VENTURA, CALIF. -- The Ventura County Workforce Investment Board (WIB) announced the recipients of the 2008 WIB Awards at their June 12 annual meeting. The awards recognize individuals and organizations exhibiting exemplary dedication to advancing workforce development in Ventura County.

"Our award recipients work hard each day so others have the opportunity to succeed," says Alex Teague, Chairman of the Ventura County WIB. "They have touched the lives of hundreds of individuals who are seeking to better themselves. The awards are a way of saying thank you from the Ventura County community."

The following individuals were honored.

Collaborative Action - Erin Antrim, director of delinquency prevention for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme. Antrim has created strong links with the Oxnard School District, Ventura County Public Health, Probation Department, the Coalition to End Family Violence, the Palmer Drug Abuse Program and the Human Services Agency of Ventura County to create programs that support youth in high risk categories.

Lifelong Learning - Cindy Adams, owner of Denny's Electric and Home Services in Ventura. For the past three years, Adams' company has sponsored an electronics job-training program for employees who want to learn trade skills. Electronics apprentices from Santa Paula, Oxnard, Ventura and Fillmore have passed the State Electrical Certification program and have moved into high paying jobs in the electronics industry.

Champion for Job Growth - Archina Scott, job placement specialist/transition coordinator, Ventura Unified School District. Scott secures job training and placement of special needs and handicapped students during their junior and senior years of high school. Her efforts also open doors for life skills development that the youth will need to become successful members of the workforce.

Opportunity - Charles Weis, Ph.D., Ventura County Superintendent of Schools. Weis has been a proponent of career and technical education and a long-time advocate for programs and funding for local school districts and at the state level. He leads the Ventura County Regional P-16 Council, which addresses short- and long-term education and workforce development issues.

"This year’s WIB Award recipients are champions of support for people who might otherwise see only limits in their future," says Cheryl Moore, Executive Director of the Ventura County WIB. "They are advocates and role models for the development of a strong workforce pipeline in Ventura County."

About the Workforce Investment Board
The Ventura County Workforce Investment Board (WIB) oversees the distribution of federal funds for workforce development in Ventura County. Through partnerships with contracted providers and the Ventura County Job and Career Centers, the WIB supports programs that prepare youth and adults for current and future jobs and provides employee recruitment, customized training and business consulting services to local employers. Job and Career Center services are provided at no cost to job seekers and employers.