Source:  Press Release, 4/1/11

Gov. Bev Perdue launched a state-wide jobs tour this week, re-emphasizing her top priority of creating jobs and re-invigorating North Carolina’s economy.

Gov. Perdue kicked off the tour at a town hall meeting in Kinston on Monday where she stressed that improving education is a key part of fostering job growth.

“It was important for me to get out and listen to people,” Gov. Perdue said. “I really have laid down the gauntlet across North Carolina. The emphasis in this state must be on two things: jobs and education.”
Gov. Perdue called on the General Assembly to focus on jobs and education, while pushing other agendas aside.

“Save the miscellaneous for the end of session. Now is the time to focus on jobs and education, and to support those two priorities in the budget,” said Gov. Perdue. “These aren’t only my priorities; they are North Carolina’s priorities, and only by keeping them at the center of our efforts will we keep North Carolina moving forward.”

In Kinston on Monday, Gov. Perdue took a variety of questions and told a packed auditorium at the Kinston Visitor’s Center about her visit earlier that day to West Pharmaceuticals in Kinston. The company manufactures pharmaceutical products, such as the stoppers used for drug bottles.

Gov. Perdue asked company officials about jobs and education. Their answer was immediate and unwavering: without access to workers trained at the local community college, West would struggle to find qualified employees.

As Gov. Perdue said at the town hall meeting, the ticket to a prosperous economy lies in an educated, well-trained workforce.

In Brunswick County on Tuesday, Gov. Perdue visited Twin Precision Manufacturing, which moved from New York to set up shop in North Carolina in 2008 because of the state’s favorable business climate. The company manufactures equipment such as landing gear for military and commercial aircraft. Twin Precision officials told Gov. Perdue that job training available at the local community college was key to their success.

Gov. Perdue then visited Brunswick County Community College’s Workforce Training Center, which offers job training customized to the needs of regional companies.

On Thursday, Gov. Perdue told an audience of educators at the North Carolina Association of School Administrators that her Career and College Promise initiative aims to ensure that students can see a clear path to success. The program, part of Gov. Perdue’s Ready, Set, Go! agenda, allows students to finish high school and two years of community college for free.

She challenged a group of principals Thursday to remember that they have a responsibility to ensure North Carolina’s students of today grow into a competitive workforce for tomorrow.

“That’s the challenge for you, the education leaders of our state, you hold our economic destiny in your hands,” Gov. Perdue said.

Gov. Perdue’s jobs tour continues next week with jobs announcements, site visits and a town hall meeting.