VGCC Recognizes CRC Recipients
Vance-Granville Community College held its first celebration on Nov.15 in honor of individuals who have earned a Career Readiness Certificate, or CRC. Audrey Brown, the college’s CRC coordinator, welcomed VGCC faculty, staff, CRC recipients and their family members to a ceremony and reception on the college’s main campus. Members of the local CRC advisory committee, which includes representatives of the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce, the Kerr-Tar Workforce Development Board, businesses and industries, the Vance County Department of Social Services and VGCC, were also present.
The recipients included Tina Burwell, Elizabeth Burke, Estelle Cheek, Deborah Kearney, Terrie Robinson, Jennifer Singley, Jacqueline Nelson, Heather Parrish, Geoshana Wimbush, Matthew Talley, Jennifer West, Tangelia Fields and Jessica Williamson, all of Henderson; Lamonte Brown, Jason Reed, Davondria Johnson, Larel Dudley, Brittany Kearney, Mia Blakey, Patrick Davis, Erica Lumley and Deborah Scott, all of Kittrell; Cherita Edmonds of Oxford; Jannie Jordan of Raleigh; and Eleisha Morris of Rougemont.
VGCC Human Resources Development coordinator Kyle Burwell introduced guest speaker Pamela Gobel, director of Career Readiness Certification for the North Carolina Community College System. Gobel explained that the CRC is a fairly new initiative that the state joined in order to demonstrate to businesses that North Carolina has a highly skilled workforce. She congratulated the recipients, saying, “Each one of you has become part of economic development for this area, in addition to achieving a wonderful personal accomplishment.”
Career Readiness Certificates can be used as a complement to diplomas, degrees, and resumes, giving job seekers an advantage in the interview process and giving businesses a way to recognize skilled applicants. The CRC is based upon WorkKeys, a nationally recognized, skills assessment tool developed by ACT Inc. Holding a CRC confirms to an employer that a job applicant possesses basic workplace skills in Reading for Information, Applied Mathematics, and Locating Information. As the ACT and SAT are considered college entrance exams, earning a CRC has been likened to a “workplace entrance exam,” according to Gobel. Many businesses are now using a CRC as a factor in hiring or promotion decisions. Among the area companies that accept the certificates are IAMS, Novozymes and Revlon. Gobel encouraged the new CRC recipients to take their certificates with them to job interviews. Each one is signed by Gov. Mike Easley and describes the criteria upon which the CRC is awarded. The North Carolina certificate is also part of a National Career Readiness Certificate system, so the credential can be recognized in other states.
For more information on how to earn a Career Readiness Certificate, contact Kyle Burwell at (252) 738-3276 or CRC coordinator Audrey Brown at (252) 738-3436. For more information about CRC’s in North Carolina, visit http://www.crcnc.com/.
Above: From left, front row, North Carolina Community College System director of Career Readiness Certification Pam Gobel, with recipients Jennifer West of Henderson, Cherita Edmonds of Oxford and Elizabeth Burke of Henderson, and VGCC HRD coordinator Kyle Burwell; from left, back row, VGCC CRC coordinator Audrey Brown with recipients Matthew Talley, Tina Burwell and Deborah Kearney, all of Henderson. (VGCC photo)
