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3 6 1\ - i- THE ESC QUARTERLY VOLUME 26 NUMBER 1-2 North Carolina State Librgn Raleigh i. c- JpC. .*"'% ; -' J JSTATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CASWELL BUILDING EMPLOYMENT SERVICE EDITION CHAIRMAN'S COMMENTS Henry E. Kendall Chairman N. C. Employment Security Commission KENDALL During the 1930's, when the nation was recovering from the harsh austerity of the depression, proponents of a nationwide system of public, non fee-charging employ-ment services could hardly visualize the manpower problems that would confront the United States three decades later. Thirty years ago who could foresee billion-dollar expenditures for manpower development programs, and what politician could have predicted such sweeping social legislation as civil rights and equal opportunity laws? "Disadvantaged—hardcore—anti-poverty" are the ring-ing expletives of the '60's. It seems, looking back now at the turn of the decade, they have sprung at us at once! New departments such as Health, Education and Welfare, the Civil Rights Com-mission and the Office of Economic Opportunity have become principal federal agencies and have gained enormous regulatory powers. Supported primarily by private funds, the North Carolina Fund sought the solutions of unemployment and now another agency, the Manpower Development Cor-poration, attacks the problem through occupational training. Many State and national agencies attempt to improve the employment and living conditions of thou-sands of persons, and so do scores of local community action committees. As an affiliate of the Department of Labor, the U. S. Employment Service is delegated assignments and respon-sibilities within practically every Congressional manpower act. The states, through r,heir public employment offices or special representatives, implement their parts of the programs, and at no time in the 30 year history of the public employment system have the needs for its services been greater. At no time have the demands for our time and personnel been more intense. So, this issue of the ESC Quarterly can be called the Employment Service issue. Each office manager has submitted information about local activities to include in this magazine, the first time we've given this publication over almost entirely to one division of the Employment Security Commission. We are also pleased to include in this issue an article submitted by an official of the Veterans Administration Hospital in Salisbury about a new job referral plan for mental patients. Explaining that about 50 patients a month will be referred to Veterans Employment Repre-sentatives, Dr. Ralph Gardner, Coordinator of Counseling Psychology at Salisbury, believes that the cooperative venture between the hospital staff and the Veterans Employment Service will provide a major job placement service to patients who in the past have encountered extreme difficulty and employer rebuff. Employer "pre-judice and fej " reports Dr. Gardner, "is a pervasive fact of the job market; and this is quite an obstacle to their (patients) employment." TH E ESC QUARTERLY EMPLOYMENT SERVICE EDITION Volume 26, No. 1-2 Issued at Raleigh, N. C, by the EMPLOYMENT SECURITY COMMISSION OF NORTH CAROLINA Commissioners Billy Earl Andrews, Durham; Charles L. Hunley, Monroe; James W. Seabrook, Fayetteville; Henry E. Kendall, Raleigh; Harold F. Coffey, Lenoir; R. Dave Hall, Belmont; Samuel F. Teague, Raleigh. State Advisory Council Public representatives: James A. Bridger, Bladen-boro, Chairman: Sherwood Roberson, Roberson-ville; Mrs. W. Arthur Tripp, Greenville. Em-ployer representatives: Mrs. M. Edmund Aycock, Raleigh; Joseph D. Ross, Jr., Asheboro; Carroll V. Singleton, Henderson; and G. Maurice Hill, Drexel. Employee representatives: Melvin Ward, Spencer, AFL, and H. D. Lisk, Charlotte, CIO. HENRY E. KENDALL Chairman R. FULLER MARTIN Director Unemployment Insurance Division ALDEN P. HONEYCUTT Director State Employment Service Division H. E. (Ted) DAVIS Editor Public Information Officer Sent free upon request to responsible individuals, agencies, organizations and libraries Address: E.S.C. Information Service, P. 0. Box 589, Raleigh, N. C. The Employmer Security Commi sion administe, two major Stai programs — Ui employment h surance and th State Emplo, ment Service. Tl Employment Se vice provides e. pense free jc placement to a. plicants through 54 local offices of the Commissio Unemployment insurance covers approximate 1,600,000 workers in North Carolina, providing the with benefit payments in case of involuntary unei ployment. The Unemployment Insurance program supported by payroll taxes contributed by appro: mately 43,000 Tarheel employing companies, fin and corporations. The Commission has operated sin the mid '30's when it was established by the Genei Assembly as the Unemployment Compensation Cot mission. ESC QUARTERLY f Those who think of adult basic education in terms of a literacy pro-gram for the middle-aged and elderly can have a broadening experience by dropping in to visit the North Carolina State University Adult Learning Center. The center is the location of the NCSU Adult Learning Resources Project. This is a unique special experi-mental and demonstration project administered through the University's Department of Adult Education and funded by the U. S. Office of Educa-tion (USOE) under provisions of Section 309 of the Adult Education Act of 1966. The fast pace and variety of work, ranging from planning, writing and programming of lessons to individual-ized teaching—via the latest educa-tional media, including computers — illustrates graphically what Project Director Dr. J. B. Adair means when he says "adult education is a field in motion. "Our work here is part of a pattern designed to be on the cutting edge of a national effort to clear a path of progress toward meeting the socio-economic challenges of our modern technological society." Dr. Adair con-tinues. "Adult educators must help build a bridge to span the gulf.between undereducated Americans and the type of productive job employment that can make these millions of citi-zens self-reliant and less dependent on others." Dr. Edgar J. Boone, head of the University's Department of Adult Education and chief campus adminis-trator for the project said "the special project is not merely an extension but an integral part of the research and development program in the Depart-ment of Adult Education. It is a beacon signaling future developments, not only for our University efforts in adult education but for all the other many, varied programs concerned with education for American adults." Adult Education's general target population is some 100 million Ameri-cans, 18 years or older, who have failed to complete high school. Special focus for adult basic education pro-grams is on the more than 24 million people, who, according to the latest U. S. census, have less than an eighth grade education. Students in adult basic education classes cannot be described by statis-tics alone, however. Adulthood has to be measured in accord with the obliga-tions an individual is carrying, not by the number of years he has lived. If the person is self-supporting or the head of a family, he is considered an adult, whether he is 18 or 58. The student may be a high school drop-out, an unskilled worker, an immigrant, a migrant, a working mother or a non-working father. He is an individual who, because of social and economic circumstances, fails to possess even the basic skills he needs to help him lead a productive life. For this student, whose needs vary from culture to culture, city to city, the flatlands to the hill country and from one job opportunity to another, many different basic education pro-grams are being designed. The NCSU project is one of 10 special experimental and demonstra-tion projects initially funded by USOE. Primary goal of all the projects is to determine how to build the kind of bridge Dr. Adair described, in the quickest, most economical way. Each of the projects differ in organization and operation, however. The official USOE designation for the NCSU work is "Developmental and Demonstration Project in the Use of Modern Educational Technology for Instruction of Undereducated Adults." The shorter description, NCSU Adult Learning Resources Pro-ject, was coined by the project staff. Specific and unique objectives for Project Director Adair and the special-ists on his staff are identification, development, demonstration and eval-uation of innovative curriculum mater-ials that will enhance and accelerate learning for undereducated adults. Results are disseminated, through various training programs that reach not only students but teachers and administrators as well. Numerous ESC QUARTERLY Staff members Dr. Wallace Nave, Paul Kirby, Dr. Ron Sherron, Dr. J. B. Adair, Faye Humphries, Hazel Small and James Camp direct the adult education program. types of publications are prepared to provide information and records on project findings. Emphasis is placed on the use of electronic teaching media in the indivi-dualized teaching-learning situation. Individualized teaching, research has shown, is more important to adults than most learners. Some reasons include: (1) The undereducated adult student is not only academically handicapped but functionally handicapped, as well, in that he has yet to develop the pre-requisite skills and learning patterns necessary to complete the learning process; (2) He has already experi-enced repeated failures in the tradi-tional group learning pattern and has insufficient self confidence or motiva-tion to deal with that type of situation again and (3) His learning is a self-directed experience so he does not need to compete with others; competi-tion, in fact, leads to further embarass-ment and insecurity. Educational media in use at the project include an IBM 1500 Compu-ter Assisted Instructional System. Computer assisted instruction (CAI) programs are designed for individual-ized instructional purposes and demonstrate the unique role of the computer in the teaching-learning situation. Capabilities of CAI systems permit unlimited variations in teaching tech-niques. Drill and practice; tutor and teach; games, a fun type approach which results in "rewards" for accur-acy and simulation, which requires use of lesson objectives to deal with life experiences, are among CAI learning elements. An exciting new element is learner-controlled instruction, which allows the student to chart and pursue the path of knowledge he finds most challenging. Additional teaching media expand the project's capacity to offer and evaluate individualized teaching stra-tegies. These include the Victor Elec-trowriter, a remote electronic black-board; the Language Master, an aural-oral approach to reading and speech remediation; various programmed text-books for use in the center's learning laboratory, a process called Pro-grammed Instruction (PI) and video tape recorders. The project location at 733 West Hargett St., Raleigh, is within easy access of students. This was planned because, in general, adult learners like to stay near their home communities. They would also have difficulties with transportation if the center were at a distant location. The learning center facilities are arranged to allow students to take advantage of individual instruc-tion in both the learning laboratory and at CAI terminals. An instructor, usually a graduate student, is always nearby to answer questions or help in any way possible. Students who come to the center are volunteer learners. Any adult, age 18 or more, who wishes to improve his basic educational and social skills, is eligible to enroll. Study schedules are conveniently arranged from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. Each student is enrolled in a program designed to meet his personal needs and goals. Currently available self-directed and programmed instructional materials are in reading, computation (math), home and family life, consumer educa-tion and citizenship. Curriculum objec-tives are in keeping with the overall adult basic education goal and aimed at helping the student relate what he learns to his life situation. New instructional materials in present and other fields of study are being developed, adapted for pro-grammed or computer assisted instruc-tion and used, in research designs to test their effectiveness with adult learners. A project dimension called "out-reach" is an important component because this is how project activitie; and results are communicated to othe institutions, agencies and individual; involved in local, state and nationa private and tax-supported adult basi( education programs. "Outreach' includes training and other oral an< written communication. Dr. Wallace K. Nave, an NCSl faculty member who is one of nin< University Resource Specialists ii adult basic education in the nation, ii training coordinator for the project He is in charge of such activities a in-service institutes, seminars anc workshops for adult basic educatior teachers, teacher trainers and adminis trators. These are conducted on local state and regional basis. A nationa CAI workshop is being planned fo this summer. While these training efforts arc usually cooperative ventures wit! other groups, project staff member are requested to serve as consultant and participating lecturers. All facet of the project work are explained t( training institute participants an( tours of the center are held to demon strate the project results. Additional training is possible a several community colleges involved ii the Electrowriter program. Electronic sending and receiving units have beer or shortly will be installed, through ; special telephone line network, at th< following institutions: Central Pied-mont Community College, Fayettevillt Technical Instutute, Lenoir Countj Community College and W. W. Hold ing Technical Institute. One instructo at the center's master control systen can teach groups at all the location simultaneously. Teaching per se is not the only us the remote electronic system is put tc Conference planning sessions are als' conducted. Both visual and aural intei relation is involved. Dr. Nave demonstrates one of the teach-ing aides, a Victor Electro-writer, a "remote electronic blackboard." ESC QUARTERLY James (Jay) Camp is learning center ordinator. His work is directly solved with the instructional process the learning laboratory, as it con-rns both teachers and students. He is charge of recruitment, counseling d curriculum planning for each ident. He also relates project goals and from learning laboratory exper-ices. Like Dr. Nave, Camp helps relate e NCSU project work to that being me by other agencies involved with e adult basic education target popu-tion. These groups include the N. C. nployment Security Commission, apartment of Public Health, Depart-ent of Welfare, Department of Public struction, Department of Corn-unity Colleges and other agencies ch as local branches of the New areers program and Head Start. Identification and development of •propriate curriculum materials for e target population in the project ea is a task which requires attention om the whole staff. Curriculum ^ordinator, Mrs. Hazel Small, heads e effort. She has the assistance of a lected group of creative graduate Instructor Nadine Wheaton uses another modern training device to increase a student's reading pro-ficiency. In the left photo, Mi-chael Rogers and Paul Kirby place a program disc into the center's IBM computer. The Computer Assisted Instructional System per-mits unlimited variations in teach-ing techniques. Terminals of the system may be located at points outside the center. students seeking degrees in adult education and, when necessary, ser-vices of professional commercial consultants. Systems Programming Coordinator Paul Kirby is in charge of getting the curriculum materials "coded, on line, debugged" and a host of other activi-ties involved in getting a CAI program ready for use. Selected graduate and undergraduate students at the Univer-sity, as well as IBM systems specialists, are involved in this phase of the project work also, as coders, key-punchers and computer consultants. Research Coordinator Dr. Ronald H. Sherron heads efforts to evaluate both curriculum materials and instruc-tional strategies. This is a before and after process, applied to materials and strategies developed as part of project work and also to those adapted from other sources. Educators, potential students and others may arrange to visit the project by calling Dr. Adair at Raleigh tele-phone number 755-2810. Written inquiries should be addressed to 733 West Hargett St., Raleigh, N. C, 27603. Employment Law Revisions Introduced A bill containing major revisions to the State's unemployment insurance program was introduced before the General Assembly in March by Senator Frank N. Patterson, Jr., of Albemarle and Representative Perry Martin of Northampton County. Containing several amendments to the State's Employment Security Law, the bill would raise the maximum unemployment insurance benefit pay-ment from $42 to $50 a week, provide a lower tax schedule for liable employers, and make available for the first time unemployment insurance benefits to certain jobless workers enrolled in vocational training. Under the current law, a jobless worker loses his unemployment insur-ance entitlement if he becomes enrolled in vocational training. The amended law would permit the Em-ployment Security Commission to make payments to eligible workers if they enroll in Commission-approved vocational schools or training pro-grams to learn occupational skills. Many of these individuals lack job skills, and proponents of the bill believe this amendment would actually encourage the worker to attend voca-tional classes. They will be referred to job training for occupations which have reasonable employment oppor-tunities. Payments to trainees will not be charged to employers' unemployment insurance accounts. The new provision would also let the Employment Security Commission disqualify a claimant for 4-12 weeks of unemployment insurance payments if he refuses to take suitable and avail-able vocational training, or if he quits without good cause or is separated because of misconduct. The bill states that without this opportunity to pursue vocational training many claimants would remain in the ranks of the unemployed for many months or even years. The amount of unemployment insurance benefits an eligible worker may draw is determined by wages or salary earned in covered employment. Another revision contained in the bill would increase from $4200 to $4600 the earnings needed for a claimant to collect the maximum $50 weekly pay-ments. The increase is needed so payments can keep pace with the general trend of rising wages and living costs. (See AMENDMENTS, Page 53) ESC QUARTERLY Dr. Leo Jenkins, President of East Carolina University in Greenville, is a leading exponent of eastern Carolina industrial development. The following address was delivered before the annual convention of the International Association of Personnel in Employment Security. In it. Dr. Jenkins urges Tarheel easterners to exert regional pride and states conditions which he feels will unify the area in its search for economic growth. College Administrator Jenkins Calls For Unity In Rural East One could not ask for a more interesting and important topic than the one assigned to me—my proposals for improving living conditions in rural North Carolina. That is what East Carolina University is all about, for even though we are vitally concerned with urban problems, we realize that there will not be much significant progress in our cities unless the rural areas also have an opportunity to grow. The best way to improve con-ditions is to recognize problems and then try to discover solutions to these problems. Since the most predominately rural section of North Carolina is in the east, I should like to confine my remarks to this part of the state. One extremely serious problem confronting eastern North Carolina is its tremen-dously bad image not only among other areas in the state and the nation, but also within its own boundaries. Because of this very difficulty, it will be necessary for me to accompany a group of business and professional men to New York State next week for the purpose of trying to convince several hundred highly skilled people to move their families into the Greenville area. It is my understanding that they are reluctant to follow an industry here because of the uncom-plimentary information they have received regarding our secondary school system. An executive of ano-ther firm told me that our highly unfortunate medical care situation in the east causes many college trained employees to feel reluctant to accept transfers here. Others complain about lack of adequate recreation facilities and cultural opportunities as deter-rents to new industry. To be very frank about it, eastern North Carolina has all too often been referred to as Siberia. Before rural living can be improved, this negative image must be changed. We must take seriously this thing called "Regional Image." To bring about this change, we may begin by cataloging all of those things that are worthy, that are fine and progressive, and use this information to paint a new picture of the east. We must use all media of communications to reveal the tremen- ESC QUARTERLY dous resources that exist in this area. For instance, there is an overgrowth of timber in eastern North Carolina; but not enough data has been gathered to be of a sales benefit in attracting the furniture industry, the pulpwood industry, and the plywood industry in eastern North Carolina. Numerous illustrations could be given to show the extent to which our true potential is often hidden under a barrel; therefore, I would make my first proposal be that of a massive program of public