NCCBI News
Workforce
Summit Develops Ideas for a New Economy
 Gordon
Myers (left), the outgoing NCCBI chair who also heads the North
Carolina Economic Development Board, released a detailed list of
recommendations on improving the workforce and economy of North
Carolina during a statewide Workforce Development Summit in Greensboro
on March 1.
The recommendations were the product of two days of sessions, during
which the state’s leading economic developers, educators and private
industry representatives met with the governor, lieutenant governor,
commerce secretary, members of the General Assembly and others to
discuss workforce issues.
“North Carolina is
already ahead of the curve in workforce development in many ways,”
Myers said. “We have tremendous resources already — great people,
great employers, and among the finest community college and university
systems in the nation. Now is the time to bring all the pieces
together under the banner of prosperity for all of North Carolina. I
believe our summit’s recommendations provide actionable, realistic
tactics to make this goal a reality.”
Here are the recommendations:
Improve School Curriculum:
Encourage work ethic, character, and other “soft-skills.” Enhance
career opportunity training in middle and high schools through
additional training and certification for teachers and counselors.
Increase Participation:
Facilitate business participation in determining education curriculum.
Coordinate, at the cabinet level, curriculum in the K-12, community
college, and university systems.
Sharpen Focus: Emphasize
retention of existing businesses.
Enhance Marketing: Better
market existing one-stop employment services, through a statewide
marketing program and enhanced web portal.
Improve Administration:
Review the best practices for delivering workforce training,
unemployment insurance, business climate, and economic development
among competing states, and establish performance benchmarks for North
Carolina. Consolidate workforce training programs within the state
government for the purpose of coordinating efforts, establishing a
common vision, and strengthening the one-stop system.
Leading up to the summit, seven regional workshops were held across
the state to capture the input of local communities and employers.
Issues raised during the regional workshops were tackled head-on by
summit participants in a number of work sessions and round table
discussions.
“Our community college system has long played a vital role in
workforce development, so we were pleased that representatives from
nearly 30 of our community colleges participated and provided
substantial leadership and guidance,” said Myers at the summit’s
conclusion. “Our recommendations take into account the diversity of
North Carolina’s workers and their needs, as well as what we have
learned about the current state of North Carolina’s economic base
and our projections for the future. We believe putting these
recommendations into action will save jobs in North Carolina by giving
our existing employers a competitive edge in workforce development, as
well as create new jobs by attracting new companies to our state
through workforce development.”
Legislative Conference: Even as the NCCBI staff was occupied with
final details for the Annual Meeting, the biggest event of the year
for the association, work also was taking place on the next item on
the calendar — the annual Legislative Conference. The event is
widely anticipated as the official kickoff of each year’s session of
the General Assembly because it’s when the business community
officially discloses its legislative priorities for the year.
This year’s Legislative Conference will be on May 30 at the North
Raleigh Hilton. The event will begin with a continental breakfast at
8:30 a.m. and concludes after a 1 p.m. luncheon.
The evening before the conference, NCCBI will hold the Legislative
Reception at the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena from 6 to 7:30
p.m. The reception usually is attended by several hundred members plus
a majority of legislators. Please watch your mail for updates and
registration materials on the Legislative Conference.
Council of Associations: The initial meeting of the NCCBI Council of
Associations was held on Feb. 11 at NCCBI with approximately 45
association executives in attendance. The group was formed to promote
communication and idea-sharing among the dozens of business
associations that are members of NCCBI.
Leslie Bevacqua, vice president of governmental affairs, discussed the
recent session of the legislature and asked for help in getting a
constitutional amendment to limit the length of legislative sessions
passed. A panel composed of Sondra Davis of the Governor’s Office,
Norma Mills of the Senate President Pro Tem’s office, and Meredith
Norris of the Speaker of the House’s office discussed the
appointment to boards and commissions process in their respective
offices.
The council is open to executives of all statewide trade associations
that are members of NCCBI. The group will meet three times a year to
discuss issues of interest to association executives. Wyche will staff
the group.
Staff Retreat: The NCCBI staff is extremely grateful to a number of
our executive committee and board members for making it possible to
have our first-ever staff retreat outside Raleigh on Feb. 26-28. Steve
Miller of the Biltmore Estate provided free lodging at the new Inn on
Biltmore in Asheville. David Huskins asked Craig Madison to feed the
NCCBI staff one evening at the Grove Park Inn and he responded with a
spectacular five-course meal in a private room at Horizons Restaurant.
Tom Bradshaw paid for our breakfasts, Mac Everett for lunch, John
Forlines for the breaks, and Bob Grecyzn was responsible for a great
dinner in the champagne cellar of the Biltmore Winery’s Bistro
Restaurant. The staff held extensive discussions on all aspects of our
operation and developed a better understanding of what each staff
person does. During the retreat, incoming chair Jim Hyler of First
Citizens Bank in Raleigh dropped by for a visit, as did Miller and
Huskins.
Membership News: New members from Feb. 1, 2002 through Feb. 28, 2002
include: Advisory Group, LLC, Raleigh; Alston & Bird, Raleigh;
Barker & Lovette, Raleigh; Contract Office Furnishings,
Winston-Salem; Cornerstone Bank, Wilson; Creative Services Inc., High
Point; D.R. Reynolds Co., Inc., Star; Duplin County Board of
Education, Kenansville; Egolf Motors Inc., Hendersonville; Johnson
Controls Inc., Charlotte; LS3P Associates, Ltd., Charlotte; Mechanics
and Farmers Bank, Durham; N.C. State Education Assistance Authority,
RTP; Office of Norman H. Berry, Newton; Paxton Van Lines of North
Carolina Inc., Burlington; Porvair Fuel Cell Technology,
Hendersonville; Reidsville Chamber of Commerce, Reidsville; Robinson
Lumber Co., Lenoir; Sampson County EDC, Clinton; The Wilson Daily
Times, Wilson; United States Tobacco Co., Mooresville; Wayne Memorial
Hospital, Goldsboro; Wilkinson Hi-Rise, Raleigh; and Winding River
Plantation, Southport.
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