ETA News Release: [July 14, 2005]
Contact Name: David James or Mike Volpe
Phone Number: 202-693-4676 or 202-693-3984
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Receives Recognition of Excellence Honor
Second Annual Honors Presented at Workforce Innovations 2005 in Philadelphia
SALISBURY, N.C. - Rowan-Cabarrus Community College received the top Recognition of Excellence (ROE) honor in the "Recognizing Special Populations in the Workforce" category at the Workforce Innovations 2005 Conference in Philadelphia. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco presented the second annual ROE honors, which recognize workforce investment system programs from around the country that have achieved outstanding success. Honorees were selected from more than 100 applicant organizations nationwide.
"This year's Recognition of Excellence honorees exemplify the workforce system's capacity to develop new approaches for equipping workers with the skills necessary to compete in the global economy," said DeRocco. "These projects and the people behind them offer examples of success that colleagues in education and job training can replicate to meet workforce needs throughout the country."
The Employment and Training Administration presents ROE honors in five categories. The "Recognizing Special Populations in the Workforce" category addresses the critical need to find ways to integrate every available worker into the labor force. Honorees in this category provide effective services to special populations, including individuals with disabilities, those with limited English proficiency, homeless individuals and migrant farm workers.
When Pillowtex Corporation closed, 4,790 jobs were lost in North Carolina-3,984 of them in the service area of Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. As 45 percent of the displaced employees lacked a high school credential, it was essential that the college play a critical role in providing basic skills and vocational training to meet this unprecedented local worker dislocation. Rowan-Cabarrus staff members conducted workshops in stress management, test anxiety and GED preparation as well as information and placement testing to help dislocated workers enroll in college.
The college has provided direct services to over 80 percent of the affected population. More than 231 individuals have received their GED; approximately 125 have become certified nurse aids; and approximately 400 have enrolled in human resources development programs and short-term occupational extension training programs.
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