Our Workforce Development Region, which consists of Rutherford, Polk, Cleveland and McDowell, has been fortunate to have been the recipient of a North Carolina Workforce Development Pilot Grant for this Fiscal Year.
The grant was given in response to our relatively high unemployment and the large number of plant closures in our region. Our region was also selected because of the growing number of unemployed people with strong technical skills and professional backgrounds that cannot necessarily benefit from other WIA services such as re-training.
The purpose of the funding is to provide unemployed individuals access to high quality professional advice and soft skill education. These skills are necessary to be successful in todays job market because employers expect high caliber candidates and must sort through hundreds of resumes to find the best talent for interviews.
Unemployed individuals need skills to distinguish themselves from the masses. The classes consist of high quality professional services that can ensure:
Successful behavioral interviewing

Concise eye catching resumes

Impressive self marketing power-point presentations

Convincing 30-second commercials

Appropriate dress for the interview

An effective job search process (finding the hidden job market)

Access to important networks (electronic and face-to-face communication)
A database of resumes from class participants is being created for local economic development leaders. They utilize this database to attract new businesses to the area by showcasing the exceptional skills of the community.

It is also used to fill existing employer inquiries for open positions in the community. Most data suggests that over 75% of all jobs are obtained through networking.
Contact Susan Alcide at 828.287.0262 ext. 1234 (office), 704.473.6854 (cell) or email at salcide @regionc.org to register or to obtain additional information.
Workshop Schedule:

December 8, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
December 10, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Location: Room 209 (Tues), Room 208 (Thurs), ICC Lifelong Learning Center, Spindale campus
December 11, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Location: Polk County Library, Columbus

Note: Attendees for the Dec. 11 class will make appointments for one-on-one resume consultation on Dec. 16 at the Library.