information. Call it "Operation Image," if you will, but use all the media of communications to let the world know the real poten-tial of this area that we call rural North Carolina. A program that would spell out the fine qualities of our people—our great heritage, our resour-ces, our favorable economic location, and everything else that would go into the so-called infrastructure of a region must receive the benefits of our best talent. Other states have been able to do this. Other regions have been able to paint the good picture. That must be one of our most urgent tasks. My second proposal, and I should say that these are not particularly listed in order of importance other than the first one, would be that of developing our waterways so that we could attract the major water transpor-tation industries into rural North Carolina. These are, in the vast major-ity of cases, the highly sophisticated industries, such as chemicals, petro-chemicals, extractive industries, etc. Here, too, we can learn a lesson from other states and other regions. Long range planning in Washington and throughout the world, for that matter, calls for new ports to be built off the Continental Shelf of the United States where vessels having a draft of 100 feet or more could moor. This would ideally fit into our situation, in that industries located along our inland waterways could have access by barge to these ports. This development of our waterways is an entire field of study in itself and a very fascinating one—one that would, if successful, do much to improve living conditions in rural North Carolina. My next proposal would be that of taking this thing called tourism mor seriously by developing and rigorous! projecting to the rest of the world on many attractive areas. Success in th great business of tourism could resul in a substantial income factor in ou economy. It is a well established fac that, with the exception of Nei Hanover County, the coastal countie of North Carolina are the mos economically depressed. They are th places where the standard of living i lowest. Yet, it is these very countie that have the greatest potential for th development of tourism. The probler appears to be one of the absence of coordinated planning effort. Adequat facilities to attract tourists have no been built, and outside capital has no been attracted to this area. It is ou responsibility to help correct thi situation. It might well be suggested that Coastal Planning Commission be estah lished not only to plan but also to see financing and do cooperative advei tising. As one rides down Highway 11 for example, he should be bombarde with reminders of the beauty of th coast which is nearby. Our historic* sites should be developed an summer theatre programs should b multiplied. In this very city c Wilmington, for example, is the state oldest theatre—the beautiful plac called Thalian Hall. It should be a yet round attraction for people seekin good theatre. People on their wa north and south should be encourage to make this one of their places for visit. Another proposal is that of subst tuting regional pride for local pride. ) know it is important for us to love 01 crossroads, our neighborhood, 01 little community; but we must not 1< this love become a stumbling bloci We have done this all too often. It not to our advantage to have evei incorporated community try to t everything to all its citizens when th results in creating inadequate ar often grossly inferior facilities ar services. For example, every loc community cannot have an airport, large industry, a college, a museur and a hospital. It will often be bett for all when many of these thin :eive massive regional attention so it the resulting benefit can more »sely approach that which is excel-it. It would be well, for example, if •tain communities would assume ;cific tasks for the entire region, :h as building a regional airport or a ;ional cultural center. Allocating ious needed but expensive facilities different areas within a region could rmit the pooling of funds which, in n, may result in adequate facilities each instance. Mr. Sloan of General Motors is ;ged to have said several years ago, : we do anything wrong at General )tors, it is that we do not plan big Dugh." We must plan big in rural rth Carolina. My next proposal should be labeled csearch." As you know, phosphate > been discovered in the Beaufort unty region and lime has been covered in the Jones County area, ge chemical complexes should relop around these deposits. These coveries might well indicate the ssibility of other chemicals and nerals present beneath our surface, ich more exploration in the field of jlogy is needed. It is conceivable it there may exist large clay deposits eastern North Carolina which, in n, could present the potential for reloping this area into an important ck-producing area. This would do ich for lifting our economy. Further studies about underground ter resources would also be useful in racting water-using industries. This means that both the state and leral governments and private indus- ' should be encouraged to pump iss sums of money into mineral :earch in rural North Carolina. Another proposal might be called lilitary-Civilian Transition." Eastern >rth Carolina has approximately )00 military personnel being re-ised at its military bases annually, ese people are often highly trained electronics, computer operations, ichinists, and many other skills in art supply in eastern North Carolina d great demand by industry. Many these men have married local )men and are often desirous of rsuing a civilian career here. I realize that the Employment curity people are well aware of this :t and are assisting many of these in. It is reasonable to assume, how-er, that a well glamorized program ght well cause many more of these ople to stay here. And this, in itself, uld be used to attract new industry d thus create new jobs for our rural ople. The possibilities here for a ?ver promoter are quite real and ould be studied. My next proposal deals with high lool and grammar school drop-outs, lis, of course, contributes to the ;ious cycle of poverty and bad living nditions. Much of the instruction in our public schools, perhaps because of historical reasons, is college-oriented. The absence of the concentration on vocational orientation leaves the drop-out often totally unprepared to seek worthy employment. It seems reason-able to assume that if greater efforts were made toward vocational educa-tion programs some of these people may not end up in the drop-out group, but might well eventually leave the school system with marketable skills. Our technical institutes are beginning to make a dent in this problem. Perhaps more attention should be given toward a massive effort to decrease the drop-out problem in all of our school systems. JENKINS My next proposal is probably one of the most serious I have to make, and that is adequate medical care. I have been treated with scorn by people who should know better for merely telling the truth. It is readily apparent that the deplorable situation described by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his message to Congress in 1939 is still rampant in eastern North Carolina. Let me quote: "I have been concerned by the evidence of inequalities that exist among the states as to personnel and facilities for health services. There are equally serious inequalities of resour-ces, medical facilities, and services in different sections and among different economic groups. These inequalities create handicaps for the parts of our country and the groups of our people which most sorely need the benefits of modern medical science." A few statistics will tell you why we are not going to do much improv-ing until we take seriously the imbalances and the inadequacies of medical care that exist in rural North Carolina. I believe the time will soon come when our people will become so indignant about this that they will demand that which they should right-fully have now. Serious imbalances are found in comparing numbers of dentists, nurses, and allied health professionals in the east with those in the remainder of the state. An example of this regional imbalance is seen in the fact that in 1967 there were 208 active physical therapists in North Carolina; 16 of these were in the east as compared to 175 in the Piedmont. Any assessment of health man-power must include an assessment of educational resources to produce needed manpower. There is no institu-tion in the east to produce physician manpower. Of eight baccalaureate schools of nursing in the state, only one is located in the east—at East Carolina University. Two out of twenty-one diploma schools of nursing are found in the east. There are sixteen baccalaureate programs in medical technology in North Carolina, but only two are located in eastern North Carolina—at East Carolina University and at Wilmington College. North Carolina has two programs to train physical therapists—a Baccalaureate Degree Program at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a Master's Degree Program at Duke Uni-versity. These two schools can accept only 36 per cent of students who have applied for admission during the past three years. There is no program in North Carolina to produce occupa-tional therapists and only one program for medical record librarians. Throughout eastern North Carolina deficiencies are found in health facili-ties. Several of the more populous eastern counties have hospitals larger than 200 beds; most of the 23 counties with hospitals, however, con-tain a hospital facility smaller than 100 beds. The hospital bed/population ratio for the entire state is 1/273; in eastern North Carolina the hospital bed/population ratio is 1/414. Similar imbalances exist in numbers of nursing homes, extended care facilities, and community mental health centers. Sophisticated diagnostic facilities are extremely scarce in the east. This area fares poorly when compared to the rest of the state in facilities for cardiac monitoring, comprehensive medical laboratory tests, and equip-ment for doing complex diagnostic X-Ray studies. A reason for these deficiencies in diagnostic facilities is apparent when one examines the number of small hospitals serving only one county. Adequate staffing of these hospitals for routine services is ex-tremely difficult; financial support and staffing for complex, sophisticated diagnostic procedures is virtually impossible. When one realizes that rural eastern North Carolina is larger in population (See JENKINS, Page 52) ESC QUARTERLY ALDEN HONEYCUTT Director JOHN W. FLEMING Assistant Director EDSON BATES In Charge, Field Operations N. C. State Employment Service Local Office Operations North Carolina's Employment Security program is administered through the Employment Security Commission central office and a system of public employment offices whose chief function is to offer assistance to workers looking for jobs and to employers seeking workers. In North Carolina there are 54 full time offices strategically located across the State and part time offices serve 87 other widely scattered communities, with services available to every county. In addition, Smaller Communities mobile offices provide employment services in selected rural areas. At the end of 1968, six offices were opened in the Concentrated Employment program to provide comprehensive man-power services for disadvantaged workers. An out-of-state clearance system is also provided. Placing workers in suitable jobs, the State Employment offices offer many associated services. Employment counseling is given, general aptitude tests administered, jobs are analyzed and studies are made of labor supply and demand. The State also participates in nationwide special service programs for veterans and ex-servicemen, the under-22 age group, workers 45 years old and over and the long-term unemployed and disadvantaged groups. In 1968, the State Employment Service placed over 104,600 applicants in non-farm jobs and placed farm workers in over 441,600 farm jobs. A second basic function of the Employment Security offices is the taking of unemployment insurance claims when the unemployed worker seeks to establish his benefit rights. Such benefits are designed to tide the eligible claimant over temporary periods of unemployment. The year 1968 was characterized by a continuation of the business rise, declining unemployment, further tightening of the labor supply and more intensive efforts by local office personnel, through new programs, to reach and serve the disadvantaged worker. ESC QUARTERLY PHILLIP R.PENLAND Area Supervisor Asheville ESC Administrative Area JACK EDWARDS Asheville FRED RIDDLE Bryson City CHARLES ERWIN Hendersonville DAVID GRAY Marion NED LAFEVERS Morganton GRAHAM HENDRICK Murphy DAVIS NICHOLS Spruce Pine DEBRAYDA FISHER Waynesville ESC QUARTERLY MADISON-BUNCOMBE MAKES STRIDES The Asheville local office is the community manpower service center for approximately 160,000 residents of beautiful and historic Buncombe and Madison Counties. This is a geo-graphical area abounding with peaceful valleys, clear cool mountain streams and towering mountain ranges—all in breath-taking panorama. This mountainous area is traversed by the Blue Ridge Parkway, inter-sected by Interstate Highways T40 and T26 and ready access is provided by five federal highways. Transportation needs are met by the Southern Rail-road, three major airlines, 33 motor freight lines and bus services by four inter-state carriers. In years past tourism and agricul-ture were the main sources of income for this area. However, the develop-ment of excellent transportation facili-ties, ample sources of electric power and natural gas, abundant water resources and the availability of skilled, unskilled and trainable man-power, have all contributed to the steady economic and industrial growth and development of the Buncombe- Madison County area. Today, with a total work force of over 67,000 persons in the geo-graphical area, agricultural workers number only 3,100 to 5,000, depen-dent upon seasonal requirements. Manufacturing of durable goods, in-cluding electrical machinery and controls, instruments, plastics, furni-ture and lumber and wood products and others, utilize a work force of 7,400. Manufacturing of non-durable goods, including chemicals, textiles, apparel, food and other non-durable goods, utilize a work force of more than 13,900. The total non-manufacturing work force is over 63,000 and includes trade, services, construction and other non-manufacturing enterprises. There are 160 manufacturing firms in Buncombe County and Madison County, employing wage and salaried workers at an annual total wage of $98,000,000. Chief industries of city and surrounding territory include tourism, manufacturing, lumber, and tobacco. Principal manufactured pro-ducts of city and vicinity are blankets, cotton and yarn goods, flour and feed, electric organs, furniture, mica pro-ducts, packing products, printing and publishing products, instruments, cigarette papers, rayon and nylon yarn, cellophane, paper, electronic parts, molded plastics, paper apparel, machine items, food products, silicon, ASHEVILLE parachutes, baby foods, glass con-tainers, Cashmere sweaters, roller bearing and electrical machinery. In the socio-economic community of Buncombe and Madison County the Asheville Employment Security Com-mission has a long and enviable heri-tage. Opening in the early 1930's with a small staff, the office now has a trained staff of 22 employees. The organizational pattern consists of a manager, an assistant manager, Unit A (professional, managerial, clerical and sales), Unit B (construction, transpor-tation and services), Unit C (manufac-turing), facilitating and reception unit, youth services unit and the U. I. Division. Other functions represented in the office are employment coun-seling, testing, MDTA services, veterans employment representative and labor market analyst. Office space is also provided for the area supervisor, a claims deputy, a claims appeal deputy, a farm placement represen-tative, an auditor and a field represen-tative. To insure quality service a full staff meeting is conducted weekly to im-prove inter-office communications and to present program emphasis. Weekly meetings with supervisors and tech-nical staff are held to verify progress and assist in problem solving. Super-visors also conduct weekly Unit meetings in order to insure under-standing and cooperation of individual staff members. Optimum utilization of the staff is accomplished by having all personnel, insofar as practical, trained and utilized in second line duties which increases the effectiveness of the Employment Service and provides for uninterrupted services during the absence of the staff member respon-sible for a specific activity. Recognizing that the success of the Employment Service is directly related to the relations of the agency with employers, and the community as a whole, the Asheville local office has a strong employer relations program and considerable time is devoted to work with community, industrial, profes-sional and civic groups. Individual staff members are active participants in veterans' organizations, community action agencies, the Neighborhood Youth Corps, the N. C. Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Flynn Home of Asheville, the Ashevillt Buncombe County Ministers' Fellov ship, Model Cities, and Mountain Mai power. Yes, in years past, tourism an agriculture were the major sources ( income for this area. However, due t the efforts of progressive communit minded groups, team work and a "g< up and go" philosophy of intereste individuals, the Buncombe-Madisc County area is now noted not only ; a vacation resort area, but also it is center of industrial growth and ec< nomic progress. The Asheville loci office is proud of the role it has playe in the expansion of the broad< economies of the industrial wester North Carolina area. Bryson City Serves Cherokees The Bryson City local office serv the area of Swain County and tl Cherokee Indian Reservation. F unemployment insurance we ser Macon County one day of each wee which usually requires the service two staff members one full day each week. Our office is located in a ne modern building erected during ti early part of 1968 and occupied July. We presently have five staff mei bers including a manager, interviewi interviewer-stenographer and t\ counselors. The two counselors £ assigned to the Cherokee Indian Rest vation at which they carry on a i program of ES activities. Our local office manager is rati new on the scene. Fred J. Rid< transferred from Spruce Pine Bryson City on December 9, 1968. has been with the Employment ' curity Commission approximately I years and we have every reason believe he will add vim, vigor, visi and vitality to the efforts of c programs and progress. Our interviewer I, Mrs. Aileen Farrell, is a native of Swain Cour and has been an employee of f Commission for 22 years. She is vi I 10 ESC QUARTERLY rained in practically every phase of 5S and UI activity. Because of our inique situation she not only serves as eceptionist but also as an application aker and a selection and referral nterviewer. She takes job orders, nakes varied UI reports, and quite >ften "holds the fort" during the tbsence of other staff members. Kathleen Booker has worked ipproximately 16 years as inter-viewer- stenographer, serving occa-iionally as interviewer-in-charge. Her ob duties are perhaps as varied as her lobbies. She has worked as an appli- :ation taker, has taken job orders, ;elected and referred applicants, ldministered tests, and on occasions las made the varied reports for ES and JI activity. We have a staff member employed it the Cherokee Indian Reservation >utpost as a counselor I. The facilities here are furnished by the eastern land of Cherokees. Paul Edward Guy, counselor rainee, has been an employee of the Commission for almost two years. He ransferred from the ES Mobile Unit at >ylva to an assignment at the Chero-kee outpost on October 1. The counselors have already tested he 1969 senior class at Cherokee High School and members of the Neighbor-lood Youth Corps. They are develop-ng plans for a counseling program and ire offering residents of the Reserva-ion all phases of ES services including esting, counseling, selection and re-erral to training, job development and )ther services. The counselors are dis-maying a genuine interest in economic levelopment of the area they serve. For years we have noted a seasonal rend in our ES and UI activity. During the summer months we have lumerous job openings because of ninimum rates of pay, living condi-ions and other factors. Recruitment rom other areas does not prove to be ittractive. In the winter months in-lement weather conditions and other nfluences cause the return of workers o their homes. We have many in the irea who migrate to other sections for obs in the construction and auto nanufacturing industries and they eturn to their homes during the win-er months. This requires utilization of til staff to take care of the UI activity or a period of several months. We have in the area several indus-ries operating on a year round basis, vlagnavox Corporation at Bryson City nanufactures television cabinets for )oth Magnavox and Zenith Corpora-ions. This company employs approxi-nately 425 workers. Heritage Quilts, nc, manufactures comforters and dra-peries of the finest quality and design, located in Bryson City, it employs ipproximately 175 people. Fairlane sportswear in Bryson City employs ipproximately 50 workers in the nanufacture of lace. On the Cherokee Indian Reserva-tion we have White Shield of Carolina employing approximately 135 workers in the manufacture of mattress pads, quilts, and plastic products. A good percentage of the workers are Indians. Saddlecraft, Inc., employs almost 200 workers in the manufacture of whips, moccasins, Indian