Harrison County today announced it has met all criteria to become a certified ACT Work Ready Community, demonstrating its commitment to developing a strong workforce pipeline, desirable to employers, economic developers and current and future citizens of the county.

The ACT^® Work Ready Communities (ACT^® WRC) initiative empowers states, regions and counties with data, processes and tools that drive economic growth by identifying skills gaps and quantifying the skill level of their workforce. Participants leverage the ACT^® WorkKeys^® National Career Readiness Certificate^® (ACT^® WorkKeys^® NCRC^®) to measure and close skills gaps and build common frameworks that link, align and match their workforce development efforts.

To begin the certification process, Harrison County education and economic development leaders attended the ACT Work Ready Communities Boot Camp, an executive leadership and training program designed and led by ACT to initiate, deploy, and drive carefully tailored efforts to improve the county’s work readiness. Leaders met with local employers, policymakers, educators and economic developers to establish goals and build a sustainable WRC model to fit community needs.

“At South Harrison School Corporation,  we realize the critical role education plays in economic development for both Harrison County and our region, said Dr. Mark Eastridge,  South Harrison School Corporation Superintendent.   We are glad to partner with the Harrison County Economic Development Corporation to grow Harrison County by becoming an ACT Work Ready Community”

“We at the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) applaud Harrison County’s efforts in becoming a certified ACT Work Ready Community,” DWD Commissioner Fred Payne said. “The certification helps to provide counties with the data they require in their efforts to recruit companies and provide them with a productive workforce that meets their needs.”

For more information on this initiative, go to www.workreadycommunities.org and view all of ACT’s workforce solutions at www.act.org/workforce

About ACT

ACT is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. Headquartered in Iowa City, Iowa, ACT is trusted as a leader in college and career readiness, providing high-quality assessments grounded in nearly 60 years of research. ACT offers a uniquely integrated set of solutions designed to provide personalized insights that help individuals succeed from elementary school through career. Visit act.org to learn more.

About Harrison County Economic Development:

The Harrison County Economic Development Corporation is a private 501c3 organization working with partners in business, government, education, and the community to help local businesses improve and expand. HCEDC seeks opportunities to attract new businesses to the community creating new jobs, aids in workforce development, encourages entrepreneurship and inspires innovation. For more information, please visit hcedcindiana.org