Northwest Georgia's Auto Alley Work Ready Region received a "Go for The Gold" certificate today for partnerships with area technical colleges that successfully closed the skills gap between available workers and the needs of potential automotive industry employers.

Patty Hart of Georgia Northwestern Technical College and EVCO Plastics in Calhoun are also among the Work Ready Award winners announced today by Gov. Sonny Perdue.

Auto Alley consists of 13 counties: Floyd, Dade, Walker, Catoosa, Chattooga, Gordon, Pickens, Bartow, Cherokee, Polk, Paulding, Haralson and Carroll. It began in 2008 after the concept received a $500,000 grant from the state.

Each year, the Work Ready awards recognize administrators in Georgia’s technical college system. Hart was cited for helping others understand the value of the Georgia Work Ready program, and making sure they have access to assessments and skills gap training so they are ready for employment.

Hart is an instructor of economic development programs for the Walker County campus of GNTC. She organizes and submits Work Ready paperwork and maintains the assessment schedule for GNTC, allowing job seekers to quickly find the information they need.

Hart and Tim Hart are the job profiling team at GNTC, which was an honorable mention for Team of the Year, according to the college.

Several Georgia employers were also recognized for their use of Work Ready to profile jobs, make hiring decisions and develop ongoing workforce development programs. EVCO Plastics was named a Work Ready Business of the Year for working with GNTC to create job profiles for key positions, assessing 90 percent of its workforce and implementing new training programs.

Communities that achieved Certified Work Ready Status in the past year also were honored. They included Bartow, Catoosa and Chattooga counties.

“Work Ready is helping make our state a top destination for jobs and investment,” said Perdue. “Through the Work Ready program, communities around Georgia have rallied together and committed to developing the talented workforce that business demands and the educational infrastructure to drive sustained economic growth and prosperity.”