NATCHEZ — Adams County has become the first county in Mississippi to be certified a Work Ready Community.

The American Council on Testing officially certified the community on Saturday.

The certification is a positive step for the future of the region Alcorn State University’s Special Assistant to the President for Community and Economic Development Ruth Nichols said.

“As a certified work ready region, the Miss-Lou will not only shine, but at times outshine communities that are in competition with us for new companies, new population growth and all the positive things that prospering communities can attract,” Nichols said.

Nichols and other community leaders in Adams County and Concordia Parish have been working for a year to become certified as a Work Ready Community.

Work Ready Certified Community status helps employees know what their strengths and weaknesses are, and helps employers better place new hires based on what they can demonstrably do. The status is also something industrial prospects consider when evaluating the area.

ACT Work Ready certifications come in four levels, platinum, gold, silver and bronze.

The ACT Work Ready Communities website shows that of the 384 certificates given in Adams County, 115 were rated as bronze, 224 as silver, 24 gold and none were rated as platinum.

The certifications rate how well examinees demonstrate foundational skills associated with jobs in the ACT job database. Bronze recipients demonstrate skills associated with 16-percent of the jobs, silver recipients with 67-percent of the jobs, gold recipients with 93-percent of the jobs and platinum recipients with 99-percent of the jobs in the ACT job database.

Nichols said that Concordia Parish is very close to meeting their goals for certification. Nichols hopes the parish will meet their goals in a couple months, and when they do, the Miss-Lou will be the first certified Work Ready Region that will include workers in two adjacent states.

The ACT website shows that Adams County is joining 140 certified counties in the nation.

Nichols said that even though it is exciting to be the first county in the state to earn certification, she is even more excited for the future of the community.

“The ongoing effort will strengthen one of our most critical economic and community infrastructures — our workforce,” Nichols said. “Out of my whole career this is the community driven initiative that has the strongest and most promising potential to encourage the growth of stronger communities and more productive and successful citizens and families.”

“When the workforce improves, everything improves,” Nichols said.