Charlotte Works appoints Anna London Chief Operating Officer
Anna London, workforce champion and advocate for individuals in need, has been named Chief Operating Officer for Charlotte Works effective immediately. The role was previously held by new CEO and President, Danielle Frazier.

 “I am continually energized by the productive collaboration Charlotte Works has with our community, industry, education and economic development partners,” London says. “We work tirelessly to ensure our region has a highly skilled workforce that meets employers’ needs and provides local job seekers with rewarding opportunities where they and their families thrive.”

Tight labor market demands atypical hiring strategies
The national unemployment rate is at an  historic low  indicating a booming economy and ample employment opportunities. For those seeking a job, this is great news. Unfortunately for employers, low unemployment translates into a tight labor market making it increasingly difficult to find and hire workers for their open positions.

According to the  2018 Employer Needs Study  published by the North Carolina Department of Commerce, 50 percent of employers had difficulty filling at least one position they were hiring for in the past year.

Veterans, Family, and Friends Career Expo nets multiple interviews and job offers
Charlotte Works’ NCWorks career centers, in partnership with N.C. Department of Commerce’s Veterans Services, hosted its biannual Veterans, Family and Friends Career Expo on Nov. 16, at Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont’s Opportunity Campus and featured a special hour exclusively for veterans and family.
 
Participating employers included Atrium Health, Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), Duke Energy, H&R Block and more. Five community partner agencies were also in attendance highlighting their free training opportunities. A total of 142 job seekers participated in the event, with 54 identifying as veterans. Employers reported 116 potential offers or formal interviews are being set up as many job seekers received requests from multiple employers. 
MeckEd student Khamiah Alderman named 2018 Outstanding Teen
The average high school teens are worried about their immediate future, but Vance High School student Khamiah Alderman is looking down the road past college and medical school. Despite facing obstacles, Khamiah is working hard to achieve her dreams. 

From holding over a 4.0 GPA, volunteering at places like Promising Pages, to participating in school activities like Key Club and the National Honor Society, to doing internships, it’s easy to see why Alderman has been named the  2018 Outstanding Teen at this year’s Governor’s NCWORKS Awards of Distinction.

Alderman was nominated for the prestigious award by her  MeckEd career pathway advisor, Torrie Burgess.

Charlotte Works and partners win 2018 Governor’s NCWorks Award of Distinction for IT-focused Innovative Partnership
Charlotte Works along with Create IT Futures, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, and TEK Systems won the 2018 Governor’s NCWorks Award for Innovative Partnership for IT-Ready Charlotte.

IT-Ready Charlotte is an innovative partnership, building training and employment opportunities for North Carolinians. It grew out of a need to address the acute shortage of American workers in the tech industries as identified by CompTIA, TEKsystems, Google, and Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont. IT-Ready Charlotte offers a free eight-week course to students, to include a wide range of hardware and software skills training. The curriculum includes building a computer from parts to setting up and managing networks. Essential workplace skills are an added component to the training. Students learn workplace etiquette, communication, and customer service. All of these training skills offered are vital for securing employment. Upon completing the classroom training, all students have an opportunity to sit for the CompTIA A+ certification exam free of charge. This partnership has impacted the community profoundly by securing employment and providing employers with a trained workforce boosting the North Carolina economy. In October, IT-Ready Charlotte graduated it’s fourth cohort with about 20 students.