clavender@freedomenc.com.