Eighteen Former Levi Employees Graduate from LPN Class

Eighteen former Levi Strauss employees are now graduates of Appalachian Technical College’s first diploma program in Fannin county. The former Levi employees are graduates of the Licensed Practical Nurse program. They received their LPN pins and Florence Nightingale Lamps at an award ceremony held December 13. The class earned their degrees after five quarters of hard work completing a combination of class work and clinical work in area health care facilities.

These 18 graduates lost their jobs at Levi when the Blue Ridge plant closed in 2002.

Many of them were long-time Levi employees, and the loss of their jobs has forced them to take the step towards the dream of being a nurse that they might not have taken otherwise. This group excelled in the face of adversity.

Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funds provided assistance to these graduates for training through the dislocated worker program. Seven graduates have already been hired by area healthcare agencies such as Blue Ridge Health Care, Blue Ridge Adult Day Care and Union General Hospital.

For information about the WIA program call 1-800-332-1965 or visit www.careerdepot.org.

Workforce Investment Board new members of 2003 include:

• Ms. Frankie Wheeler, Wheeler Janitorial, Owner Private Sector/Polk Term: 01/15/03—06/30/04
• Ms. Zoe Nieves, Pilgrim’s Pride, Private Sector/Whitfield Term: 03/19/03—06/30/04
• Mr. Roger Skelton, Collins & Aikman, Private Sector/Whitfield Term: 03/19/03—06/30/04
• Ms. Gail Sherfield, Service Coordinator, Housing/Employment Term: 11/19/03—06/30/04
• Mr. Mike Burnett, Plant Manager, Private Sector/Haralson Term: 11/19/03—06/30/04
• Mr. Curtis Lewis, Interim Director CVRDC, WIA Title V Term: 11/19/03—06/30/04

The Coosa Valley area experienced an increase in the size of its workforce and in the number of employed residents during the month of November 2003. The area’s jobless rate dropped to 3.6 percent, down from 4.1 percent in October. The area’s rate was 4.6 percent in November of 2002.

The state’s jobless rate dropped to 4.0 percent from 4.4 in October. This is the fourth straight month that the job picture has shown slight improvement.

State Audit Scheduled

State representatives will be reviewing a sample of participant’s files for data validation for the period July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2003; 75 files will be reviewed from Region 1. Service providers should make sure back-up documentation is available for all performance claimed for participants - both active and/or exited - for that time period. The list of individuals to be included in the sample should be available on January 26 2004.

Character Traits

Fairness to be fair is to be free from favoritism.

Developmental Assets

Social Competencies: Peaceful Conflict Resolution — Person seeks to resolve conflict non-violently.

Customer Service Satisfaction Survey Update

Customers/Participants completing services during the period of November 2002 through September 2003 were sent a satisfaction survey last month. And the response rate has been phenomenal. Not only that, the majority of the comments have been “glowing” to say the least.

Results will be available in February. Copies of comments will be sent to service providers for review at that time. Great Job!

Northwest Georgia News

Congratulations to Region 1 graduates of the most recent class (#31) of the Global Career Development Facilitator training. Training was completed on December 4, 2003 by Scott McNabb and Lamar Fair from Dalton State and Lori McAllister from Cartersville DOL.

Lori Fields, WIA Career Advisor at Chattahoochee Technical College successfully completed the Career Development Facilitator Class in June and is now eligible for global certification.

Senator Nathan Dean recently appointed Rosalita Troutt, WIA Career Advisor, West Central Technical College, to the Haralson County Family Connections Executive Board. The appointment was made on December 9, 2003. The term will last for two years.

Lucy Hale Coosa Valley Technical College WIA Coordinator, and Lynn Barton, Executive Director of Community Info Line, co-wrote a grant securing homelessness prevention funds for distribution by Community Info Line, a United Way sponsored resource referral agency serving the Coosa Valley Area. The grant of $31,000 will be used to pay for utilities, rent, food and other services for those at risk for homelessness due to loss of income through sickness or job loss.

Final passage of the Workforce Investment Act amendments is anticipated during this Congressional session.

Find out the answers to your questions about the WIA Reauthorization by participating in the 90-minute, advanced-level-of-expertise, interactive audio conference, “WIA Reauthorization: Current Prospects and Likely Outcomes,” on February 3, 2004. Presentations will be made by Robert Knight and Michael Brustein, premier speakers in this area.

Register on-line at: http://206.142.95.100/UM/T.asp?A1.887.1082.1.63276

Career Development Facilitator Training—Start Dates: January 21 — Kennesaw State University; January 27—Augusta, GA www.kennesaw.edu/coned

Women Work! 2004 National Conference—February 18-20, Washington DC, www.womenwork.org

National Association of Workforce Boards Forum 2004 — March 14-16, 2004, Washington, DC, 1-703-807-2281

Southeastern Employment and Training Association (SETA) - April 4-7, Ashville, NC, www.seta.org

National Association of Job Training Assistance 2004 Conference—April 5-9, 2004, New Orleans, LA, 1-800-747-NAJA, www.naja.org

Rural Conference 2004 — April 25-27, 2004, Austin, TX, 1-541-928-0241, ext.210, www.tocowa.org/2004rwc.html

Northwestern Technical College held it’s first annual Youth Achievement Luncheon to honor the achievements of students involved in the WIA Youth Success Academy and Department of Juvenile Justice programs. Both of these programs are housed in the Career Depot One Stop for Youth.  Marlo Watson, Director of Communities in School, was the keynote speaker.

WIA Participant William Elsberry was named Student of the Year for Focus on Abilities. Will is a student at Rockmart High School in Polk County. His employer, Reggie Fennell of Fennell Garage, was named Employer of the Year.

Former Cedartown High School Apprenticeship / RVI student, Bobby McBride, was named Employee of the Year for Focus on Abilities. Bobby completed the Apprenticeship Program, graduated, and is currently employed by the Rome Plow Company. He attributes his successful transition from school to work to the opportunity provided to him by Lynne Reese, RESA, and his career counselors, Russ Edge and Harold Battle.

The next Youth Summit is scheduled for March 6 and will be held in Waco at West Central Technical College from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Recent additions to the WIB Youth Council include: Stacie Davis, Blue Ridge Area Health Education Center; Chris Romine, Pickens County Marshall’s Office; Gail Sherfield, Rome Housing Authority; Juan Lara, North Georgia RESA Youth; Vanessa Beckett, Job Corps.