By Josh Bergeron 

josh.bergeron@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Is Rowan County ready to work?

Representatives from a variety of local organizations plan to answer that question by obtaining a work-ready certification through a North Carolina Chamber of Commerce program. On Monday, Mark Seifel, who works for the Centralina Workforce Development Board, updated the Rowan County Board of Commissioners on a local effort to obtain the certification.

“By attaining a certified, work-ready community status, Rowan County will have another asset to use in attracting and retaining business and industry,” Seifel said during Monday’s commissioners meeting. “It communicates to employers that the workforce in this county has demonstrated they have the skills to be a successful employee and contribute to the business’ success.”

The certification includes requirements related to the graduation rate at local high schools, the workforce and employer participation in the program. Rowan County meets some of the requirements and falls short in others.

The county meets areas such as current and emerging workforce. It doesn’t meet a requirement for the total number of employers supporting a work-ready certification, which Spalding said the Chamber of Commerce is working to accomplish.

The graduation rate requirement is complicated.

A work-ready certification asks for a 94 percent graduation rate. There are other ways to qualify, too. A county’s four-year graduation rate can be at least 75 percent with annual increases of 1 percent over the previous five years. Alternatively, the average increase can be 2 percent per year if the rate is less than 75 percent.

Rowan County’s four-year graduation rate for the class of 2016 was 83.3 percent according to the NC Department of Public Instruction.

Seifel said about 20 counties in North Carolina have been certified as a work-ready community. Roughly another 20 are awaiting certification, he said. Iredell is the closest county to Rowan that’s certified as work-ready. The entire state of South Carolina has a work-ready certification.

For Rowan County, the next deadline to submit an application is in early June.

As part of the effort, representatives from local organizations formed a team to apply for the certification. Rowan-Salisbury School System CTE Director Mandy Mills leads the team.  The group held a meeting on Jan. 26. Rowan County Chamber of Commerce President Elaine Spalding said another meeting will be held at 9 a.m. Monday in the Wallace Educational Forum.

During Monday’s meeting, County Commissioners Chairman Greg Edds said if Rowan County need to obtain the certification if wants to remain economically competitive.

Seifel said the work ready certification would be granted through Rowan-Cabarrus Community College or career and technical education classes through the public schools. Employers then recognize a work-ready certification as an advanced level of proficiency for a job.

Seifel said the community college and Rowan-Salisbury School System already issue the certifications. An official work-ready certification, however, provides an additional, positive indication to businesses about the quality of the local workforce, Spalding said.

When discussion about the work-ready certification ended on Monday, Commissioner Judy Klusman commented on how it might help local families.

“I just want to say that not only will employment be greatly enhanced but also I think families will truly benefit from it,” Klusman said. “They’ll be able to go from dependence to nondependence, build that self esteem within their families and change the culture within their families.”

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246