Richmond County representatives to the Workforce Development Board, appointed by Richmond County Commissioners, include Butch Farrar, Dr. Diane Huneycutt, Thad Ussery, Darnell Swinney, Richard Adams, Jim Brown and Judy Carpenter.
The Workforce Development Board was created to implement the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998. The WIA provides youth grants, dislocated worker and adult programs and programs for incumbent workforce members in a community. The Board directs federal, state and local funding to workforce development programs. It also conducts and publishes research on programs and needs of the regional economy, develops a five-year strategic plan and oversees one-stop career centers, youth activities and employment and training activities. The 2005 State of the Workforce Report will be updated again in 2010, with the Regional Partnership Workforce Development Board (including Alamance, Orange and Randolph counties).
WDB partners with the Chamber of Commerce, the Employment Security Commission, Economic Development, Community Colleges, Vocational Rehabilitation, Social Services and local school districts to provide employment and training services. In addition, they provide assistance with on-the-job training programs, obtaining grants such as incumbent worker grants and implementing programs like the recent ARRA Summer Work Experience Program, held in all three counties – Montgomery, Moore and Richmond. Over 135 participants were placed in the program throughout the three counties.
In Richmond County, Elektran was a recipient of an Incumbent Worker grant for training in lean manufacturing, Siemens and UL training. Richard Adams with Elektran thanked the WDB for assistance in obtaining this grant. Adams stated that without this type of funding the new training would not have been possible.
Other goals of the WDB include developing a regional comprehensive literacy initiative and researching the impact of an aging workforce on businesses within the region. The Literacy Committee is working to address literacy issues in each county, and Business Services is planning a workshop for employers to learn how to create and implement a viable succession plan.
The first meeting of the current program year was held on Sept. 3 at Richmond Community College, and the next regularly scheduled meeting will be in Pinehurst on March 4. If you would like to learn more about the Workforce Development Board and how it can partner with your organization to help meet workforce needs both now and in the future, please contact Linda Parker, Workforce Development Director, Regional Partnership and Pee Dee Region Workforce Areas, Post Office Box 1883, Asheboro, North Carolina 27204-1883. Phone: 336-629-5141. Fax: 336-629-1290. Email: lparker@regionalcs.org.
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