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County achieves Skilled Iowa Community status

County achieves Skilled Iowa Community status

Program seen as benefit to economic development efforts To the Press

Floyd County has achieved Skilled Iowa Community status by meeting the metrics for both business commitments and workforce certifications, announced Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) Director Beth Townsend on Friday.

“I am proud of the all the hard work and dedication the leadership in Floyd County has put into achieving this designation,” said Townsend.

“Retaining and attracting a strong workforce is essential for Floyd County companies to grow and innovate.”

In order to become a Skilled Iowa Community, Floyd County had to have five percent of the local workforce earn a National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC), 20 percent of workers receiving unemployment insurance benefits or other specified services become NCRC certified and 10 percent of the local employers (who represent 20 percent of the total workforce) commit to supporting the Skilled Iowa Initiative in their hiring process.

Support from the Charles City Community School District and Superintendent Dr. Dan Cox has played a key role in achieving this designation for Floyd County. They supported NCRC for both students and staff.

Two Floyd County NCRC participants, Dee Schweizer and Georgena Vetter, received platinum-level certification and were each awarded $100 from Charles City Area Development Corporation Executive Director Tim Fox.

'This certification reflects the fact that Floyd County is home to progressive employers seeking to build productive workforces,” said Fox. “Collectively we have witnessed tangible achievements in training, retention and productivity through these programs. We appreciate the guidance and support of IowaWORKS North Iowa, the Charles City Community School District and Dr. Cox in reaching these goals.'

The Skilled Iowa Initiative has notable benefits for local economic development efforts. Skilled Iowa aims to assist local economies in boosting the qualifications of their local workers and as a result, making the community a more attractive place for new and existing businesses.

The initiative encourages workers and students to earn an NCRC, as well as encouraging employers to recognize the certificate in the hiring process. Those earning an NCRC take a test to measure crucial workplace skills in areas such as applied mathematics, reading for information and locating information.

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