attire, etc. All workers are Cherokee Indians. Vassar Corporation, also located on the Re-servation, is engaged in the manufac-ture of hair accessories. This company employs approximately 125 em-ployees and approximately 75 percent are Cherokee Indians. Bryson City and the Cherokee Indian Reservation are located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Moun-tain National Park. The services required by an agency such as ours is almost as unique as the seasons of the year. Our "four seasons" display a great work of natural beauty. The tourist industry is continually trying to utilize year 'round attractions rather than the seasonal business it now enjoys. The Great Smoky Moun-tain National Park, the Cherokee Indian Reservation with its feature "Unto These Hills" and the "Museum of the Cherokee Indians," Frontier-land and many other attractions are exotic sights for the tourist in the area. Spring offers the beauty of the bloom-ing Mountain Laurel, Honeysuckle, Azalea, Rhododendron, Dogwood, and many other fantastic scenes. Summer is refreshing with the cool mountain streams filled with trout, the majestic mountains with a coat of green inter-spersed with blooms of sourwood. The hot days and cool nights that can be enjoyed by any nature lover. Fall, with the hues of color—crimson, green, gold, brown and the amber waves of grain, fields of shucked corn, pump-kins, and the harvest, can no place on earth be more clearly evidenced by the splendor of God's artistic hand. Winter—a wonderland it is indeed. Snow, ice, frost, combined with the brisk, clean, pure mountain air, make a setting that could only be compared by the scenes at Bethlehem. No wonder, no wonder, the people flock to the mountain and home to enjoy the wonders of the hills. Hendersonville Staff Active In Community The Hendersonville local office serves the three county area of Polk, Henderson, and Transylvania. All three counties are mountainous and enjoy mild temperatures year 'round. For this reason, many retirees move to these counties. The area possesses an industrial-agricultural economy. The major agricultural crops are corn, apples, cucumbers, gladiola, pole and bunch beans. Most of these crops require migrant labor to supplement local labor during the harvest season. Service to agricultural employers and the migrant laborer is provided by the farm placement section of the local office. The primary industries in Hen-derson County are the General Electric Company, Berkley Mills, Cranston Print Works, J. P. Stevens and Company, and Ruths Originals Cor-poration. These industries provide the majority of the industrial em-ployment. Itinerant point service is provided to Polk County once each week. This county is a small, isolated rural area. It is noted for its resort and retirement facilities. The major industries in the county are Hatch Mills and Stone-cutter Mills. Transylvania County is served once a week by itinerant service for unemployment insurance purposes. HENDERSONVILLE ESC QUARTERLY 11 The local office staff is composed of seven members with office facilities provided for outstationed personnel. The following staff members are assigned to the local office: manager Charles N. Erwin, veterans employ-ment representative Clyde C. Taylor, interviewer (alternate counselor) Ken-neth Skaggs, interviewers Fred Arledge, Lonnie Jerry, and inter-viewer- stenographer Katherine Elgin. Occupational analyst Coy Robertson is stationed in the local office and provides industrial services for the Asheville administrative area. Farm placement supervisor W. D. Brackett, representative Dennis Hodges, and typist Doris Anderson comprise the farm placement section. Field representative Arthur B. Wray, Jr., and tax auditor Steve Carlisle are provided office quarters by the local office. Carlisle is a member of the board of directors of the local Community Action Organization. The staff members are active in community life. Taylor is presently serving as first vice commander and membership chairman of the American Legion Post No. 77. He is also presi-dent of the men's class of the First United Methodist Church. Arledge has served as adjutant of the American Legion Post No. 77. He is currently Post Veteran Employment Officer of VFW Post 5206. Skaggs is active in the U. S. Air Force Reserve, holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He is a member of American Legion Post 77 and VFW Post 5206. He is a past president of the Hendersonville Lions Club and a past commander of American Legion Post 77. Erwin, who was assigned to the local office in August, 1968, is a member of the Mayor's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped. Marion ESC Aids Rural Community The Marion local office serves the area of McDowell County which in-cludes the towns of Marion and Old Fort. The rural community between these towns is highly developed and thickly populated. In McDowell county the two leading industries are textile and related industries followed closely by furniture. The textile in-dustry is represented by two large weave mills and one knitting mill which manufacture cloth; two thread processing and dyeing plants and a cloth dyeing and finishing plant; one manufacturer of carpets for auto-mobiles as well as a number of hosiery MARION mills of varying sizes. Three furniture plants in the area manufacture bed-room and dining room furniture pri-marily and one plant manufactures pianos. The staff of the Marion office consists of a manager and two inter-viewers. David S. Gray, Jr., the manager, began work with the Com-mission in April, 1942, as an inter-viewer with the Farm Placement pro-gram in the North Wilkesboro office. He transferred to Marion in June, 1944, and has been located in Marion since that time. He is a native of Rutherford County. At the present time he is an officer and active in the work of the Pleasant Gardens Grange and in the past has served as an officer in various civic organizations. Mr. & Mrs. Gray's son is a member of the faculty of Sacred Heart College in Belmont where he teaches history and literature. Their daughter teaches piano in Sanford. Mrs. Mary Egan Little joined the staff in Marion as an interviewer in March, 1956. She is a native of St. Louis, Missouri. She lives with her husband and children on a 300 acre farm 5 miles southwest of Marion where they raise Holstein cows. She is a member of Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church, Pleasant Gardens Grange, Providence Home Demonstra-tion Club and Sweet Adelines singing organization. Mrs. Brenda Allison Keeter, the newest addition to the Marion staff since February, 1966, is also an inter-viewer. She received a B. A. in English from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1965. In August, 1968, she married Steve Keeter both of whom are natives of Marion. It is noted that the combined service records of these three staff members with the Employment Security Com-mission totals 43 years of which 41 years have been in the Marion local office. Employment In Morganton Up 33% The Morganton local office with Ned W. LaFevers, manager, serves all of Burke County except the Hildebran and Henry River communities. Total employment in the area has increased by 33 percent (7,000 workers) during the past five years. This increase was the result of the community's intense effort to bring new industry into the area and provide job opportunities for its citizens, in addition to unusual growth records by existing industries. The office serves a considerable number of applicants from 10 sur-rounding counties who commute a distance up to 40 miles. These com-muters constitute a valuable source of labor because the local labor supply is inadequate to staff the long estab-lished and new industries. Many large expansions have been made by existing industries which have added a heavy strain on the labor force. The Morganton local office pro-vides manpower services in an area that has 800 employing establish-ments. One of these firms is the largest furniture manufacturer in North Caro-lina and the eighth largest manufac-turing establishment in the State. Other primary industries are textile, including hosiery, apparel, food and kindred products, electrical machin-ery, boot and shoe, paints and varnishes, paperboard containers, piano, synthetic marble and slate, and government. The government sector includes several large State institutions and constitutes approximately 12 percent of the 28,000 persons employed in Burke County. This important part of the workforce commands an annual payroll in excess of $12 million. This office is staffed by the manager, with 23 years service with the Commission, a selection and refer-ral officer, a veterans employment representative, two counselors, and! three interviewers. The staff has ar aggregate of 112 years (an average oi| 14 years) of service with the Com mission and is characterized by its versatility which enables each membe; to function in any phase of offic* procedure when the situation demand; it. The entire office force is well repre sented in the affairs of the communit] being identified with various civic educational, religious and fraterna organizations. The local office has enrollei approximately 3,000 trainees unde Manpower Development and Trainin Act programs. Training in initial skill 12 ESC QUARTERLY nd upgrading of acquired skills has een provided in several local indus- :ies, institutions and service establish-lents. The training projects have lcluded such occupations as steno-rapher, machinist, furniture workers, loe manufacture, medical technician, lectrical switch assembler, water puri-cation, sheet metal worker, psychi-tric aide, etc. MORGANTON All staff members regularly parti-ipate in job development contacts, romotional telephone calls, employer isits, and other public relations acti-ities. Several staff members are roficient in public speaking, and have een requested to address various civic nd educational groups. Outreach, mployer relations and industrial ;rvices are provided to the extent that ;aff limitation will permit. The office ?rves one itinerant point in Valdese rhich provides ES and UI services, umerous spot points at various indus- •ial plants are served when needed. A very close and harmonious work-lg relationship is maintained with roughton Hospital, Western Carolina enter, Western Piedmont Community dllege, and several other govern-lental agencies. Services primarily rovided are job training, testing, ounseling, job development, place-lent, and follow up. The wide range of services provided 3 the people, industries, agencies and istitutions is facilitated and enriched y the good public image enjoyed by le ESC in the Morganton area. NDUSTRIAL GROWTH )VERTAKES CHEROKEE The Murphy local office provides 'herokee County with employment ervices. In addition to Cherokee it is lso responsible for claims taking func-ions in Graham and Clay Counties. The local office area prior to 1960 was predominantly agricultural in its employment. A dramatic change has taken place since then in industry development. The primary industry in the area consists of textile, electronics, lumber and wood, garment, and furniture manufacturing. These include the well known American Thread Company. A subsidiary of Magnavox Corp., oper-ating under the name of Andrews Furniture Company makes T.V. cabinets here. Litton Industries oper-ates an electronics plant in Cherokee County under the name of Clifton Precision Products. They make small motors for navigational use. In gar-ments, Rimco Manufacturing makes lace, Brumby manufactures underwear and Levi-Strauss Company produces its famous "Levis" dress pants. Ameri-can Enka operates a yarn manufac-turing plant here under the name of Peachtree Products. Berkshire Interna-tional, one of the oldest plants in the area (16 years), is currently expanding even more. They manufacture ladies seamless hosiery. These companies, plus a growing tourist and recreational industry compete with a progressive agricultural establishment in Cherokee. The local office is staffed with only four members, one less than it had when the rapid growth of the area began. The local office staff have prepared labor market information for each of these plants and helped with their staffing as they moved in. The staff has done an outstanding job in working with local employers on many MDTA "on the job" and "coupled" training projects during the past two years. Each staff member is active in some type of community activity with the exception of the manager who was recently appointed to this office. Graham H. Hendricks, a native of Gastonia, is the new manager. He is also the acting Veterans Employment Representative. Mrs. Virginia Scroggs and Mrs. Juanita Weaver, both employ-ment interviewers, are members of the Murphy Business and Professional Women's Club. Avery Gains New Resort In Spruce Pine, the Employment Security Commission office is located in the center of the two counties it serves:, Mitchell and Yancey. Avery County is served by a new office at Boone. Yancey is served every Thurs-day at Burnsville. These counties are three of the highest in North Carolina and each has one of the highest peaks in the State. Mount Mitchell in Yancey County is the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. Grandfather Mountain in Avery County and Roan Mountain in Mit-chell County are among the top peaks and both are noted tourist attrac-tions— Grandfather Mountain for its mile-high bridge and Roan for its Rhododendron gardens. When com-pleted, the Beach Mountain resort, which is located in Avery County, will be one of the largest resorts in the eastern United States. Its year 'round facilities include an airport with a 5,000-foot runway, six golf courses and swimming facilities. It also has eight ski runs. Until 1961 the primary industry in the Spruce Pine area was mica and feldspar mining which employed over 70 percent of the total industrial employment in the three-county area. Eighty percent of the feldspar and 70 percent of the mica mined in the United States was from this section. Mining is still an important industry but it now employs only about 15 percent of all industrial workers in 11 establishments. The textile industry has shown a steady increase since 1961 and now employs about 80 percent of the total industrial payroll in 14 establishments. There are seven hosiery mills, five sewing plants, one broad woven cloth mill and one rug yarn mill. Seven of these have been located here since 1961. The newest industry is a furni-ture plant which began operations in July, 1967. The Spruce Pine office opened on October 1, 1942, with Davis M. Nichols as manager. He is still manager of the office and is active in civic affairs. A member of the local Cham-ber of Commerce, Nichols belongs to the Rotary Club, the Mitchell County Technical Action Panel, the Avery County TAP, and to the Mitchell County Industrial Development Corp. He's also a member of the WAMY Community Action Advisory Panel and the Overall Development Program advisory committee of all three counties. Counselor James Acuff is comman-der of the local VFW post and is a member of the board of directors of the Spruce Pine Jaycees. WAYNESVILLE BUSY WITH TOURISM The Employment Security office in Waynesville offers the complete Em-ployment Security program to Hay-wood County and handles unemploy-ment insurance claims and the Manpower Development Training Act program in Jackson County. ESC QUARTERLY 13 Haywood Uounty embraces 347,520 acres of land in the moun-tains of western North Carolina. Its borders reach into the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and the Pisgah National Forest. The Blue Ridge Park-way skirts its mountain tops. The county has some 19 mountain peaks with elevations of 6000 feet or more. These mountains are covered with fine timber and contain many fertile val-leys where towns are located and farms are cultivated. The County has four incorporated towns, Waynesville, the county seat and largest, Canton, Hazelwood, and Clyde. Lake Junaluska, the world capi-tal of Methodism, is a summer recrea-tional and educational community built around a 250 acre lake. Maggie Valley is another community be-coming quite thickly populated. Manufacturing, centered in or near the towns, is about as diversified as could be found in any county in the state. The largest industry is Champion Papers, recently merged with U. S. Plywood. It employs over 2500 workers and is engaged in the manu-facture of paper and pulp. A small branch of this plant is located in Waynesville and makes laminated papers. The second largest industry is rub-ber goods manufacturing. Dayco Southern, a branch of the Dayco Corp. of Dayton, Ohio, employs more than 1600 and is growing yearly. It makes foam rubber pillows and mattresses, various types of rubber hoses, V-Belts, and several items for use on textile machines. Another industry is shoe manufac-turing, also classified in rubber because of the rubber soles which are vulcan-ized to the uppers by a process devel-oped and owned by the company itself. The oldest factory in the area is a tannery which makes leather from raw hides and cuts soles. A bedroom furniture factory pro-vides work for 400 to 500 persons. Several smaller manufacturing industries exist. Among the items they make are upholstery materials, foam rubber mattresses and springs, woven labels for clothing, dairy products, wooden novelties, women's clothing, chemicals and other wood products. As might be expected, the forests have contributed much to the eco-nomy of the area. Lumbering and logging have been important industries since pioneer days. They provide full time work or supplement farm income of many of the county's people. Saw-mills are seen almost daily hauling from the forests to the paper mill. More recent products such as Christ-mas trees and ornamental shrubs are coming from the forests. Over half of the county's popula-tion lives in the rural area and agricul-ture is one of its chief industries. The fertile valleys and mountain slopes, plentiful rainfall, warm days and cool nights are ideal for the growing of grass, vegetables, corn, burley tobacco, tomatoes and apples. The county is one of the State's top producers of apples and trellis type tomatoes, and is also a leader in poultry, dairying, and good beef cattle. The fastest growing industry, and one of the most profitable, is the tourist and travel business. The scenic beauty of the mountains and their wonderful climate have always brought many tourists to the area. The development of additional recreational facilities and the fine system of high-ways through the area are bringing more and more visitors, not only in the summer, but in the winter for the skiing season. To accomodate these tourists, scores of motels and restau-rants have sprung up. Retail trade, construction, and other service busi-nesses have been enhanced by tourism. The estimated annual income from the travel industry in Haywood County is between $7,000,000 and $8,000,000. The county is considered to be one of Carolina's best balanced counties. Its real estate brings a high premium and its economy is good. While it has always had a surplus of labor, the gap between supply and demand is narrow-ing. Farm income is good and the average wage is the highest in the State. To serve all of the people and the industries of this area, the local office has a staff of six people, one assigned exclusively to the agriculture program. All employers cooperate well with the office and most of them call on the office for services. Demands are heavi-est during the spring and summer months when hundreds of seasonal workers are needed by the tourist businesses. In addition to the regular staff, a claims deputy and a field representative have their headquarters in the office. The local office staff members are closely associated with the life of the community taking part in its social, religious and civic affairs. The office is recognized and used frequently as a source of labor market information for the area. It is also called on for cooperation and assist-ance in development programs. The veterans employment representative is an active member of the VFW and the American Legion, being a member of the board of directors and adjutant in the latter. The manager is a member of the board of directors of the Haywood Improvement Foundation, is a com-mittee chairman in the local Business and Professional Women's Club, is a member of the board of directors of Mountain Projects, the CAP for both Haywood and Jackson Counties. She has held offices in this organization and is now serving on a special com-mittee composed of representatives of all counties west of Haywood to study plans for a Concentrated Employment Program. She is a member of the local Technical Action Panel and a member of the Advisory Committee on Adult Education and Training for Haywood Technical Institute. A rather unique thing about the Waynesville Office is that it has been managed by a woman almost from its beginning. Its present manager has held the position since 1946 and she succeeded another woman manager. Shares in America for sale. only $37.50 only $56.25 $7,500 Take stock in America Buy U.S. Saving* Bondi & Freedom Sharet SP-1004 14 ESC QUARTERLY HN H.WILSON irea Supervisor HH GEORGE ASHLEY Forest City Gastonia - Hickory ESC Administrative Area CARL HARRELSON Gastonia ! s *-r?