Wichita Falls Chamber Earns Renewal Grant for Work Readiness Certificate Program

Sept. 11, 2012 - PRLog -- (WICHITA FALLS) September 7, 2012 -- The Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce and Industry once again received the Wagner-Peyser grant from the Texas Workforce Commission for its Work Hard-Work Smart program.  Work Hard – Work Smart is a collaboration between the Chamber, area school districts, Vernon College, Wichita County and Workforce Solutions North Texas.  The focus of this program is to promote the ACT WorkKey’s National Career Readiness Certificate as a tool to match skilled workers to local jobs.  

The $195,870 grant received the recommendation of the Texas Governor’s office and is distributed and managed by the Texas Workforce Commission.  The Work Hard–Work Smart program is administered by the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce and Industry and is supported by the NORTEX Regional Planning Commission, which serves as fiscal agent.

Highlights of the first Wagner-Peyser grant include:  
•   more than 1,400 Wichita County residents possessing one of the four levels of the National Career Readiness Certificate
•   more than 100 area businesses recommending or considering the certificate during the application and interviewing process
•   integration within the services of Workforce Solutions North Texas and Vernon College
•   a very successful job fair a Sikes Senter Mall last spring

“Our goal during this next grant cycle will be to connect more certificates to existing jobs.  We will still be assessing high school seniors, the unemployed and the underemployed, yet we will be contacting each certificate holder to connect them to jobs that are open right now.  Our Chamber member employers and other area businesses are seeking skilled people right now,” said Michael Paris, Vice President for Workforce Development at the Chamber.  “We want to use the certificate to connect the right skills to specific jobs.”

Work Hard – Work Smart is part of the Wichita Falls Chamber’s strategic effort to stimulate the regional economy, make our local employers more successful, and get the unemployed and under-employed back to work.

Anyone wanting to receive their National Career Readiness Certificate to display your skills set to future employers can do so by contacting the Work Hard-Work Smart office today.

Please contact Work Hard-Work Smart for more information at 940-766-5601 or at workhardworksmart.net.


Work Hard-Work Smart is dedicated to helping Wichita County and North Texas become the first work-ready region in Texas. For more information, call (940)-766-5601 or visit www.workhardworksmart.net.