Thanks to the hard work of personnel from several counties, Bainbridge College Early County Site (BCEC) holds the distinction as Early County’s first business to be certified WORK READY. This achievement came when the full-time faculty and staff, who are from Bainbridge, Blakely, Bluffton, Colquitt, Damascus and Iron City, took three WorkKeys Assessments developed by ACT Inc., internationally recognized assessment and research company. ACT is best known for the ACT® test that helps students transition into college.

BCEC personnel Work Ready certified are Pat Browers, Claude Bell, Nina Causey, Jeff Chandler, Herman Cochran, Natasha Hudson, Sonja Johns, Mark Kelly, Matthew Rub, Frederick Shorter and Teresa Teal, all of Blakely; Sandy Rogers of Bluffton; Lori Haddock of Damascus, Misty Joiner of Edison; Michelle Barsom, Terri Craft, Jerry Miller, Emily Mills, Nicole Roberts, Joan Simpson, Pam Smith and Renee Spence, all of Colquitt; Lucinda Baldwin, Dothan, AL; Rachelle Andreu of Iron City, and John McRae ofBainbridge.

The college challenges other Early County offices and businesses to become Work Ready Certified. Details are atwww.gaworkready.org or those interested in the program may call BCEC at 229-724-2106 to reserve a time for testing.

“The testing process gave our full-time faculty and staff a new confidence and sense of pride,” said BCEC Director and Work Ready Team Leader Joan Simpson, who was the first to take the tests. She added that they want to help Early County achieve the title of Certified Work Ready Community.

She encouraged her staff and faculty to take the tests to demonstrate what she believed to be true – the BCEC full-time faculty and staff represent a very capable workforce. She was very pleased with the testing outcome. Although faculty and staff performed very well in the testing, each individual wanted to work to improve personal scores and retest in the future, she said.

WorkKeys Asessments test an individual’s aptitude for applied math, locating information and reading for information – skills deemed necessary to succeed in the workforce.

Since 2007 the college has been administering Georgia Work Ready assessments as part of the Work Ready certificate program that aims to have every person in the workforce Work Ready Certified. The program uses the test results to award certificates in four categories, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum.

Many BC students have taken WorkKeys Assessments and received certificates for their efforts. The Early County Class of 2009 was tested and high school seniors who received a Bronze Certificate or higher were presented a pin and certificate on Awards Night.