\ III H. D. BOYLES Hickory HENRY ALLEN Lenoir PAUL LAWING Lincolnton CEPHAS CLONINGER Newton TROY PERRY North Wilkesboro FRANKLIN WARE Shelby WADE WILSON Statesville ESC QUARTERLY 15 L^LCYMEKT S L=CUUtTV COMMISSIOK FOREST CITY Rutherford ESC Places Handicapped The Forest City local office pro-vides employment services for Ruther-ford County. The county covers 625 square miles with a population of 45,000. One-third of the population reside in the tri-city areas of Ruther-fordton, Spindale and Forest City. The remaining two-thirds are widely dis-persed throughout numerous unincor-porated towns and small communities. Although the majority of people live in rural communities, 90 percent of the county's 18,460 work force is non-agricultural. One of every three workers in Rutherford County is em-ployed in the textile industry. Trade and services employ 17 percent and furniture 6 percent of all workers. Eight percent of the work force are government employees. Total employ-ment is expected to increase by 10 percent between 1965 and 1970. The Forest City office has a staff of five people, which includes a farm placement interviewer. The manager, George Ashley, began work with the Commission in 1967 as an Interviewer in Rockingham. Prior to coming to the Forest City Local Office, he worked as a job developer in the Concentrated Employment Program in Lumberton and later as center coordinator at the CEP center in Lumberton. He came to Forest City in October, 1969. David L. Bray, veterans representative, has been with the Commission since 1946. He came to Forest City as a claims deputy in 1960 and became veterans represen-tative in August, 1966. Janet Toney, employment interviewer, started as a stenographer in May, 1965. She was promoted to interviewer in June, 1967. Cromer Curtis has been farm placement representative since Feb-ruary, 1963. Members of the Forest City staff participate in many professional, civic, and community groups. A partial list of their affiliations includes: Ruther-ford County Human Relations Council, Rutherford County Personnel Association, Rutherford County Tech-nical Action Panel, assistant scout-master, bloodmobile chairman for American Red Cross, Board of Direc-tors Vocational Workshop, Rutherford Mental Health Association, personal representative for County Welfare Family, VFW, Jaycees, Lions, and Civitan clubs. A review of 1968 activity shows that 2,217 new applications were filed through the Forest City office. Em-ployment counseling was provided 455 applicants. There were 690 placements made, including 43 handicapped work-ers. Several of the easiest remembered accomplishments in 1968 include: placing a totally blind applicant, who was later selected as the outstanding handicapped worker of the year for Rutherford County; obtaining a job commitment for a local man which resulted in his release from federal prison in another state; and placing a handicapped woman who has only one leg as driver for a blind social worker. During the year staff members pre-sented 18 programs before school, civic, agency, and community groups covering all phases of local office employment service operations. Gastonia Office Aids Local Industry Gaston County is strategically located in almost the exact geogra-phical center of the Piedmont plateau. Manufacturing plants began operations along water courses in 1846, process-ing raw materials raised on local farms. From these humble beginnings Gaston County has grown into one of the foremost industrial and textile centers in the Nation. It has more spindles in its textile plants and uses a larger number of bales of cotton than any other county in the United States. The textile industry employs more than 28,000 persons out of a total employ-ment of about 64,000. The overall economy is very vitally affected by business and employment conditions in the textile industry. Prior to the 1940's Gaston Countj had practically all of its eggs in th< textile basket. Intensive efforts on th< part of community leaders to diversify local industry began to reap dividend; in 1946 when Sunspun began opera tions. West Virginia Pulp and Pape; Company (corrugated boxes), Sou thern Paper Industries, Pyramid Elec trie, Homelite Manufacturing Com pany (chainsaws), Northwest Plastics Garlock (oil seals), Talon, Inc. (zip pers), Lithium Corporation, Ower Steel, Standard Business Forms, Pyra mid Mills (Christmas ornaments) Danoca Industries (girls' dresses & sports clothes), and many other com panies have greatly diversified oui industrial operations. The Gastonia local State Employ ment office has recruited, tested screened and referred workers to staf: new or expanding operations foi Homelite, Burlington Industries, Medi center, Amp, Inc., Garlock, Holidaj Inn, Textiles, Inc., Danoca, Airtownt Mills, Sears, Paul Rose, Rose's Variety Store, West Virginia Pulp & Papei Company, Pyramid Mills, Clark's, Wix Corporation, McDonald's, Hardee's Shoney's, and others. Products manufactured in Gastor County include: carded and combec cotton, synthetic and worsted yarns sewing thread, woven cotton anc synthetic goods, tire fabric, knil goods, woven labels, shoe laces, ho siery, textile machinery, gears, drives castings, card clothing, rolls, ring tra velers, weavers' knotters, belting, tex tile aprons, dyeing machine forgings business forms, chemicals, oil and ai filters, oil seals, corrugated boxes chain saws, plastics, electrical compo nents, Christmas ornaments, knittin; yarn, wreaths, brushes, apparel an< slide fasteners. Gaston County has experienced un paralleled prosperity and exceptionally good employment conditions durin; the mid '60's. During 1964, 1965, an< 1966, 11,410 new jobs were createij for an exceptionally high growth rat of 21 percent for the three-yea period. Business conditions were no as good in 1967, but 1968 has bee another boom year. This unprect dented demand for workers plus nei agency programs, concepts, and phik sophies has very greatly affecte operations of the Gastonia Emploj ment Security Commission Office. In the past five years, 1963-196' record breaking numbers of new appl cants registered for jobs: 7,173 1963; 8,213 in 1964; 8,823 in 196! 9,186 in 1966; and 9,303 in 196' Employers placed orders for aboi 40,000 workers with the local offic during this same period. More the 25,000 persons have been placed c jobs during the past five years by tl Gastonia Employment Office. Opi mum manpower exchange servic could not be given to individual app 16 ESC QUARTERLY nts and employers because of this [usually large volume of business. The local office has had a staff nging from 16 in July, 1964, to 17 January, 1969, and staff size has mained relatively unchanged through e years. The population of Gaston County s increased from 87,531 in 1940 to 5,775 in 1965. During the past few years, the blic employment service has greatly oadened its objectives and concept services from that of manpower change to human resources develop- ?nt and utilization. Gaston County's st settlers were Scotch-Irish, Scotch ghlanders, and Germans—all thrifty, iustrious persons of high moral >er. The greatest asset of any com-anity is its people. If the available )rk force is not fully utilized, many rsons remain liabilities and tax bur-ns rather than productive citizens. ; present, one of every 2.2 persons len, women, and children) in Gaston >unty is gainfully employed. The unusually strong demand for >rkers during the past few years has rerely depleted the supply of exper-iced and high-quality trainable Mfkers. A shortage of low and 3dium cost housing has greatly de-rred importing of workers. So at esent the only semblance of a solu- >n to the severe labor shortage in the sa is to educate, train, and upgrade ailable workers. Our staff evaluates the qualifica- >ns of each applicant to determine if has been utilizing his total capabili- ;s to the fullest extent, and if he has e requirements or potential for jobs ailable in the community. If the plicant cannot qualify for any of ir job openings, we do not just sadly ake our heads and say "I'm sorry." e try to assist and motivate him to ke positive, planned steps to become lployable or more employable. Applicants are referred to employ-ent counselors for assistance in oosing, changing, and/or adjusting a job or a field of work. An terview or a series of interviews is id in a private office by the coun-lor to obtain detailed data concern-ing the applicant's work experience (elements liked and disliked), educa-tion and training, leisure time activi-ties, skills, socio-economic factors, per-sonal traits, interests, and aptitudinal potential. The counselor may use interest inventories and proficiency and apptitude tests. During these inter-views the counselor is also giving the applicant information including job openings in the area and elsewhere, prevailing wages, and advantages and disadvantages of jobs or fields of work. Then the counselor and applicant de-termine the best of sometimes many alternative fields. The applicant then arrives at a vocational plan. There is seldom a short straight line between "where the applicant is vocationally" and "where he wants to go." In some cases the individual may only need to learn to read well enough to follow simple written instructions to obtain the job he desires. He may need to complete his high school education or take refresher courses to enter college. He may need a tempo-rary "stop-gap" job or part-time work to finance vocational, technical, busi-ness, or college courses. Gaston County fortunately has two four-year colleges, beauty schools, a business school, N. C. Vocational Textile School, and a Community College that offers adult education, vocational, technical, and college parallel courses. Applicants are also referred to Vocational Rehabilitation for physical and mental evaluation, medical, sur-gical and hospital services, artificial applicances and training; to Gaston Skills (sheltered workshop); to Health and Welfare Departments for suppor-tive services; to Social Security; and to MDTA and other training courses. Employees of the local office are members of many community organi-zations including Gastonia Chamber of Commerce, Gaston Personnel Associa-tion, Social Planning Council, Mayor's Citizens Advisory Committee, Tech-nical Action Panel, Interagency Club, Interagency Case Conference, Gaston Skills Executive Board, American Legion, Pilot Club, and Mental Health Association. Participation in activities of these groups keeps us informed and GASTONIA aware of community needs, problems and happenings, and allows us on many occasions to explain, offer, and promote ESC services. These contacts and aquaintance with community leaders make us more effective and enhance community understanding and acceptance of our agency and operations. Employer representatives and community leaders are generally most cooperative when we ask them to serve on the Manpower Advisory and Employ the Handicapped and Older Worker Committees. Applicants who are deemed ready for jobs are of course referred to available job openings. Considerable efforts are made to develop jobs for individuals after training and rehabili-tation. The local office staff has devoted considerably more time and effort per individual applicant recently, espe-cially for mentally and physically handicapped persons, veterans, youths, including many drop-outs, older wor-kers, welfare recipients and nonwhites. When we are successful in motivating, guiding, and assisting individuals to take steps to improve themselves and in placing them on jobs that utilize their fullest potential, we can then have a personal feeling of accomplish-ment in achieving our goals. Balanced Industry In Hickory Area Hickory, Look Magazine's All America City of 1968, is located at the foothills of our beautiful western mountains in the rapidly industrialized upper Piedmont section of our State. Long noted for the manufacture of fine furniture and as the men's hosiery capitol of the United States, it is fast becoming a major retail shopping center for the western part of North Carolina. The Hickory local office takes pride in its part in the economic growth of this area, which includes not only the city of Hickory and its surrounding suburbs, but the town and area of Longview, parts of eastern Burke County, southern Alexander County and southern Caldwell County. Hickory is spoken of as a well balanced industrial area with a wide variety of consumer goods manufac-tured locally and distributed all over the world. There are over 60 firms making fine furniture of all types, including bedroom and dining room suites, upholstered furniture of all types, school and institutional furni-ture and fine custom made church interiors. The concentration of these plants locally has been the impetus for the furniture supply firms to locate ESC QUARTERLY 17 their plants in the Hickory area. These include manufacturers of foam rubber and poly-foam material, sofa and chair springs, woodcarving plants, uphol-stery fabric weavers, plants making saws, bits, and other cutting tools, and paper product plants for packing and shipping, and many large trucking firms. Buyers from all states visit Hickory at least twice a year to view new styles at our two furniture market buildings, and to observe the beautiful show-rooms various manufacturers maintain at their plants. The men's and women's seamless hosiery manufacturers have their pro-ducts used all over the world. We have over 100 plants making men's, women's, and children's hosiery, knit-ted cloth, and knitted garments. The high quality and originality of these products have caused their brand names to be household words nearly everywhere. Many of these mills have been located in this area for very many years, but the nature of this enterprise is such that new mills can be organized and succeed rapidly. The hosiery industry, like the furni-ture manufacturers, has been responsi-ble for the rise of makers of supplies for the hosiery trade, such as paper box plants, printers of labels and decals, yarn plants, machine shops, and many others. The Catawba Valley Hosiery Club has a yearly show at the Hickory Community Center to enable equip-ment manufacturers from all over the world to display their newest pro-ducts. Buyers and dealers from every state and many European countries attend this event and plans are under-way by this organization to build a permanent structure for year-round exhibitions. Hickory also has plants making woven fabrics, yarn mills making cotton, synthetic and stretch yarns for every purpose. This area is the home of Shuford Mills, with five plants. Burlington Industries has two plants. We have five plants making elastic yarn and one plant making Lycra and Spandex yarns. Other industries for which Hickory is noted include The General Electric Company's Hickory transformer plant which makes all types of electric power transformers and employs over 1000 skilled workers. The Superior- Continental Corp. makes telephone and TV cable of all types, Central Telephone components, and com-munity TV equipment. Shuford Mills plant makes all types of pressure sensi-tive tapes. Lamcal, Inc., manufactures continuous roll plastic fabric which is used for building insulation, packing material, backing for various materials, shower curtains, plastic containers, and many other items. The retail sales of this area have risen from $82,000 yearly in 1958 to over $225,000 in 1968. Three major shop-ping centers are located along Highways 64-70 and 1-40. Many nationwide retail stores are represented in these shopping centers, including the largest J. C. Penny store in the State. W. T. Grant, Eckerd Drugs, Belk's, Sky City Stores and many others are included in the Catawba Mall, Catawba Shopping Center, and the Midtown Shopping Center. Plans are now being made to erect another shopping center to be opened within the next three years. The Hickory office, under the direction of its manager, H. D. Boyles, has a staff of 12 members, Boyles' assistant is John H. Heffren, inter-viewer III, with Jane Abernethy in charge of claims; James M. Whitworth, veterans employment representative II; Keith Teague (who also serves the Lenoir office two days each week), and Bill Holsclaw, counselors I; Margie Osborne, interviewers in claims, re-ception, testing and placements; Bon-nie Lineberger for managerial, profes-sional, and clerical occupations; James Besse for sales and service personnel; and Frances Wood for hosiery, textiles and sewing operations. Jim Whitworth, in addition to his assignment as VER, is also responsible for furniture and miscellaneous industries, and John Heffren deals with all industries when required. All staff members have a wide knowledge of our local industry. The acceptance of our office by the indus-tries of Hickory is evidenced by the numbers of signs posted by the em-ployers stating that all referrals to them are made through ESC. Our staff is well represented in the many civic organizations, fraternal, and churches of the city. We have a Steward of the United Methodist Church, members of the Board of the Lutheran Church, and Sunday school teachers. All eligible staff members belong to the American Legion and VFW. Jim Whitworth is past Comman-der of Post 48. He is also director of the Catawba County Fair Association. The Hickory local office staff is also represented in Masonic Lodges, Moose, and Elks, Altrusa, and others. We are members of the Mayor's Committee to Employ the Handicapped, consultants for the Good Neighbor Council, the Flynn Home for Alcoholics and the Hickory Sheltered Workshop. We feel that our principal form of service to the community is to work closely with all facets of our area's citizenry, not only to help staff our growing industry, but to find the best possible job opportunities for our applicants. We strive to open the doors of industry to those considered disad-vantaged, to assist in the training and upgrading of those underemployed, to create a congenial, informed, and interested service organization in Hickory, and to assist our people attain their economic goals. -~-»rr-"-—— _- v LENOIR Furniture Major Industry In Lenoir Nestled under the slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Lenoir is shel-tered from much of the snow and icy road conditions of surrounding areas. In over 30 years of operation the office has never been closed because of weather conditions. The Lenoir Employment Security Commission office serves Caldwell County, which has a total population of about 58,000. The total work force is estimated to be approximately 22,000, with a total employment of 21,650. The ESC office is located on the main access route leading east from downtown and occupies a new brick building designed to ESC specifi-cations and completed in March, 1968. Population of the area served is concentrated within a ten mile radius of the local office, so itinerant servict is not required. Furniture manufacturing, employ ing over 60 percent of all industria workers, is the major industry and the economic backbone of Caldwel County. Over one-third of the tota work force is directly engaged in furni ture occupations, and some of th< world's finest furniture is made here The furniture industry has made spec tacular growth during the past fiv years, and will continue to do so if th necessary labor supply can be obf tained. However, lack of adequat| housing has been a major obstacle h relocating workers from surplus labc areas. Textile operations, while secondar to the large scale furniture industrj constitutes some 3,000 jobs to th area and is significant to the overa economy. The Lenoir office staff consists of manager, one veterans employmer representative, two interviewers an one interviewer-stenographer. A! except the manager, are natives < 18 ESC QUARTERLY Caldwell County. In addition to the egular staff, we provide office facili- ;ies for an outstationed evaluation ipecialist, and a field representative. Counseling service is provided on a wo-day per week itinerant basis by a :ounselor from the Hickory local )ffice. Staff members are affiliated with a lumber of community groups. The nanager, Henry B. Allen, is a member >f the VFW, American Legion, Ki-vanis, and the local Technical Action 'anel. One interviewer is a choir direc-or, PTA member, and a member of he Caldwell County JACS Com-nittee. The interviewer-stenographer, vlargaret M. Huffstetler, is a charter nember of the Lenoir Business and 'rofessional Women's Club and she has >een secretary-treasurer of a local Sunday school for over 20 years. Jnemployment )rops In Lincolnton The Lincolnton labor market area ticludes all of Lincoln County with a lopulation of 30,000 persons and also Jherryville and vicinity in Gaston bounty which has a population of 0,000 persons. It is located ten miles outhwest of Lincolnton. Prior to 1963 Lincoln County lepended mainly on the textile indus-ry for its livelihood. The economic rowth in Lincoln County has contin-led steadily since 1963 and has grown rom one of surplus workers to one vhich now has a shortage of workers, ^his is due to new plants, under the ^rea Redevelopment Act program, hopping centers, motels and other etail outlets, which have caused a teady increase of approximately ,000 new jobs. A new 100-bed hos- •ital is now under construction and is lated for completion around July, .969. Several textile and garment tlants recently expanded operations nd this increased their total number >f employees. Many of these plants LINCOLNTON continue hiring trainees. The furniture industry has improved the growth of the area with a steady increase in employment. The increases in manu-facturing have also caused an increase in the trade and service fields. The demand for workers will continue since plants which have started opera-tions in the past five years continue to glow and expand. There is no major industry in the eastern part of the county which borders on Lake Norman. This section of the county is rapidly developing into a large recreation area with a large number of families building permanent homes near the lake. These people are employed and commute to surround-ing cities, such as Charlotte, Newton, Mooresville and Lincolnton. Non-agricultural wage and salary workers (excluding domestics) are esti-mated at 14,150 for this area, 9,205 in manufacturing and 4,945 in other than manufacturing. The textile industry is the largest industry, turning out such products as synthetic and worsted