Carolina: Ready to Work

Purpose To create a coordinated statewide certification system that uses a common language across the workforce development, economic development, and education systems to match employee skills and employer needs. Decisions were always weighed against the question, “Which option best promotes the expansion and use of system by educators, businesses, and individuals in South Carolina.”

A national certificate with South Carolina’s state seal and the Governor’s signature will be issued Certificates will have individual results on tests designed to assess skills matched to employer needs. Skills attained will be defined clearly on the back.

All technical colleges will offer the assessments, business profiling, and remediation; All adult education offices and local workforce investment areas also will offer all three services either themselves or through partners LWIAs will refer individuals to eligible training providers if they need instruction beyond the self-paced, computer-based approach.

All partners, convened by the administrator of each local workforce investment area, will annually assess usage of the system in their area and develop a strategic plan, goals, and a marketing program to expand usage.

A database will be created documenting workforce skills for use as an economic development tool.

A baseline analysis of regional economies in terms of current and forecasted growth using Labor Market Information data, local employment dynamics, regional business surveys, etc. will be established.

The database will also contain: Information about the assessments, e.g., sample jobs that require certain scores Number and names, if given permission, of businesses that use the credential across the state Contact names and numbers for assessment sites, profilers, and remediation sites with links to each

That economic picture will be benchmarked to the skills of the regional workforce. Training and business recruitment will be targeted using the comparisons.

A group of business leaders will be advisors for the system..will

Timeline The Request for Proposals is “on the street” Responses are due Nov. 16 Reviews will be conducted The contract award is pending A statewide system is born!!

Thanks Task Force Members!!! WIA Bonnie Austin, Sandy Fowler, Vickie Tyner Technical Colleges Cleve Cox, Anne Crook, Kay Raffield Adult Education Joan Mason Business Sherman Cox, Co-Chair, Mark Glenn, Jim Reynolds, Ian Shaw Department of Education Cleo Richardson