March 1, 2021 - Last Friday, Governor Mike Parson, AIM President and CEO Ray McCarty, joined several other state and local officials in Lebanon, Missouri, to celebrate Laclede County becoming a "Certified Work Ready Community."
This designation means Laclede County joins other Work Ready Communities in being able to advertise they have a workforce ready to be employed by existing or new employers in the County. The designation is available when a certain number of potential employees have taken a test and earned a National Career Readiness Certificate and a certain number of employers have agreed to participate in the program. The number required depends on the population of the county.
Governor Mike Parson spoke of his emphasis on workforce development and its importance to employers and employees in Missouri. He commended Laclede County and the team that was able to accomplish this milestone on behalf of the employers and workers in the county.
In Laclede County, 42 employers have recommended or recognized the National Career Readiness Certificate. Nearly 350 members of the "emerging workforce" primarily consisting of high school juniors and seniors from the Lebanon Technical Center have received the Certificate. And 250 current and transitioning members of the Laclede County workforce have successfully completed the exams and achieved the National Career Readiness Certificate.
"Associated Industries of Missouri was involved in this program from its inception," McCarty told the crowd. "Ten years ago, we sent a letter in support, the following year Missouri became one of a handful of states to participate in the program, and shortly thereafter, Jasper County, Missouri became the first Certified Work Ready Community in the United States. We are proud to celebrate this great designation with our friends in Laclede County," he said.
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