yarn, hosiery, shoe laces, carded and combed yarn, woven cloth and synthe-tic goods. Workers are found in other diversified industrial plants including a processing plant and metal working plants. Various sewing operations in the Lincolnton area include the produc-tion of sweaters, T-shirts, athletic uni-forms, women's and children's gar-ments and sports clothes. Our largest sewing plant moved their entire opera-tions to Lincolnton from Pennsyl-vania. This firm was the first secured after the Lincoln Industrial Commis-sion was formed. A large furniture company is now in the process of expanding one of its plants and expects an increase in employment in the near future. The Lincolnton office has a staff now of five and two/ fifths persons, including the manager, veterans employment representative, two inter-viewers, a stenographer and a coun-selor two days each week. The staff works closely with the Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce and the Lin-coln Industrial Commission by supply-ing them with labor information and other facts concerning available workers. We also meet with prospec-tive employers to discuss the avail-ability of labor in the area. A rare new business started opera-tions in Lincolnton the first of 1969. It's a plastic house manufacturing firm. This is a unique plant and employment was around 30 when the firm began production. The Lincolnton State Employment Office renders testing services to seniors of the four high schools in the area each year. These students are given the General Aptitude Test Bat-tery for purposes of placement on jobs or to enter technical schools. One high school offers career day each year for the seniors, and a staff member from the ES office is invited to participate along with representatives from col-leges and business schools. Lincoln County has grown from a total of 4,543 workers covered by unemployment insurance in 1960, to a total of 7,405 for the second quarter of 1968. The present rate of un-employment is .8 percent compared to 14.5 in 1961. This area has grown steadily from one of textile employ-ment to one of a more diversified area which is good for the economy of this area. This should continue throughout the coming years. Catawba ESC Staff Diversified Catawba County is one of the few counties in the State having two employment offices. The Newton office is located in the county seat and serves the eastern portion of the county, including Maiden, Claremont and Catawba. Total population for this section of the county, as projected to 1967 by the University of North Carolina, is 43,416 persons. Total employment for the area, according to ESC figures, is in excess of 17,000. The Newton city limits joins the Conover city limits and the population of these two municipalities is 9,895, while the population within a three mile radius is 30,500 and employment is 75 percent of all that located in the eastern portion of Catawba County. Maiden is located in the south-eastern part of Catawba County and joins the Lincoln County line. Industry within the Maiden area employs 2,500 persons, while the population within a three mile radius is approximately 3,500. Claremont industrial establishments employ 800 persons, but the town's population is only 735. Within a three mile radius the population is in excess of 2,000. Catawba industries employ 700 persons in a city of 509. The estimated population within three miles is 1,500. The point is this: All but approxi-mately 11 percent of the population of the county is located in what we consider the right angle of eastern Catawba which includes the previously mentioned towns and cities. Some of the main industries in our area are: (1) Household furniture manu-facture, including many types of upholstered furniture and case goods. (2) Cotton and synthetic fabrics manufacture, including dyeing and finishing knit goods. These are pre- ESC QUARTERLY 19 dominantly modern plants with the most up-to-date equipment and machinery available. (3) Glove manufacture with one of the largest glove manufacturing centers in the nation. (4) Hosiery manufacture. There are many medium to small hosiery plants located in this right angle. (5) Garment manufacture. This section continues to increase with modern plants and steady facilities. (6) Paper, paper board box, and box manufacture with modern plants and steady employment. (7) General building and con-tracting. This field continues to expand because we have lots of indus-trial and commercial expansion as well as new residential construction. (8) Finance, insurance and real estate. This is an expanding field because industrial and population growth is higher than average. Other industries in the area include plastics and buffing. Seven persons are assigned to the staff of the Newton employment office, including a claims deputy. In an office this size each member must be able to perform practically all duties. Bill Osborne, in addition to his veterans employment representative role, is assigned to handle the textile field, construction, and others. Also in charge of handicapped employment, he is a member of the American Legion and the VFW. Interviewer Joyce Seagle, in addi-tion to her normal duties of this position, has charge of the youth program, high school program, and assists with the handicapped program. She is on the board of the "Joint Action of Community Services" (JACS). Interviewer Paige Brotherton is responsible for employer relations with the large furniture and affiliated industries in this section of the county. He is a member of the American Legion, Jaycees, and Amvets. Employment counselor Geraldine Propst handles the employment coun-seling program in the Newton office. She belongs to the North Carolina Personnel and Guidance Association. Stenographer Sylvia Moretz, in addition to the regular stenographic duties of this office, also handles certain interviewing duties such as claims taking, applications, and orders. Manager C. A. Cloninger, Jr., is active in the Eastern Catawba County Chamber of Commerce, Technical Action Panel, Mayor's Committee, Bi- Racial Committee, and the Inter- Agency Council. Claims deputy Charles W. Durham is stationed in the Newton office and is assigned to the following offices: Newton, Hickory, Lincolnton, Marion, Morganton, Spruce Pine, and Burnsville. Office Serves Three Mountain Counties The North Wilkesboro local office area includes Alexander, Alleghany, and Wilkes Counties. These three counties are located in the Northwest Development Association. Alleghany lies along the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Wilkes County is sur-rounded by the Blue Ridge and Brushy Mountains, and Alexander County is at the foot of the Brushy Mountains. These counties have a total population of 72,239 persons, and a civilian work force of 27,740 with employment of 26,870. The industry within the area is diversified. It includes two electronic plants, three shoe manufacturing and two mirror plants. Other industries are apparel, glove manufacturing, hosiery, textile, furniture, smoking pipes and a manufacturer of saw blades for hand and power-driven saws. The newest addition to industry in this area is the Abitibi Corporation, a $12 million plant, which is now under construc-tion and is scheduled to be completed in January of 1970. This plant will manufacture plywood paneling. The area can boast of having one of the largest mirror manufacturing plants in the world. It is also the home of Holly Farms Poultry Industries, Inc., the largest poultry processing plant in the world. This firm processes almost 2,000,000 chickens a week for distribution to the nation's supermarkets. The firm em-ploys approximately 2,400 people in Wilkes County and 250 in Alexander County. In addition to this employ-ment, they have 500 contract growers in the area. The company also has 400 head of cattle scattered on farms throughout Wilkes County and are contributing to other agricultural pro-ducts in many ways. One of the most recent ventures is the purchasing of all local corn produced in the area at a reasonable rate, providing farmers register acreage with their company. North Wilkesboro is the home office of Lowe's North Wilkesboro Hardware, a retail building supply company, with 55 stores in 10 states. This is also the home of the North-western Bank, which is now operating 96 offices in 56 cities and towns in western and Piedmont North Carolina. The Northwestern Bank is the fifth largest bank in the State. A branch of another large bank, North Carolina National Bank, is located in North Wilkesboro. The area is noted for its recrea-tional facilities. Two of the noted resort areas, Blowing Rock and Roar-ing Gap, along with five ski resorts and a number of golf courses and camping areas, are now operating in the three mountain counties. Others are in the process of being developed. The North Wilkesboro office has a staff of seven. Manager Troy L. Perry is a native of Alleghany County. He joined the Commission in April of 1944 as an interviewer, was promoted to veterans employment representative and then to manager in December of 1953. Other staff members are a vet-erans employment representative, em-, ployment counselor, employment interviewer II, three employment inter-viewers I and one stenographer. Claims deputy Grady H. Reagan who serves the North Wilkesboro and Lenoir offices maintains headquarters here. The manager served as president of the Kiwanis Club in 1965 and has been reelected as the vice-president for the year 1969; is secretary of the Mayor's; Committee for the Physically Handij NORTH WILKESBORO 20 ESC QUARTERLY tapped, and is past master of the ^orth Wilkesboro Masonic Lodge and >ast High Priest of the chapter. He is ilso active in Church and other com-nunity organizations. Veterans employment representa-ive Harold L. Elder is a member of he VFW and American Legion. Counselor Thomas G. Roberts is a nember of and past president of the lotary Club, is on the board of lirectors of the Yadkin Valley Dairy ^o-op. and is current president of his ocal P.T.A. in Ashe County. Interviewer Conrad Kilby is a mem-ber of the local VFW and has been a member of the North Wilkesboro Vol-unteer Fire Department for a number of years. Interviewer Meneta Proffit is a member and past president of the Department of North Carolina of the Ladies' Auxiliary to the VFW. Since the North Wilkesboro office serves three counties on an itinerant basis weekly, the staff carries an un-usually heavy work load, as some of the members are out of the local office four days per week. STATESVILLE ESC CIVIC MINDED The Statesville office serves Iredell bounty which has a population of 52,526 residents. Statesville, located lear the center of the county (1960 >opulation of 19,844), and Moores-fille, located in southern part of the :ounty (1960 population of 6,918) are he principal urbanized areas of the :ounty. While the office is located in Statesville, the Mooresville area is ;erved with itinerant service each rhursday afternoon. A civilian labor force of approxi-nately 33,000 now reside in the :ounty with 80 percent employed as vage and salary workers in non-igricultural industries. Manufacturing ndustries employ approximately 60 jercent of these workers. Iredell bounty is well diversified in types of nanufacturing industries; although extiles, while well diversified within tself, ranks number one. The Statesville local office has nine staff members assigned. The total ength of service of these members with the Employment Security Com-nission is approximately 119 years. [Tie local office staff is identified with ;he civic, religious and cultural life of ;he community. Manager Wade Wilson is currently ;he chairman of the occupational nformation committee of the States-ville Rotary Club. He is on the board of directors of I CARE and serves on its manpower advisory committee. A charter member of the Iredell Per-sonnel Club, Wilson is also a member of the local Technical Action Panel and belongs to the local Elks Club and American Legion. Veterans employment represen-tative Richard Arthur serves on the board of directors of the Iredell County Covered Workshop and is active in the American Legion and Kiwanis. He serves as committee chair-man on Vocational Guidance. Counselor Judy Wilson, named one of the Outstanding Young Women of America in 1968, was on the board of directors of the Junior Service League and was active in the local Arts and Science Museums. She has recently taken a job in the central office in Raleigh. Interviewer Koula Litchos is on the board of directors of State's Business and Professional Women's Club. Johnny Hoover is our counselor. All Statesville local office staff members participate in church acti-vities and most are involved in various civic responsibilities. Shelby Office Counsels Students The Shelby local office is located in the heart of Cleveland County and is surrounded by communities and small towns. The total population is 70,000 with a civilian work force of 32,000 persons. The two urban areas in the county are Shelby with a population of 17,600 and Kings Mountain with 9,800 population. The Shelby area is continuing its industrial growth with 19,282 persons covered by the unemployment insur-ance program. The major industrial plants of the area have become very diversified. The main products at one time were cotton yarn, sewing thread, broad woven products and hosiery. New industries manufacture narrow fabrics, synthetic fibers, a fine denier of polyester yarn, men's and ladies' hosiery, textured yarn, cardboard package containers, dining room and upholstered furniture, plastic bobbins, carpets and floor covering, drapery and upholstery material, all types of bonded knit cloth, and various knit wear garments. A mobile home build-ing industry began in 1968. This called for a processor of pre-finished rolled aluminum. We have three operations in the eastern section of the county that mine mica, spodumene ore for various uses, and limestone for road building. Brick is another product manufactured in this area as well as various gypsum products. The current staff for the Shelby office consists of seven persons man-ager Franklin L. Ware, Jr., four inter-viewers, a veteran employment repre-sentative and a stenographer. Most all staff members are active in the civic and community life within the coun-ty. Some of the organizations to which they belong and activities in which they participate are as follows: member of Chamber of Commerce, Personnel Council, Public Administra-tors Organization, Technical Action Panel, Cleveland County Civil Defense, VFW, American Legion, chairman of Mayor's Committee on Youth Em-ployment, vice president of the depart-ment of North Carolina of the Ladies Auxiliary, and Sunday school teachers. Office space is provided for Fred Swift, the claims deputy for this dis- (See SHELBY, Page 53) STATESVILLE SHELBY ESC QUARTERLY 21 DON HUDSON Area Supervisor Asheboro - Salisbury ESC Administrative Area CLAUDE WHITLEY Albemarle -auto.. JOHN BROOKS Asheboro LEWIS MORTON Concord DWIGHT LEONARD Charlotte *• • • III WAYNE PATTERSON Kannapolis ALAN KNIGHT Lexington FLOYD HARRILL Monroe J. S. J. HORTON Salisbury 22 ESC QUARTERLY Textile Industry Big In Albemarle The Albemarle local office serves Stanly and Montgomery Counties. The two counties are separated by the Yadkin River which forms the Badin Lake and Lake Tillery. These lakes are fast becoming the playground of the Piedmont. Also located on the Yadkin in Stanly County is the popular Morrow Mountain State Park which, during each week of the summer, attracts thousands of visitors from across the nation. Located 12 miles north of Albe-marle is Pfeiffer College which, in a few years, has grown from a junior college to a four year accredited col-lege noted for its excellence. Stanly County has a population of 43,400 persons and Montgomery County, 19,400. The two counties have a combined work force of approximately 28,050. Of the 27,340 employed workers, 55 percent are employed by manufacturing firms. ALBEMARLE Although agriculture accounts for only six percent of the total employment, Stanly County is one of the leading poultry producing counties in the State. During last year, employment covered by the Employment Security Law accounted for 19,540, or 70 percent of all job holders. Textiles are, by far, the predominate industry. The 33 textile plants, which include yarns, dying and finishing, woven fabrics, carpets, hosiery and other knit goods, account for 46.2 percent of all covered employment. This is followed by wholesale and retail trades with 10.8 percent; apparel and related with 9 percent; furniture with 4.3 percent; construction with 4.2 percent; primary metals with 3.9 percent; electrical components and machinery with 3.8 percent; and food processing with 2.5 percent. The area has enjoyed excellent growth during recent years. Since 1965 new and expanding manufac-turing firms have accounted for 2797 additional jobs. The trend continues and future growth will be limited only to the availability of qualified workers. With the office located in Albe-marle, Montgomery County is served by two itinerant points established in Troy and Mt. Gilead. In April, 1968, services were expanded by the addi-tion of a Job Mobile in Montgomery County. The Job Mobile is a mobile office set up in a panel truck which visits the outlying communities on a regular schedule, making all ES ser-vices available to all the people. The staff of the Albemarle Office is proud of the area's progress and the part they have played in manpower services, as well as in religious, civic and community affairs. The office is allocated seven ES and one UI posi-tions, although several positions are currently vacant. The combined length of service of our staff members is 88 years. The manager, Claude C. Whitley, joined the agency in 1941; the VER, Hubert L. Fesperman, in May, 1956; James D. McGill, inter-viewer, in January, 1955; Mrs. Marga-retta Peeler, interviewer, in July 1957; Mrs. Dorsey Trivette, stenographer-interviewer, in February, 1961; and Roby A. Burleson, counselor, in October, 1967. Mr. McGill retired on December 31, 1968, after 14 years service. RANDOLPH EXCEEDS STATE GROWTH RATE The Asheboro office of the Em-ployment Security Commission serves Randolph and Chatham Counties in the central Piedmont. These counties comprise an area of approximately 1,000,000 acres and nearly 1,600 square miles. Asheboro is the county seat of Randolph County and Pittsboro is the county seat of Chatham County. Randolph County has a civilian work force of over 29,000 with over 16,000 being employed in manufac-turing. There is much diversification of industry with textiles, including ho-siery, being the largest employing nearly 10,000, followed by furniture with 1,900, machinery with 1,200, apparel with 1,000 and lumber and wood near 600. Approximately 2,500 people are employed in trade and 1,700 derive their living from agricul-ture. Randolph County consistently exceeds the average population and employment growth rate of North Carolina. Chatham County has a civilian work force of over 11,000 with nearly 5,000 being employed in manufac-turing. Textiles, including hosiery, is also the largest manufacturing concern in Chatham County employing 1,900 employees. Food processing employs nearly 1,000 followed by furniture with over 600, apparel 500, lumber and wood with 500, and stone and clay nearly 300. Trade employs over 1,000 with agriculture employing nearly 1,500. The local office is located at 328 Sunset Avenue, Asheboro, in a new spacious well lighted building. It is easily accessible to walking traffic from the uptown business area yet sufficient parking is available for appli-cants and employers using automobile transportation. There are 12 members of the Ashe-boro office staff totaling 135 years of service with the Employment Security Commission. The staff members are at present, or have in the past, served in many voluntary positions of com-munity interest. Some of this includes church work—members of official boards and governing bodies of various churches, church school superinten-dents and teachers; commission or committee members and chairmen, Sunday school class officers and presi-dents, advisory committee members for Industrial and Technical School, officer and president of board of ASHEBORO Exceptional Children School, PTA work, Governor's Advisory Committee on Rehabilitation, Mayor's Committee on Handicap, Mayor's Committee on Employment Opportunities, United Fund executive committee, scout dis-trict commissioners, scout master, scout committeeman, cubmaster, Girl Scout leader, and many offices in American Legion and Veterans of For-eign War, including national com-mittee member, state committee chair-man and member, District Com-mander, Post Commander and Adju-tant, officers and members of civic clubs, including Lions, Kiwanis, Elks and Moose. Most of the members are active in and some have served as committee members and chairman, secretary, treasurer and State president of the Commission's affiliated organization, The International Association of Per-sonnel in Employment Security. The office staff continually strives to improve services and the local office image, and to be accepted as the focal ESC QUARTERLY 23 point of employment opportunities and manpower problems by both applicants and employers. We expect to offer services to all groups and occupations from professional appli-cants to laborers and domestics. The office also cooperates with the schools of this area and provides test-ing, employment counseling and job placement for students entering the labor market. Special services are pro-vided for veterans, Job Corps re-turnees, and other groups as the need arises. Labor market information, wages and hours surveys and various information of interest to community groups is furnished. Concord Ranks High In Household Income The Concord local