Darke County Economic Development...
Workforce Development Center Groundbreaking Ceremony
From the DCED June Newsletter 

Workforce development is P4P’s number one priority for 2012 and will likely remain the top priority for years to come.  The need seems obvious for many reasons as hundreds of thousands of well-paid manufacturing positions in this country go unfilled due to a lack of skills in the labor force.  This is truly a time where a highly skilled workforce and a highly adaptable and flexible local training effort can literally spell the difference between keeping the business a region has...or not.  At stake for most areas...thousands of jobs and millions in capital investment. 

These facts are eye-opening enough but something else truly makes this effort Darke County’s main focus currently:  the effort is, by a wide margin, the issue that has caught the attention of local business the most during  P4P’s existence.  Local companies want to participate in this effort, want to work with the initiative long-term, and recognize the immediate need to have an impact on the area workforce.  Obviously, when our top employers respond in the manner that they have, it is a strong signal that we’re on the right path. 

The recent symbolic groundbreaking ceremony to launch this campaign publicly and found the Darke County Workforce Center at the Greenville CTEC was a huge success.  From Columbus through Dayton to our own legislators, participation was strong in this event and the coverage was region wide. Thanks to everyone involved and to the Greenville School District...and to the many advisors that helped get the program to where it is currently....for all of the input and time spent launching this effort. We have only just begun.... 

Special thanks to The Daily Advocate for a video of the event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64KIoIN6XGU 

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mnealeigh@darkecounty.com