PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wisconsin - The National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) and the National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3) announced a partnership that will further their common mission to connect a knowledgeable and skilled workforce with the needs of business and industry. NAWB and NC3 believe that through this collaboration the workforce development boards and industry can meet their respective objectives. The partnership between NAWB-NC3 will:

1. Facilitate building awareness and strong relationships between the industry sectors represented by NC3 and the workforce development boards.
2. Collaborate on building awareness and utilization of NC3 training and certification programs aligned with industry workforce needs that enable workforce development boards to reach a broad cross section of clients.
3. Engage in sharing information and best practices that promote strong partnerships and economic growth.

"NAWB is committed to the advancement of our nation's workforce," said NAWB CEO Ron Painter. "Closing the skills gap requires partnerships between industry and workforce boards. We know how critical it is for workforce development boards to have the information, support and engagement of industry if they are to address both individual and local economic needs. This partnership with NC3 will help the workforce development system meet the evolving needs of the transportation, aviation, manufacturing, construction trades, and energy industry sectors."

"NC3 looks forward to working with the national network of workforce boards across the country to deliver world-class industry developed training and certifications that match the exact needs of employers for the jobs of today and tomorrow", stated Roger Tadajewski, CEO of NC3. "This will be accomplished through our national network of educational partners deploying the robust suite of NC3 industry-driven certifications reaching every community in America while also identifying and developing new certifications for emerging technologies."