office serves 53 percent of Cabarrus County. The County has experienced a population growth from 68,137 in 1960 to 75,564 in 1968. The city of Concord has experienced a growth from 17,799 in 1960 to 19,917 in 1968. Concord, per household income, ranked 4th highest in the State at $12,779 per year. Industries in this area are primarily textile and hosiery, employing 64.4 percent of all non-agricultural wage and salaried employees. Cannon Mills Company has nine plants in the area. There are 15 hosiery plants in the area. In November, 1968, the unemploy-ment rate was 0.2 percent. The Concord local office consists of seven staff members and one claims deputy. They are: manager Lewis B. Morton, interviewer Marie F. Brewer, employment counselor Bobby J. A. Overcash, veterans employment repre-sentative William E. Prim, interviewer Deon G. Ritchie, interviewer Jerry K. Young, stenographer Marilyn K. Miller and claims deputy James C. Bradham. The combined years of service of the staff is 118 years. All staff members are dedicated to their work and per-form in an outstanding manner serving applicants and employers. This is realized in that for two of the past four years the office has been first in the State in the placement of handi-capped workers. The high school testing and coun-seling service is carried on at all high schools in the area. This is to assist the seniors, not planning to attend college, in determining what type of employ-ment to plan for. Our General Aptitude Test Battery is administered to applicants for the majority of the manufacturing plants in the area, and is available to all plants free of charge to both applicant and employer. Other special programs are services to the handicapped, the older worker, Job Corps returnee, special services to all applicants with an employability pro-blem, services to youth and prison releasees. Very important is our vet-erans employment service. Our local veterans employment representative contacts each discharged veteran offer-ing our services and explaining, in detail, the many programs available to the veteran. The manager is a member of the Chamber of Commerce Industrial Development Committee, on the board of directors of the Concord Boys Club and Salvation Army. He is a past president of the Concord Lions Club, a former State Vice Commander of the 40 & 8, served eight years as adjutant, American Legion Post 51, and served as Chef de Gare (comman-der) of Voiture 1465-40 & 8 for 10 years. Other staff members are members of veterans organizations, civic and fraternal organizations and churches, that serve the community in numerous ways. KANNAPOLIS ESC OFFERS MANY SERVICES The Kannapolis Employment Se-curity Commission serves five percent of Rowan County and 43 percent of Cabarrus County, including the unin-corporated town of Kannapolis with a population of 33,000 persons and little or no rural area. The area in-cludes approximately 470 individual employing units which have a total labor force of about 21,350 workers. Principal industry in the area is manufacturing with approximately 13,500 of the total 14,500 manufac-turing workers engaged in textile em-ployment. Transportation, communi-cations, public utilities, retail trade, finance and insurance, real estate, service, government and miscellaneous non-manufacturing industries employ about 6,500 people. In the matter of development pro-grams, the local office has for years extended a wide variety of services to the city and community. Testing, counseling, interviewing, we make every effort to match the applicant seeking employment with the openings existing with local employers—giving full consideration to the interests, inherent skills and training possessed by the applicant. Office personnel has been trained to provide extensive test-ing and screening processes that assist greatly in placing the best qualified man on the best job that it is possible to get him, thereby rendering a special service to both employer and em-ployee. The office also works with and assumes the responsibility of preparing the disadvantaged workers to meet KANNAPOLIS competition in the local labor market. These programs are well known and are being used by major employers in the Kannapolis area. We moved into new quarters January 1, 1969, and in these new facilities we hope our services may expand. Lexington Area Experiences Growth The Lexington local office operates from the county seat of Davidson County and serves all of the county except Thomasville. The area served covers approximately 533 square miles. Lexington's primary industries are the manufacture of wood bedroom and dining room furniture, tables, chairs and cabinets, the manufacture of both synthetic and cotton goods in the textile industry, the manufacture of shirts, and related products, the manufacture of men's and children's hosiery, trucking and food processing. Furniture leads with 4,400 employees, followed by textiles with 3,300, appa-rel with 1,300, trucking with 700, and food processing with 700. Industries which have been added in the last decade are the manufacture of ceramic tile, aluminum building products, machined and plated parts, heavy industrial drying equipment, mercury batteries, cardboard containers, and the manufacture of fiber glass yarn in the order of their entry into the area. Together these firms employ over LEXINGTON 24 ESC QUARTERLY 2,000 workers. When fully staffed, employment in these same firms will increase to over 2,600 workers. Local furniture interests have expanded their operations by building five additional Dlants employing around 1,300 per-sons since 1956. The Lexington area has a work 'orce of 23,650 people. During the ?ast several months the area has aver-iged a 1.2 percent rate of unemploy-nent among workers covered by the Employment Security law. Employ-nent in manufacturing makes up 61 jercent of total employment in the urea. The following is a percentage jreakdown of employment by ndustry: Furniture 37% Textile 30% Apparel 11% All Other 22% Most of the work force is in manu-facturing with furniture, textile, and ipparel making up 78 percent of all nanufacturing employment. Because )f this heavy concentration of indus- ;rial employment, a high percentage of ictivity of the local office involves ipplicants and employers in this seg-nent of the work force. There has been an unprecedented ;rowth in the Lexington area in the Dast seven years. The rate was accele-rated in 1965 and 1966, but slowed down slightly in early 1967. This growth was resumed in 1968 and by the end of the year employment was at an all time high. The local office has six full-time persons on the staff, including a coun-selor, who is stationed in Salisbury and works in Lexington two days a week. Other staff members are the manager, two interviewers, a veterans employ-ment representative, and a steno-grapher. Also stationed in the office is a field representative who works in the unemployment insurance division under the supervision of the State office in Raleigh, and serves Davidson and Randolph Counties. Staff members are active in various church and civic activities. Among their affiliations are membership in the Lions Club and the Exchange Club, Coordinator of JACS—Joint Action in Community Service, membership in American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Veterans, the Lexing-ton Employ the Handicapped Com-mittee, the Davidson County Social Service Club, N. C. Personnel and Guidance Association, the Davidson County Community Action Com-mittee, Committee on Adult Educa-tion, Chairman of Division of United Fund Campaign and others. Union County Engineer Lures Industry The Monroe office serves Union bounty, with a population of approxi-nately 50,000 people, and is located it 128 South Main Street. The office las been in operation at this location ;ince June 8, 1960. It was formerly an tinerant point of the Charlotte office intil early 1950 when it was estab-ished as a full-time office. It has a ;taff of four members, consisting of a nanager, a veterans employment re-wesentative, a clerk-stenographer and i placement interviewer. The office has numerous functions md offers vital services to the area, rhis includes job placement, the filing >f unemployment insurance claims, )rovision of up-to-date labor market nformation to employers and poten-tial industrial prospects, assisting employers in their personnel practices ind, in general, contributing to maxi-rmm regular employment and expand-ng production through cooperative community action. New industries ocating in the area depend largely apon employment office assistance in staffing plants. A total of 57 new industries have located in Union County since Sep-tember, 1952, which roughly coincides with the date that the present man-ager, Floyd Harrill, became head of the office. A total of 48 are still operating and provide employment for approximately 9,000 workers. Expan-sion by local industries has provided employment for an additional 2,000 workers. A total of 20,000 workers are now employed in Union County. Union County employs a full-time industrial engineer to help secure new industries. This has proven to be a worthwhile investment by the county, and has been a major factor in provi-ding job opportunities for a major percentage of the available workers here. During the three months period ending November 25, 1968, the per-centage of workers in covered employ-ment that were unemployed in Monroe remained at 0.5 for each of the three months. There were only seven towns in North Carolina with lower unemployment rates during October, 1968. Prospects are very good for employment to remain at a very high level during 1969. The textile industry employs the largest number of workers in the county, followed closely by apparel plant employment, with construction employment being a close thiid. The machine trades also provide jobs for a large number of workers. Food pro-cessing and related work provides employment for a large segment of workers that fall within the special age groups. Personnel of the Monroe office are affiliated with and participate in a variety of activities within the Union County area. The placement inter-viewer served as vice-chairman and former chairman of the Fairview divi-sion of the Piedmont Area Develop-ment Association which has won first place four years out of the past seven. He is also an Elder in the Bethlehem Presbyterian Church, a Sunday school teacher of 27 years and Clerk of Sessions of the church, a past Worthy Patron of the Order of Eastern Star and a member of Union Lodge 618 A F & AM. The VER is active in veterans organizations in the area, having served as Chaplain for the Melvin Deese Post for the past seven years, and has also served as chairman of the Legion Oratorical Contest for the county for the past five years, producing a second place winner in the statewide competi-tion. Staff of the Monroe Employment Security Commission Counselor Jerry McDaniel; Stenographer Margery Griffin; Veterans Employment Repre-sentative Solon Walden; Interviewer Buford Price; and Manager Floyd Harrill (seated). ESC QUARTERLY 25 The manager is a Rotarian, and a past president, a member of the Melvin Deese Post of the American Legion and the local 40 & 8 Organization, having served twice as Commander of the local Legion Post, Past District Commander and also has served as secretary and Chef de Gare in the 40 & 8 organization. He is currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Anson-Union Community Action com-mission, Inc., and coordinates acti-vities between that agency and the local ESC office. He has served as deacon and Sunday school teacher in the First Baptist Church, Monroe. He also works closely with the Union County industrial engineer by provi-ding labor market information prior to final decisions being made by indus-trial prospects. Testing, counseling and job placement services have been pro-vided for these firms, enabling them to begin operations smoothly and speedily and enter into production much earlier than they would have been able to do had they found it necessary to do their own recruiting. Salisbury ESC Part Of Community The Salisbury local office of the Employment Security Commission is located in the heart of the central Piedmont of the State. Spencer, our adjoining sister-city, is considered the population center of the Old North State. Salisbury is the county seat of Rowan County and the office serves all of Rowan County, except the town of Landis, and all of Davie County. Rowan County is over 200 years old and like Davie County has been traditionally conservative economi-cally for 50 to 75 recent years. This attitude was not carried to the extreme and has, we feel, been instru-mental in giving the area a stable basis upon which we have been able in the past 20-25 years to bring in new industries and expand many existing firms. Today we find our area in a most healthful and reasonably pro-gressive economic condition. Our growth has been well balanced in that we not only have not had an overly large increase in one type of industry but have had, in addition to our diversified growth in employment, a parallel increase in educational, cul-tural and recreational facilities. We have taken these steps smoothly and with no over burdening of our tax structure. Our citizenry, by and large, is well pleased with the tempo of our progress and consider this "a good place to live." In-migrants from other areas are quick to sense this feeling and the sincerely friendly spirit of our people and their loyalty to their employer has made it easy for our new firms and their "imported" executives to feel and to actually become a part of the community with only the briefest of transitional periods. From its earliest days our area has been a trading center and we are still a leader in per capita sales in the State. Total non-agricultural employment for our area ranks in the following order: manufacturing, trade, government, service, construction, transportation-communications and public utilities and finally, finance, insurance and real estate. While a large segment of our population is "non-urban" our average agricultural employment (1966) was 1310 which is only about four percent of our total civilian work force. Our ma
Object Description
Description
Title | E.S.C. quarterly |
Date | 1969 |
Publisher | Raleigh, N.C.: Employment Security Commission of North Carolina,1947-1975. |
Rights | State Document see http://digital.ncdcr.gov/u?/p249901coll22,63754 |
Language | English |
Digital Characteristics-A | 60 p.; 6.88 MB |
Digital Collection | North Carolina Digital State Documents Collection |
Digital Format | application/pdf |
Title Replaces | U.C.C. quarterly** |
Audience | All |
Pres File Name-M | pubs_serial_escquarterly19641969.pdf |
Pres Local File Path-M | Preservation_content\StatePubs\pubs_serial_escquarterly |
Full Text | 3 6 1\ - i- THE ESC QUARTERLY VOLUME 26 NUMBER 1-2 North Carolina State Librgn Raleigh i. c- JpC. .*"'% ; -' J JSTATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CASWELL BUILDING EMPLOYMENT SERVICE EDITION CHAIRMAN'S COMMENTS Henry E. Kendall Chairman N. C. Employment Security Commission KENDALL During the 1930's, when the nation was recovering from the harsh austerity of the depression, proponents of a nationwide system of public, non fee-charging employ-ment services could hardly visualize the manpower problems that would confront the United States three decades later. Thirty years ago who could foresee billion-dollar expenditures for manpower development programs, and what politician could have predicted such sweeping social legislation as civil rights and equal opportunity laws? "Disadvantaged—hardcore—anti-poverty" are the ring-ing expletives of the '60's. It seems, looking back now at the turn of the decade, they have sprung at us at once! New departments such as Health, Education and Welfare, the Civil Rights Com-mission and the Office of Economic Opportunity have become principal federal agencies and have gained enormous regulatory powers. Supported primarily by private funds, the North Carolina Fund sought the solutions of unemployment and now another agency, the Manpower Development Cor-poration, attacks the problem through occupational training. Many State and national agencies attempt to improve the employment and living conditions of thou-sands of persons, and so do scores of local community action committees. As an affiliate of the Department of Labor, the U. S. Employment Service is delegated assignments and respon-sibilities within practically every Congressional manpower act. The states, through r,heir public employment offices or special representatives, implement their parts of the programs, and at no time in the 30 year history of the public employment system have the needs for its services been greater. At no time have the demands for our time and personnel been more intense. So, this issue of the ESC Quarterly can be called the Employment Service issue. Each office manager has submitted information about local activities to include in this magazine, the first time we've given this publication over almost entirely to one division of the Employment Security Commission. We are also pleased to include in this issue an article submitted by an official of the Veterans Administration Hospital in Salisbury about a new job referral plan for mental patients. Explaining that about 50 patients a month will be referred to Veterans Employment Repre-sentatives, Dr. Ralph Gardner, Coordinator of Counseling Psychology at Salisbury, believes that the cooperative venture between the hospital staff and the Veterans Employment Service will provide a major job placement service to patients who in the past have encountered extreme difficulty and employer rebuff. Employer "pre-judice and fej " reports Dr. Gardner, "is a pervasive fact of the job market; and this is quite an obstacle to their (patients) employment." TH E ESC QUARTERLY EMPLOYMENT SERVICE EDITION Volume 26, No. 1-2 Issued at Raleigh, N. C, by the EMPLOYMENT SECURITY COMMISSION OF NORTH CAROLINA Commissioners Billy Earl Andrews, Durham; Charles L. Hunley, Monroe; James W. Seabrook, Fayetteville; Henry E. Kendall, Raleigh; Harold F. Coffey, Lenoir; R. Dave Hall, Belmont; Samuel F. Teague, Raleigh. State Advisory Council Public representatives: James A. Bridger, Bladen-boro, Chairman: Sherwood Roberson, Roberson-ville; Mrs. W. Arthur Tripp, Greenville. Em-ployer representatives: Mrs. M. Edmund Aycock, Raleigh; Joseph D. Ross, Jr., Asheboro; Carroll V. Singleton, Henderson; and G. Maurice Hill, Drexel. Employee representatives: Melvin Ward, Spencer, AFL, and H. D. Lisk, Charlotte, CIO. HENRY E. KENDALL Chairman R. FULLER MARTIN Director Unemployment Insurance Division ALDEN P. HONEYCUTT Director State Employment Service Division H. E. (Ted) DAVIS Editor Public Information Officer Sent free upon request to responsible individuals, agencies, organizations and libraries Address: E.S.C. Information Service, P. 0. Box 589, Raleigh, N. C. The Employmer Security Commi sion administe, two major Stai programs — Ui employment h surance and th State Emplo, ment Service. Tl Employment Se vice provides e. pense free jc placement to a. plicants through 54 local offices of the Commissio Unemployment insurance covers approximate 1,600,000 workers in North Carolina, providing the with benefit payments in case of involuntary unei ployment. The Unemployment Insurance program supported by payroll taxes contributed by appro: mately 43,000 Tarheel employing companies, fin and corporations. The Commission has operated sin the mid '30's when it was established by the Genei Assembly as the Unemployment Compensation Cot mission. ESC QUARTERLY f Those who think of adult basic education in terms of a literacy pro-gram for the middle-aged and elderly can have a broadening experience by dropping in to visit the North Carolina State University Adult Learning Center. The center is the location of the NCSU Adult Learning Resources Project. This is a unique special experi-mental and demonstration project administered through the University's Department of Adult Education and funded by the U. S. Office of Educa-tion (USOE) under provisions of Section 309 of the Adult Education Act of 1966. The fast pace and variety of work, ranging from planning, writing and programming of lessons to individual-ized teaching—via the latest educa-tional media, including computers — illustrates graphically what Project Director Dr. J. B. Adair means when he says "adult education is a field in motion. "Our work here is part of a pattern designed to be on the cutting edge of a national effort to clear a path of progress toward meeting the socio-economic challenges of our modern technological society." Dr. Adair con-tinues. "Adult educators must help build a bridge to span the gulf.between undereducated Americans and the type of productive job employment that can make these millions of citi-zens self-reliant and less dependent on others." Dr. Edgar J. Boone, head of the University's Department of Adult Education and chief campus adminis-trator for the project said "the special project is not merely an extension but an integral part of the research and development program in the Depart-ment of Adult Education. It is a beacon signaling future developments, not only for our University efforts in adult education but for all the other many, varied programs concerned with education for American adults." Adult Education's general target population is some 100 million Ameri-cans, 18 years or older, who have failed to complete high school. Special focus for adult basic education pro-grams is on the more than 24 million people, who, according to the latest U. S. census, have less than an eighth grade education. Students in adult basic education classes cannot be described by statis-tics alone, however. Adulthood has to be measured in accord with the obliga-tions an individual