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Governor Signs Bill Preserving Georgia Work Ready Issued: 05/21/2010

Governor Signs Bill Preserving Georgia Work Ready

Governor Sonny Perdue today announced that he has signed House Bill 1195, which will preserve Georgia Work Ready beyond the Governor's final term in office.

"Work Ready is transforming our state's workforce and closing the skills gap for many Georgia workers," said Governor Perdue. "Most importantly, almost 6,000 Georgians have found a job using their Work Ready Certificate since March 2009."

When the Governor took office in 2003, one of the first initiatives he announced was the launch of the Commission for a New Georgia (CNG) with a goal to be the best managed state in the nation. A CNG task force looked specifically at our state's workforce development efforts. Governor Perdue issued an Executive Order in February 2006 establishing the State Workforce Investment Board. Georgia Work Ready resulted from CNG's recommendations and Workforce Investment Board's strategic plan.

Work Ready continuously improves the training and marketability of the state's workforce. To date, 136,000 Georgians have earned Work Ready Certificates andmore than 330 companies use Work Ready as part of their hiring process. Forty-five counties have earned Certified Work Ready Community status and 18 Work Ready Regions have been established.

Last week, Jennifer Willis of Elberton was named Work Ready's Job Seeker of the Month. After earning a Work Ready Certificate, Willis applied for an internship with the city of Elberton's Historical Preservation Program and was later hired permanently.

"Without the Work Ready Certificate, I could not have obtained the job," said Willis. "Working at the Historical Preservation Program has changed my life. Before going back to school and working for the city of Elberton, I would not have been exposed to my current field. I learned that not only am I interested in the functions of local government, I have developed a passion for historical preservation."