VENTURA, CALIF.—The Workforce Investment Board of Ventura County (WIB) is seeking nominations for its 2011 Annual WIB Awards. The selected winners will have shown exemplary commitment to advancing workforce development in Ventura County. The nomination deadline is March 25. Winners will be announced at the WIB Annual Meeting, June 23, at United Food and Commercial Workers (816 Camarillo Springs Road, Camarillo).

"Job creation is critical for a healthy economy," says Steve Kinney, president, Economic Development Corporation of Oxnard and WIB chair. "We are fortunate in Ventura County to have individuals and companies helping to attract and create jobs, train workers to support the changing needs of employers and solve workforce challenges. We want to recognize and congratulate these individuals and companies. They are the 'doers' in our county that are making a difference and are playing an important role in improving our job market and business climate."

An individual, employer, organization or partnership may be nominated or self-nominated in one or more categories:

WIB Youth Opportunity Award - for efforts made to provide employment opportunities for youth to gain work experience so they can become valuable contributors in our county's future workforce.

WIB Collaborative Action Award – for a partnership that helps meet employer needs and/or improve the relevance and capacity of education and workforce training in Ventura County.

WIB Champion for Growth Award - an active supporter of workforce development in Ventura County through job creation and retention, or by attracting new businesses or industries to our community.

WIB Leadership Award - for efforts that embody the spirit and purpose of workforce development in Ventura County; a role model who takes on and solves workforce challenges.

WIB Award recipients in 2010 were Pat Carman, general manager, Dollar Tree store in Simi Valley, Carol Frash, human resource specialist, Naval Base Ventura County, Kay Faulconer Boger, retired dean, Ventura College, John Bibby, president/CEO, St. John's Pleasant Valley, Diany Klein, vice president, human resources, Community Memorial Health System, Michelle Reynolds, recruitment administrator, Ventura County Health Care Agency and Sandra Werner, director of human resources, Simi Valley Hospital.

A nomination form is available on the WIB website: www.wib.ventura.org