is carrying, not by the number of years he has lived. If the person is self-supporting or the head of a family, he is considered an adult, whether he is 18 or 58. The student may be a high school drop-out, an unskilled worker, an immigrant, a migrant, a working mother or a non-working father. He is an individual who, because of social and economic circumstances, fails to possess even the basic skills he needs to help him lead a productive life. For this student, whose needs vary from culture to culture, city to city, the flatlands to the hill country and from one job opportunity to another, many different basic education pro-grams are being designed. The NCSU project is one of 10 special experimental and demonstra-tion projects initially funded by USOE. Primary goal of all the projects is to determine how to build the kind of bridge Dr. Adair described, in the quickest, most economical way. Each of the projects differ in organization and operation, however. The official USOE designation for the NCSU work is "Developmental and Demonstration Project in the Use of Modern Educational Technology for Instruction of Undereducated Adults." The shorter description, NCSU Adult Learning Resources Pro-ject, was coined by the project staff. Specific and unique objectives for Project Director Adair and the special-ists on his staff are identification, development, demonstration and eval-uation of innovative curriculum mater-ials that will enhance and accelerate learning for undereducated adults. Results are disseminated, through various training programs that reach not only students but teachers and administrators as well. Numerous ESC QUARTERLY Staff members Dr. Wallace Nave, Paul Kirby, Dr. Ron Sherron, Dr. J. B. Adair, Faye Humphries, Hazel Small and James Camp direct the adult education program. types of publications are prepared to provide information and records on project findings. Emphasis is placed on the use of electronic teaching media in the indivi-dualized teaching-learning situation. Individualized teaching, research has shown, is more important to adults than most learners. Some reasons include: (1) The undereducated adult student is not only academically handicapped but functionally handicapped, as well, in that he has yet to develop the pre-requisite skills and learning patterns necessary to complete the learning process; (2) He has already experi-enced repeated failures in the tradi-tional group learning pattern and has insufficient self confidence or motiva-tion to deal with that type of situation again and (3) His learning is a self-directed experience so he does not need to compete with others; competi-tion, in fact, leads to further embarass-ment and insecurity. Educational media in use at the project include an IBM 1500 Compu-ter Assisted Instructional System. Computer assisted instruction (CAI) programs are designed for individual-ized instructional purposes and demonstrate the unique role of the computer in the teaching-learning situation. Capabilities of CAI systems permit unlimited variations in teaching tech-niques. Drill and practice; tutor and teach; games, a fun type approach which results in "rewards" for accur-acy and simulation, which requires use of lesson objectives to deal with life experiences, are among CAI learning elements. An exciting new element is learner-controlled instruction, which allows the student to chart and pursue the path of knowledge he finds most challenging. Additional teaching media expand the project's capacity to offer and evaluate individualized teaching stra-tegies. These include the Victor Elec-trowriter, a remote electronic black-board; the Language Master, an aural-oral approach to reading and speech remediation; various programmed text-books for use in the center's learning laboratory, a process called Pro-grammed Instruction (PI) and video tape recorders. The project location at 733 West Hargett St., Raleigh, is within easy access of students. This was planned because, in general, adult learners like to stay near their home communities. They would also have difficulties with transportation if the center were at a distant location. The learning center facilities are arranged to allow students to take advantage of individual instruc-tion in both the learning laboratory and at CAI terminals. An instructor, usually a graduate student, is always nearby to answer questions or help in any way possible. Students who come to the center are volunteer learners. Any adult, age 18 or more, who wishes to improve his basic educational and social skills, is eligible to enroll. Study schedules are conveniently arranged from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. Each student is enrolled in a program designed to meet his personal needs and goals. Currently available self-directed and programmed instructional materials are in reading, computation (math), home and family life, consumer educa-tion and citizenship. Curriculum objec-tives are in keeping with the overall adult basic education goal and aimed at helping the student relate what he learns to his life situation. New instructional materials in present and other fields of study are being developed, adapted for pro-grammed or computer assisted instruc-tion and used, in research designs to test their effectiveness with adult learners. A project dimension called "out-reach" is an important component because this is how project activitie; and results are communicated to othe institutions, agencies and individual; involved in local, state and nationa private and tax-supported adult basi( education programs. "Outreach' includes training and other oral an< written communication. Dr. Wallace K. Nave, an NCSl faculty member who is one of nin< University Resource Specialists ii adult basic education in the nation, ii training coordinator for the project He is in charge of such activities a in-service institutes, seminars anc workshops for adult basic educatior teachers, teacher trainers and adminis trators. These are conducted on local state and regional basis. A nationa CAI workshop is being planned fo this summer. While these training efforts arc usually cooperative ventures wit! other groups, project staff member are requested to serve as consultant and participating lecturers. All facet of the project work are explained t( training institute participants an( tours of the center are held to demon strate the project results. Additional training is possible a several community colleges involved ii the Electrowriter program. Electronic sending and receiving units have beer or shortly will be installed, through ; special telephone line network, at th< following institutions: Central Pied-mont Community College, Fayettevillt Technical Instutute, Lenoir Countj Community College and W. W. Hold ing Technical Institute. One instructo at the center's master control systen can teach groups at all the location simultaneously. Teaching per se is not the only us the remote electronic system is put tc Conference planning sessions are als' conducted. Both visual and aural intei relation is involved. Dr. Nave demonstrates one of the teach-ing aides, a Victor Electro-writer, a "remote electronic blackboard." ESC QUARTERLY James (Jay) Camp is learning center ordinator. His work is directly solved with the instructional process the learning laboratory, as it con-rns both teachers and students. He is charge of recruitment, counseling d curriculum planning for each ident. He also relates project goals and from learning laboratory exper-ices. Like Dr. Nave, Camp helps relate e NCSU project work to that being me by other agencies involved with e adult basic education target popu-tion. These groups include the N. C. nployment Security Commission, apartment of Public Health, Depart-ent of Welfare, Department of Public struction, Department of Corn-unity Colleges and other agencies ch as local branches of the New areers program and Head Start. Identification and development of •propriate curriculum materials for e target population in the project ea is a task which requires attention om the whole staff. Curriculum ^ordinator, Mrs. Hazel Small, heads e effort. She has the assistance of a lected group of creative graduate Instructor Nadine Wheaton uses another modern training device to increase a student's reading pro-ficiency. In the left photo, Mi-chael Rogers and Paul Kirby place a program disc into the center's IBM computer. The Computer Assisted Instructional System per-mits unlimited variations in teach-ing techniques. Terminals of the system may be located at points outside the center. students seeking degrees in adult education and, when necessary, ser-vices of professional commercial consultants. Systems Programming Coordinator Paul Kirby is in charge of getting the curriculum materials "coded, on line, debugged" and a host of other activi-ties involved in getting a CAI program ready for use. Selected graduate and undergraduate students at the Univer-sity, as well as IBM systems specialists, are involved in this phase of the project work also, as coders, key-punchers and computer consultants. Research Coordinator Dr. Ronald H. Sherron heads efforts to evaluate both curriculum materials and instruc-tional strategies. This is a before and after process, applied to materials and strategies developed as part of project work and also to those adapted from other sources. Educators, potential students and others may arrange to visit the project by calling Dr. Adair at Raleigh tele-phone number 755-2810. Written inquiries should be addressed to 733 West Hargett St., Raleigh, N. C, 27603. Employment Law Revisions Introduced A bill containing major revisions to the State's unemployment insurance program was introduced before the General Assembly in March by Senator Frank N. Patterson, Jr., of Albemarle and Representative Perry Martin of Northampton County. Containing several amendments to the State's Employment Security Law, the bill would raise the maximum unemployment insurance benefit pay-ment from $42 to $50 a week, provide a lower tax schedule for liable employers, and make available for the first time unemployment insurance benefits to certain jobless workers enrolled in vocational training. Under the current law, a jobless worker loses his unemployment insur-ance entitlement if he becomes enrolled in vocational training. The amended law would permit the Em-ployment Security Commission to make payments to eligible workers if they enroll in Commission-approved vocational schools or training pro-grams to learn occupational skills. Many of these individuals lack job skills, and proponents of the bill believe this amendment would actually encourage the worker to attend voca-tional classes. They will be referred to job training for occupations which have reasonable employment oppor-tunities. Payments to trainees will not be charged to employers' unemployment insurance accounts. The new provision would also let the Employment Security Commission disqualify a claimant for 4-12 weeks of unemployment insurance payments if he refuses to take suitable and avail-able vocational training, or if he quits without good cause or is separated because of misconduct. The bill states that without this opportunity to pursue vocational training many claimants would remain in the ranks of the unemployed for many months or even years. The amount of unemployment insurance benefits an eligible worker may draw is determined by wages or salary earned in covered employment. Another revision contained in the bill would increase from $4200 to $4600 the earnings needed for a claimant to collect the maximum $50 weekly pay-ments. The increase is needed so payments can keep pace with the general trend of rising wages and living costs. (See AMENDMENTS, Page 53) ESC QUARTERLY Dr. Leo Jenkins, President of East Carolina University in Greenville, is a leading exponent of eastern Carolina industrial development. The following address was delivered before the annual convention of the International Association of Personnel in Employment Security. In it. Dr. Jenkins urges Tarheel easterners to exert regional pride and states conditions which he feels will unify the area in its search for economic growth. College Administrator Jenkins Calls For Unity In Rural East One could not ask for a more interesting and important topic than the one assigned to me—my proposals for improving living conditions in rural North Carolina. That is what East Carolina University is all about, for even though we are vitally concerned with urban problems, we realize that there will not be much significant progress in our cities unless the rural areas also have an opportunity to grow. The best way to improve con-ditions is to recognize problems and then try to discover solutions to these problems. Since the most predominately rural section of North Carolina is in the east, I should like to confine my remarks to this part of the state. One extremely serious problem confronting eastern North Carolina is its tremen-dously bad image not only among other areas in the state and the nation, but also within its own boundaries. Because of this very difficulty, it will be necessary for me to accompany a group of business and professional men to New York State next week for the purpose of trying to convince several hundred highly skilled people to move their families into the Greenville area. It is my understanding that they are reluctant to follow an industry here because of the uncom-plimentary information they have received regarding our secondary school system. An executive of ano-ther firm told me that our highly unfortunate medical care situation in the east causes many college trained employees to feel reluctant to accept transfers here. Others complain about lack of adequate recreation facilities and cultural opportunities as deter-rents to new industry. To be very frank about it, eastern North Carolina has all too often been referred to as Siberia. Before rural living can be improved, this negative image must be changed. We must take seriously this thing called "Regional Image." To bring about this change, we may begin by cataloging all of those things that are worthy, that are fine and progressive, and use this information to paint a new picture of the east. We must use all media of communications to reveal the tremen- ESC QUARTERLY dous resources that exist in this area. For instance, there is an overgrowth of timber in eastern North Carolina; but not enough data has been gathered to be of a sales benefit in attracting the furniture industry, the pulpwood industry, and the plywood industry in eastern North Carolina. Numerous illustrations could be given to show the extent to which our true potential is often hidden under a barrel; therefore, I would make my first proposal be that of a massive program of public information. Call it "Operation Image," if you will, but use all the media of communications to let the world know the real poten-tial of this area that we call rural North Carolina. A program that would spell out the fine qualities of our people—our great heritage, our resour-ces, our favorable economic location, and everything else that would go into the so-called infrastructure of a region must receive the benefits of our best talent. Other states have been able to do this. Other regions have been able to paint the good picture. That must be one of our most urgent tasks. My second proposal, and I should say that these are not particularly listed in order of importance other than the first one, would be that of developing our waterways so that we could attract the major water transpor-tation industries into rural North Carolina. These are, in the vast major-ity of cases, the highly sophisticated industries, such as chemicals, petro-chemicals, extractive industries, etc. Here, too, we can learn a lesson from other states and other regions. Long range planning in Washington and throughout the world, for that matter, calls for new ports to be built off the Continental Shelf of the United States where vessels having a draft of 100 feet or more could moor. This would ideally fit into our situation, in that industries located along our inland waterways could have access by barge to these ports. This development of our waterways is an entire field of study in itself and a very fascinating one—one that would, if successful, do much to improve living conditions in rural North Carolina. My next proposal would be that of taking this thing called tourism mor seriously by developing and rigorous! projecting to the rest of the world on many attractive areas. Success in th great business of tourism could resul in a substantial income factor in ou economy. It is a well established fac that, with the exception of Nei Hanover County, the coastal countie of North Carolina are the mos economically depressed. They are th places where the standard of living i lowest. Yet, it is these very countie that have the greatest potential for th development of tourism. The probler appears to be one of the absence of coordinated planning effort. Adequat facilities to attract tourists have no been built, and outside capital has no been attracted to this area. It is ou responsibility to help correct thi situation. It might well be suggested that Coastal Planning Commission be estah lished not only to plan but also to see financing and do cooperative advei tising. As one rides down Highway 11 for example, he should be bombarde with reminders of the beauty of th coast which is nearby. Our historic* sites should be developed an summer theatre programs should b multiplied. In this very city c Wilmington, for example, is the state oldest theatre—the beautiful plac called Thalian Hall. It should be a yet round attraction for people seekin good theatre. People on their wa north and south should be encourage to make this one of their places for visit. Another proposal is that of subst tuting regional pride for local pride. ) know it is important for us to love 01 crossroads, our neighborhood, 01 little community; but we must not 1< this love become a stumbling bloci We have done this all too often. It not to our advantage to have evei incorporated community try to t everything to all its citizens when th results in creating inadequate ar often grossly inferior facilities ar services. For example, every loc community cannot have an airport, large industry, a college, a museur and a hospital. It will often be bett for all when many of these thin :eive massive regional attention so it the resulting benefit can more »sely approach that which is excel-it. It would be well, for example, if •tain communities would assume ;cific tasks for the entire region, :h as building a regional airport or a ;ional cultural center. Allocating ious needed but expensive facilities different areas within a region could rmit the pooling of funds which, in n, may result in adequate facilities each instance. Mr. Sloan of General Motors is ;ged to have said several years ago, : we do anything wrong at General )tors, it is that we do not plan big Dugh." We must plan big in rural rth Carolina. My next proposal should be labeled csearch." As you know, phosphate > been discovered in the Beaufort unty region and lime has been covered in the Jones County area, ge chemical complexes should relop around these deposits. These coveries might well indicate the ssibility of other chemicals and nerals present beneath our surface, ich more exploration in the field of jlogy is needed. It is conceivable it there may exist large clay deposits eastern North Carolina which, in n, could present the potential for reloping this area into an important ck-producing area. This would do ich for lifting our economy. Further studies about underground ter resources would also be useful in racting water-using industries. This means that both the state and leral governments and private indus- ' should be encouraged to pump iss sums of money into mineral :earch in rural North Carolina. Another proposal might be called lilitary-Civilian Transition." Eastern >rth Carolina has approximately )00 military personnel being re-ised at its military bases annually, ese people are often highly trained electronics, computer operations, ichinists, and many other skills in art supply in eastern North Carolina d great demand by industry. Many these men have married local )men and are often desirous of rsuing a civilian career here. I realize that the Employment curity people are well aware of this :t and are assisting many of these in. It is reasonable to assume, how-er, that a well glamorized program ght well cause many more of these ople to stay here. And this, in itself, uld be used to attract new industry d thus create new jobs for our rural ople. The possibilities here for a ?ver promoter are quite real and ould be studied. My next proposal deals with high lool and grammar school drop-outs, lis, of course, contributes to the ;ious cycle of poverty and bad living nditions. Much of the instruction in our public schools, perhaps because of historical reasons, is college-oriented. The absence of the concentration on vocational orientation leaves the drop-out often totally unprepared to seek worthy employment. It seems reason-able to assume that if greater efforts were made toward vocational educa-tion programs some of these people may not end up in the drop-out group, but might well eventually leave the school system with marketable skills. Our technical institutes are beginning to make a dent in this problem. Perhaps more attention should be given toward a massive effort to decrease the drop-out problem in all of our school systems. JENKINS My next proposal is probably one of the most serious I have to make, and that is adequate medical care. I have been treated with scorn by people who should know better for merely telling the truth. It is readily apparent that the deplorable situation described by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his