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Saluda County certified as ACT ‘Work Ready Community’

Saluda County certified as ACT ‘Work Ready Community’

Saluda County certified as ACT ‘Work Ready Community’

 

Staff Report
colanews@scbiznews.com
Published Aug. 4, 2014

Saluda County has become the fourth county to receive the S.C. Work Ready Community designation through ACT, a national testing company.

Earning the designation means the county has met workforce and education goals required of the nationwide initiative aimed at attracting economic development and closing the skills gap of the workforce.

“Our ability to attract new businesses and expand the ones we already have is in no small part due to our state’s world class workforce and why making sure they have the training and experience to take advantage of the record economic success we have seen is so important,” said Gov. Nikki Haley. “Saluda being the fourth county in our state to become a Certified Work Ready Community is a big deal.”

To earn the designation, counties have to reach goals in earning National Career Readiness Certificates, meet or exceed the three-year graduation rate average or improvement percentage, meet goals in soft skills assessments and engage business support.

“This is a joint effort by several agencies within Saluda County to include local businesses, educators, as well as local government to make Saluda County more competitive in attracting new industry and supporting existing businesses in the county,” said Donald E. Hancock, chairman of the Saluda County Council.

Also involved in the Saluda initiative was SC Works, the S.C. Department of Commerce, Upper Savannah Council of Governments, Upper Savannah Regional Education Center, and Piedmont Technical College.

Other counties that have received the Work Ready designation are Clarendon, McCormick and Colleton.

South Carolina was one of four pilot states selected to participate in the ACT Certified Work Ready Community program.

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