Moore Co. WDB Honors 3 Participants

By: Addison Penfield

6/12/2009

 

           

ASHEBORO—Three participants in programs conducted in Moore county under provisions of the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA)…two adults and one 18-year-old…have been recognized for excellence in pursuit of their employment goals. The recognition comes from the Pee Dee Region Workforce Development Board (WDB) which functions in three counties in coordination with Regional Consolidated Services (RCS) of Asheboro.

           

Sonia Ellerbe and Rosa Yearby were the adults honored and Valerie Smith, a senior at Union Pines High School in Carthage, received the youth award of excellence at a recent (Thursday, June 4) banquet at Day’s Inn in Southern Pines. Persons taking part in similar adult and youth programs in Montgomery and Richmond counties also were honored.

           

Ellerbe, who lives in Aberdeen, and Yearby, a resident of West Bend, were nominated for their awards by the Employment Security Commission and the Moore County JobLink Career Center. Smith was nominated by the Richmond County Support Center.

           

The single parent of three children, Ellerbe currently is a student at Sandhills Community College where she is majoring in Medical Office Administration. She will be the first member of her family to graduate from college. Ellerbe has been heard telling her children that “nothing is impossible.” Beset by personal and family-related problems, she credits the WIA program, ESC and JobLink with encouraging her not to give up.

           

Yearby is enrolled in the Culinary Technology Program under the WIA/Trade curriculum at Sandhills Community College. She is the mother of three with a son in the U-S Army. Her husband is disabled; she is solely responsible for caring for his needs. Her fondness for preparing family meals led her to seek an Associate of Applied Science degree at Sandhills and, with other students, to sometimes prepare meals for visitors to the campus.

           

Her high school diploma in tow, Valerie Smith has visions of owning and operating a beauty salon.

Accordingly, she expects to prepare for her venture at Sandhills Community College in the Business Management curriculum. Smith is a product of the WIA Building Futures Program where, under the supervision of the WIA staff, she met and exceeded her basic skills and goals.

           

The Workforce Development Program is administered in six Piedmont counties from offices  of Regional Consolidated Services in Asheboro. Linda Parker is director of both the three-county Pee Dee Region and the Regional Partnership Local Area which embraces Alamance, Orange and Randolph counties.

           

RCS is a private, non-profit human services agency, serving 11 counties all told. This year, the agency is celebrating the 30^th anniversary of its founding by Janice Scarborough of Asheboro, the executive director.