Beaufort County Accepts Work Ready Community Certification | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    WASHINGTON, N.C.     Beaufort County has exceeded its goals to achieve designation as a "Work Ready Community". On April 28, officials from the North Carolina Chamber Foundation presented the certification to county officials. The process to get designated has been a two-year collaboration between Beaufort County Schools, Beaufort County Community College, the Washington-Beaufort Chamber of Commerce, the Committee of 100 and local industries.

    Beaufort County Commissioner Frankie Waters accepted the certification from Ed Troha, NC Chamber Foundation vice president, on behalf of the county.

    To achieve WRC designation, a county must have a high school graduation rate over 94 percent, a certain number of residents who are certified as "career-ready" and commitments from area businesses. The county has already exceeded those goals, recruiting 62 businesses and certifying 1,838 residents. Beaufort County had to enroll 61 businesses and 1,000 residents. Now, it is already well on its way to meeting its next set of goals to maintain certification.

    "We're happy to not only have surpassed our goals, but to already be well on the way to our next set," said Lou Stout, director of workforce initiatives at BCCC. "We're trying to attract flies with honey instead of vinegar. People think that businesses want to see cheaper workers and less regulation, but you can attract more businesses with a skilled workforce and a solid school system."

    Being a Work Ready Community means that Beaufort County will have a steady pool of employees with a basic level of professional development and employers who will give preference to employees who are certified. This standard means that agencies and businesses that are hiring can expect a certain level of talent from applicants. It also helps attract new businesses to the county with the guarantee of a trained workforce.

    All four high schools in Beaufort County are participating in the program. Among the participating are employers are Ruth's House, Oak Ridge Industries, Carteret General Hospital, Eastern Radiologists and Beaufort County Department of Social Services.

    Beaufort County joins just 27 other counties in North Carolina that have achieved Work Ready Community status.

• Contact: Attila Nemecz
•     Attila.Nemecz@beaufortccc.edu