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Madison County Recognized for Workforce Development Achievements at ACT Workforce Summit
Canton, MS— Madison County was recognized for its workforce development achievements over the past year at the ACT Workforce Summit in Charlotte,
N.C. on Tuesday, Oct. 29, along with 48 other participating ACT Work Ready Communities. The annual summit, which brings together experts in business,
education, workforce and economic development, included the ACT Work Ready Communities Awards Ceremony and Recognition. During the ceremony, representatives
from participating ACT Work Ready Community counties and parishes received awards for becoming certified or completing a new set of goals to maintain
their certification.
“We are so happy to recognize and award our Work Ready Communities at our annual convening of workforce experts,” said ACT President of Measurement, Suzana
Delanghe. “These participating communities have demonstrated a commitment to developing a strong workforce pipeline, which is paramount to building
stronger communities and fostering business and economic growth.”
The ACT® Work Ready Communities (ACT® WRC) initiative empowers states, regions
and counties with data, processes and tools that drive economic growth by identifying skills gaps and quantifying the skill level of their workforce.
Participants leverage the ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate® (ACT® WorkKeys® NCRC®) to measure and close skills gaps and build common frameworks that link, align and match their workforce development efforts.
“We are proud of Madison County’s designation as a Work Ready Community, which has strengthened our workforce partnerships throughout Madison County and
the State of Mississippi,” said Danielle Winningham, Chief Operating Officer of the Madison County Economic Development Authority. “This designation
was achieved as result of the successful efforts by community, education and business leaders working together to strengthen workforce development
in order to meet the economic development needs of our community.”
“The Madison County Business League and Foundation was extremely proud to participate and support the efforts required to achieve ACT Work Ready status
for Madison County through its members’ participation,” said Jan Collins, Executive Director of the Madison County Business League and Foundation.
“MCBL&F awarded grants to local schools to facilitate ACT Work Keys assessments which led to National Career Readiness Certificates for our Career
Technical students.”
The ACT Work Ready Communities Luncheon included welcome remarks from North Carolina Chamber President and CEO Gary Salamido. Tennessee Department of Labor
Commissioner Jeff McCord shared advice with the Work Ready Communities awardees during a keynote presentation. The ACT Work Ready Community initiative
includes 486 participating counties and parishes in 29 states.
For more information on ACT Work Ready Communities, go to www.workreadycommunities.org and view all of
ACT’s workforce solutions at www.act.org/workforce
About ACT
ACT is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. Grounded in 60 years of research,
ACT is a trusted leader in college and career readiness solutions. Each year, ACT serves millions of students, job seekers, schools, government agencies
and employers in the US and around the world with learning resources, assessments, research and credentials designed to help them succeed from elementary
school through career. Visit act.org to learn more.
About MCEDA:
As the leader of economic development for Madison County, MCEDA’s mission is to encourage the growth of the county’s existing business and industry, attract
new investment and higher-paying jobs, and to increase Madison County’s competitiveness leading to a diverse, vibrant economy benefitting all the county’s
citizens.
About MCBLF:
The mission of the Madison County Business League & Foundation is to bring together, under one organization, the voice of numerous entities in order
to establish a clear and concise message for the future. This organization, which is comprised of elected, appointed, business and individual leaders
of Madison County, will enable all partners in business and economic development to participate collectively in bringing together the overall vision
for Madison County.
