Nomination Criteria
View Past Award Winners
Each year, Southern Growth Policies Board honors initiatives that are improving the economy and quality of life in the South. The 2012 Innovator Awards were chosen from initiatives that successfully prepare Southerners to meet the workforce needs of a globally competitive business sector. Winners showcased their programs to leaders through 3 webinars that led up to Southern Growth Policies Board’s 2012 Chairman’s Conference that was held on June 25-26, 2012 in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The 2012 Innovator Award winners are
as follows:
ALABAMA
SAWDC is an industry-led initiative that pulls together more than 115 regional companies to develop and staff the “Worlds” that students visit.
ARKANSAS
Arkansas Rural Nursing Education Consortium provides next steps on the career ladder for Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses, developing a program appropriate for working students, using local resources for clinical experiences, utilizing technology to maximize resources, and keeping expenses manageable by sharing one program director.
GEORGIA
Central Educational Center, Inc. links local businesses, the Coweta County School System, and West Georgia Technical College in a public, non-profit charter college and career academy to “ensure a viable 21st century workforce.”
KENTUCKY
Work Ready Community is a certification program that builds on the concept of certified employability at the individual level—as indicated by a person’s attainment of diplomas, degrees, certificates, or other credentials.
LOUISIANA
The Cyber Innovation Center (CIC)’s National Integrated Cyber Education Research Center (NICERC) serves as a catalyst for the development and expansion of dynamic and innovative educational programs that benefit K-12 schools, community colleges, and universities.
MISSISSIPPI
Enhancing On-the-Job Problem Solving Program is a coalition led by Mississippi State University and supported by Holmes Community College and Nissan that provides critical skills training to employees through industry and diagnostics, problem-solving methodologies, and teaming topics.
MISSOURI
JumpstartSM provides education, mentoring, and training certification to a new network of nearly 150 economic and community development organizations throughout the delta region.
NORTH CAROLINA
Joining Our Businesses and Schools (JOBS) Commission is a bipartisan group of 20 leaders representing business, education and government studied economic development and workforce preparation issues that foster alignment and collaboration between schools, community colleges, universities and the private sector.
OKLAHOMA
OKJobMatch.com is a comprehensive workforce portal including a longitudinal workforce and education data base system that provides real time labor force intelligence for education, employment and economic development strategic planning.
SOUTH CAROLINA
NuHub is a collaboration of public, private, higher education and workforce stakeholders working to maximize economic and job creation opportunities for the nuclear industry in the Midstate region of South Carolina.
TENNESSEE
REDI College Access Program works to increase educational attainment levels, improve workforce skill levels, and create jobs.
VIRGINIA
CREATES provides a regional career pathways system in the energy-efficient building/retrofitting and renewable energy industries.
WEST VIRGINIA
WV Millitary Connection allows returning troops, active military and veterans have access to a single, comprehensive list of resources at a website designed specifically for them.
For more information, contact Scott Doron at sdoron@southern.org or 919-941-5145
