The Town of Mooresville Fleet Department recently entered a partnership with the NCWorks Career Center in Mooresville for hiring new staff using the Center’s On-the-Job Training (OJT) services. Initial outreach by the Town of Mooresville was made by HR Generalist Violet Carter during the COVID-19 lockdown in the summer of 2020. This began a series of meetings between the Mooresville staff and Jens Schmidt, NCWorks Career Center-Mooresville Center Leader. They discussed services offered through NCWorks in detail and how to implement them in the structure of the Town of Mooresville. Many managers from different departments of the Town’s administration were involved in process.
OTJ Training Begins
In February 2021, Julio Malatesta started the first OJT at the Mooresville as a Mechanic Assistant. Julio was very motivated, got into the job quickly and successfully finished the training. His supervisors were very pleased with Julio’s progress and with the ease of the Centralina Workforce Development Board (WDB)-funded OJT administrative services. Robert Wayne and Brian Overcash, Mooresville Project Managers, had nothing but praise to report about the new employee and OJT program. “It was a perfect fit for us, as the position is a new one, created to be a springboard; like a paid internship, to give unskilled workers an opportunity to learn about the mechanics of the job,” said Wayne. The entire leadership within the mechanics department was involved and excited about this new hiring initiative.
In July 2021, the next two OJT candidates, Damiene Turner and Matthew Kelly, started at the Sanitation Department and recently completed their OJT. Their supervisors were pleased with the experience and look forward to more OJT opportunities in the future.
New Opportunities for Youth
Violet Carter also met with Centralina WDB NextGen Services Leader Monica Gramling and the Parks & Recreation staff. They discussed how to build a partnership that would assist the youth and young adults in Mooresville. Centralina WDB NextGen services are currently utilizing the Winnie Hooper Center in Mooresville as an Opportunity Site providing NextGen services onsite once a month. The Parks & Recreation department developed two job descriptions, Facility Maintenance Trainee and Recreation Aid Trainee that are catered for NextGen customers for either for OJT or work experience.
Violet Carter was so pleased with the outstanding customer service from the NCWorks Career Center-Mooresville that she enthusiastically requested to speak during the “mission moment” portion of the Centralina WDB meeting on October 19 to share her excitement in working with the NCWorks Career Center-Mooresville staff. As a result of the new partnership, an NCWorks information display is now placed in the foyer of the Mooresville town hall, a designated area where residents go to pay their monthly utilities and where the public will be able get information about the NCWorks Career Center services in Mooresville.
About Centralina WDB
For more information about the Centralina Workforce Development Board and the NCWorks Career Careers, please visit https://centralinaworks.com/. You can also download the free Centralina WDB mobile app – available on at the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store – to keep up with all the local workforce services and events happening around the region.