message to Congress in 1939 is still rampant in eastern North Carolina. Let me quote: "I have been concerned by the evidence of inequalities that exist among the states as to personnel and facilities for health services. There are equally serious inequalities of resour-ces, medical facilities, and services in different sections and among different economic groups. These inequalities create handicaps for the parts of our country and the groups of our people which most sorely need the benefits of modern medical science." A few statistics will tell you why we are not going to do much improv-ing until we take seriously the imbalances and the inadequacies of medical care that exist in rural North Carolina. I believe the time will soon come when our people will become so indignant about this that they will demand that which they should right-fully have now. Serious imbalances are found in comparing numbers of dentists, nurses, and allied health professionals in the east with those in the remainder of the state. An example of this regional imbalance is seen in the fact that in 1967 there were 208 active physical therapists in North Carolina; 16 of these were in the east as compared to 175 in the Piedmont. Any assessment of health man-power must include an assessment of educational resources to produce needed manpower. There is no institu-tion in the east to produce physician manpower. Of eight baccalaureate schools of nursing in the state, only one is located in the east—at East Carolina University. Two out of twenty-one diploma schools of nursing are found in the east. There are sixteen baccalaureate programs in medical technology in North Carolina, but only two are located in eastern North Carolina—at East Carolina University and at Wilmington College. North Carolina has two programs to train physical therapists—a Baccalaureate Degree Program at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a Master's Degree Program at Duke Uni-versity. These two schools can accept only 36 per cent of students who have applied for admission during the past three years. There is no program in North Carolina to produce occupa-tional therapists and only one program for medical record librarians. Throughout eastern North Carolina deficiencies are found in health facili-ties. Several of the more populous eastern counties have hospitals larger than 200 beds; most of the 23 counties with hospitals, however, con-tain a hospital facility smaller than 100 beds. The hospital bed/population ratio for the entire state is 1/273; in eastern North Carolina the hospital bed/population ratio is 1/414. Similar imbalances exist in numbers of nursing homes, extended care facilities, and community mental health centers. Sophisticated diagnostic facilities are extremely scarce in the east. This area fares poorly when compared to the rest of the state in facilities for cardiac monitoring, comprehensive medical laboratory tests, and equip-ment for doing complex diagnostic X-Ray studies. A reason for these deficiencies in diagnostic facilities is apparent when one examines the number of small hospitals serving only one county. Adequate staffing of these hospitals for routine services is ex-tremely difficult; financial support and staffing for complex, sophisticated diagnostic procedures is virtually impossible. When one realizes that rural eastern North Carolina is larger in population (See JENKINS, Page 52) ESC QUARTERLY ALDEN HONEYCUTT Director JOHN W. FLEMING Assistant Director EDSON BATES In Charge, Field Operations N. C. State Employment Service Local Office Operations North Carolina's Employment Security program is administered through the Employment Security Commission central office and a system of public employment offices whose chief function is to offer assistance to workers looking for jobs and to employers seeking workers. In North Carolina there are 54 full time offices strategically located across the State and part time offices serve 87 other widely scattered communities, with services available to every county. In addition, Smaller Communities mobile offices provide employment services in selected rural areas. At the end of 1968, six offices were opened in the Concentrated Employment program to provide comprehensive man-power services for disadvantaged workers. An out-of-state clearance system is also provided. Placing workers in suitable jobs, the State Employment offices offer many associated services. Employment counseling is given, general aptitude tests administered, jobs are analyzed and studies are made of labor supply and demand. The State also participates in nationwide special service programs for veterans and ex-servicemen, the under-22 age group, workers 45 years old and over and the long-term unemployed and disadvantaged groups. In 1968, the State Employment Service placed over 104,600 applicants in non-farm jobs and placed farm workers in over 441,600 farm jobs. A second basic function of the Employment Security offices is the taking of unemployment insurance claims when the unemployed worker seeks to establish his benefit rights. Such benefits are designed to tide the eligible claimant over temporary periods of unemployment. The year 1968 was characterized by a continuation of the business rise, declining unemployment, further tightening of the labor supply and more intensive efforts by local office personnel, through new programs, to reach and serve the disadvantaged worker. ESC QUARTERLY PHILLIP R.PENLAND Area Supervisor Asheville ESC Administrative Area JACK EDWARDS Asheville FRED RIDDLE Bryson City CHARLES ERWIN Hendersonville DAVID GRAY Marion NED LAFEVERS Morganton GRAHAM HENDRICK Murphy DAVIS NICHOLS Spruce Pine DEBRAYDA FISHER Waynesville ESC QUARTERLY MADISON-BUNCOMBE MAKES STRIDES The Asheville local office is the community manpower service center for approximately 160,000 residents of beautiful and historic Buncombe and Madison Counties. This is a geo-graphical area abounding with peaceful valleys, clear cool mountain streams and towering mountain ranges—all in breath-taking panorama. This mountainous area is traversed by the Blue Ridge Parkway, inter-sected by Interstate Highways T40 and T26 and ready access is provided by five federal highways. Transportation needs are met by the Southern Rail-road, three major airlines, 33 motor freight lines and bus services by four inter-state carriers. In years past tourism and agricul-ture were the main sources of income for this area. However, the develop-ment of excellent transportation facili-ties, ample sources of electric power and natural gas, abundant water resources and the availability of skilled, unskilled and trainable man-power, have all contributed to the steady economic and industrial growth and development of the Buncombe- Madison County area. Today, with a total work force of over 67,000 persons in the geo-graphical area, agricultural workers number only 3,100 to 5,000, depen-dent upon seasonal requirements. Manufacturing of durable goods, in-cluding electrical machinery and controls, instruments, plastics, furni-ture and lumber and wood products and others, utilize a work force of 7,400. Manufacturing of non-durable goods, including chemicals, textiles, apparel, food and other non-durable goods, utilize a work force of more than 13,900. The total non-manufacturing work force is over 63,000 and includes trade, services, construction and other non-manufacturing enterprises. There are 160 manufacturing firms in Buncombe County and Madison County, employing wage and salaried workers at an annual total wage of $98,000,000. Chief industries of city and surrounding territory include tourism, manufacturing, lumber, and tobacco. Principal manufactured pro-ducts of city and vicinity are blankets, cotton and yarn goods, flour and feed, electric organs, furniture, mica pro-ducts, packing products, printing and publishing products, instruments, cigarette papers, rayon and nylon yarn, cellophane, paper, electronic parts, molded plastics, paper apparel, machine items, food products, silicon, ASHEVILLE parachutes, baby foods, glass con-tainers, Cashmere sweaters, roller bearing and electrical machinery. In the socio-economic community of Buncombe and Madison County the Asheville Employment Security Com-mission has a long and enviable heri-tage. Opening in the early 1930's with a small staff, the office now has a trained staff of 22 employees. The organizational pattern consists of a manager, an assistant manager, Unit A (professional, managerial, clerical and sales), Unit B (construction, transpor-tation and services), Unit C (manufac-turing), facilitating and reception unit, youth services unit and the U. I. Division. Other functions represented in the office are employment coun-seling, testing, MDTA services, veterans employment representative and labor market analyst. Office space is also provided for the area supervisor, a claims deputy, a claims appeal deputy, a farm placement represen-tative, an auditor and a field represen-tative. To insure quality service a full staff meeting is conducted weekly to im-prove inter-office communications and to present program emphasis. Weekly meetings with supervisors and tech-nical staff are held to verify progress and assist in problem solving. Super-visors also conduct weekly Unit meetings in order to insure under-standing and cooperation of individual staff members. Optimum utilization of the staff is accomplished by having all personnel, insofar as practical, trained and utilized in second line duties which increases the effectiveness of the Employment Service and provides for uninterrupted services during the absence of the staff member respon-sible for a specific activity. Recognizing that the success of the Employment Service is directly related to the relations of the agency with employers, and the community as a whole, the Asheville local office has a strong employer relations program and considerable time is devoted to work with community, industrial, profes-sional and civic groups. Individual staff members are active participants in veterans' organizations, community action agencies, the Neighborhood Youth Corps, the N. C. Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Flynn Home of Asheville, the Ashevillt Buncombe County Ministers' Fellov ship, Model Cities, and Mountain Mai power. Yes, in years past, tourism an agriculture were the major sources ( income for this area. However, due t the efforts of progressive communit minded groups, team work and a "g< up and go" philosophy of intereste individuals, the Buncombe-Madisc County area is now noted not only ; a vacation resort area, but also it is center of industrial growth and ec< nomic progress. The Asheville loci office is proud of the role it has playe in the expansion of the broad< economies of the industrial wester North Carolina area. Bryson City Serves Cherokees The Bryson City local office serv the area of Swain County and tl Cherokee Indian Reservation. F unemployment insurance we ser Macon County one day of each wee which usually requires the service two staff members one full day each week. Our office is located in a ne modern building erected during ti early part of 1968 and occupied July. We presently have five staff mei bers including a manager, interviewi interviewer-stenographer and t\ counselors. The two counselors £ assigned to the Cherokee Indian Rest vation at which they carry on a i program of ES activities. Our local office manager is rati new on the scene. Fred J. Rid< transferred from Spruce Pine Bryson City on December 9, 1968. has been with the Employment ' curity Commission approximately I years and we have every reason believe he will add vim, vigor, visi and vitality to the efforts of c programs and progress. Our interviewer I, Mrs. Aileen Farrell, is a native of Swain Cour and has been an employee of f Commission for 22 years. She is vi I 10 ESC QUARTERLY rained in practically every phase of 5S and UI activity. Because of our inique situation she not only serves as eceptionist but also as an application aker and a selection and referral nterviewer. She takes job orders, nakes varied UI reports, and quite >ften "holds the fort" during the tbsence of other staff members. Kathleen Booker has worked ipproximately 16 years as inter-viewer- stenographer, serving occa-iionally as interviewer-in-charge. Her ob duties are perhaps as varied as her lobbies. She has worked as an appli- :ation taker, has taken job orders, ;elected and referred applicants, ldministered tests, and on occasions las made the varied reports for ES and JI activity. We have a staff member employed it the Cherokee Indian Reservation >utpost as a counselor I. The facilities here are furnished by the eastern land of Cherokees. Paul Edward Guy, counselor rainee, has been an employee of the Commission for almost two years. He ransferred from the ES Mobile Unit at >ylva to an assignment at the Chero-kee outpost on October 1. The counselors have already tested he 1969 senior class at Cherokee High School and members of the Neighbor-lood Youth Corps. They are develop-ng plans for a counseling program and ire offering residents of the Reserva-ion all phases of ES services including esting, counseling, selection and re-erral to training, job development and )ther services. The counselors are dis-maying a genuine interest in economic levelopment of the area they serve. For years we have noted a seasonal rend in our ES and UI activity. During the summer months we have lumerous job openings because of ninimum rates of pay, living condi-ions and other factors. Recruitment rom other areas does not prove to be ittractive. In the winter months in-lement weather conditions and other nfluences cause the return of workers o their homes. We have many in the irea who migrate to other sections for obs in the construction and auto nanufacturing industries and they eturn to their homes during the win-er months. This requires utilization of til staff to take care of the UI activity or a period of several months. We have in the area several indus-ries operating on a year round basis, vlagnavox Corporation at Bryson City nanufactures television cabinets for )oth Magnavox and Zenith Corpora-ions. This company employs approxi-nately 425 workers. Heritage Quilts, nc, manufactures comforters and dra-peries of the finest quality and design, located in Bryson City, it employs ipproximately 175 people. Fairlane sportswear in Bryson City employs ipproximately 50 workers in the nanufacture of lace. On the Cherokee Indian Reserva-tion we have White Shield of Carolina employing approximately 135 workers in the manufacture of mattress pads, quilts, and plastic products. A good percentage of the workers are Indians. Saddlecraft, Inc., employs almost 200 workers in the manufacture of whips, moccasins, Indian attire, etc. All workers are Cherokee Indians. Vassar Corporation, also located on the Re-servation, is engaged in the manufac-ture of hair accessories. This company employs approximately 125 em-ployees and approximately 75 percent are Cherokee Indians. Bryson City and the Cherokee Indian Reservation are located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Moun-tain National Park. The services required by an agency such as ours is almost as unique as the seasons of the year. Our "four seasons" display a great work of natural beauty. The tourist industry is continually trying to utilize year 'round attractions rather than the seasonal business it now enjoys. The Great Smoky Moun-tain National Park, the Cherokee Indian Reservation with its feature "Unto These Hills" and the "Museum of the Cherokee Indians," Frontier-land and many other attractions are exotic sights for the tourist in the area. Spring offers the beauty of the bloom-ing Mountain Laurel, Honeysuckle, Azalea, Rhododendron, Dogwood, and many other fantastic scenes. Summer is refreshing with the cool mountain streams filled with trout, the majestic mountains with a coat of green inter-spersed with blooms of sourwood. The hot days and cool nights that can be enjoyed by any nature lover. Fall, with the hues of color—crimson, green, gold, brown and the amber waves of grain, fields of shucked corn, pump-kins, and the harvest, can no place on earth be more clearly evidenced by the splendor of God's artistic hand. Winter—a wonderland it is indeed. Snow, ice, frost, combined with the brisk, clean, pure mountain air, make a setting that could only be compared by the scenes at Bethlehem. No wonder, no wonder, the people flock to the mountain and home to enjoy the wonders of the hills. Hendersonville Staff Active In Community The Hendersonville local office serves the three county area of Polk, Henderson, and Transylvania. All three counties are mountainous and enjoy mild temperatures year 'round. For this reason, many retirees move to these counties. The area possesses an industrial-agricultural economy. The major agricultural crops are corn, apples, cucumbers, gladiola, pole and bunch beans. Most of these crops require migrant labor to supplement local labor during the harvest season. Service to agricultural employers and the migrant laborer is provided by the farm placement section of the local office. The primary industries in Hen-derson County are the General Electric Company, Berkley Mills, Cranston Print Works, J. P. Stevens and Company, and Ruths Originals Cor-poration. These industries provide the majority of the industrial em-ployment. Itinerant point service is provided to Polk County once each week. This county is a small, isolated rural area. It is noted for its resort and retirement facilities. The major industries in the county are Hatch Mills and Stone-cutter Mills. Transylvania County is served once a week by itinerant service for unemployment insurance purposes. HENDERSONVILLE ESC QUARTERLY 11 The local office staff is composed of seven members with office facilities provided for outstationed personnel. The following staff members are assigned to the local office: manager Charles N. Erwin, veterans employ-ment representative Clyde C. Taylor, interviewer (alternate counselor) Ken-neth Skaggs, interviewers Fred Arledge, Lonnie Jerry, and inter-viewer- stenographer Katherine Elgin. Occupational analyst Coy Robertson is stationed in the local office and provides industrial services for the Asheville administrative area. Farm placement supervisor W. D. Brackett, representative Dennis Hodges, and typist Doris Anderson comprise the farm placement section. Field representative Arthur B. Wray, Jr., and tax auditor Steve Carlisle are provided office quarters by the local office. Carlisle is a member of the board of directors of the local Community Action Organization. The staff members are active in community life. Taylor is presently serving as first vice commander and membership chairman of the American Legion Post No. 77. He is also presi-dent of the men's class of the First United Methodist Church. Arledge has served as adjutant of the American Legion Post No. 77. He is currently Post Veteran Employment Officer of VFW Post 5206. Skaggs is active in the U. S. Air Force Reserve, holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He is a member of American Legion Post 77 and VFW Post 5206. He is a past president of the Hendersonville Lions Club and a past commander of American Legion Post 77. Erwin, who was assigned to the local office in August, 1968, is a member of the Mayor's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped. Marion ESC Aids Rural Community The Marion local office serves the area of McDowell County which in-cludes the towns of Marion and Old Fort. The rural community between these towns is highly developed and thickly populated. In McDowell county the two leading industries are textile and related industries followed closely by furniture. The textile in-dustry is represented by two large weave mills and one knitting mill which manufacture cloth; two thread processing and dyeing plants and a cloth dyeing and finishing plant; one manufacturer of carpets for auto-mobiles as well as a number of hosiery MARION mills of varying sizes. Three furniture plants in the area manufacture bed-room and dining room furniture pri-marily and one plant manufactures pianos. The staff of the Marion office consists of a manager and two inter-viewers. David S. Gray, Jr., the manager, began work with the Com-mission in April, 1942, as an inter-viewer with the Farm Placement pro-gram in the North Wilkesboro office. He transferred to Marion in June, 1944, and has been located in Marion since that time. He is a native of Rutherford County. At the present time he is an officer and active in the work of the Pleasant Gardens Grange and in the past has served as an officer in various civic organizations. Mr. & Mrs. Gray's son is a member of the faculty of Sacred Heart College in Belmont where he teaches history and literature. Their daughter teaches piano in Sanford. Mrs. Mary Egan Little joined the staff in Marion as an interviewer in March, 1956. She is a native of St. Louis, Missouri. She lives with her husband and children on a 300 acre farm 5 miles southwest of Marion where they raise Holstein cows. She is a member of Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church, Pleasant Gardens Grange, Providence Home Demonstra-tion Club and Sweet Adelines singing organization. Mrs. Brenda Allison Keeter, the newest addition to the Marion staff since February, 1966, is also an inter-viewer. She received a B. A. in English from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1965. In August, 1968, she married Steve Keeter both of whom are natives of Marion. It is noted that the combined service records of these three staff members with the Employment Security Com-mission totals 43 years of which 41 years have been in the Marion local office. Employment In Morganton Up 33% The Morganton local office with Ned W. LaFevers, manager, serves all of Burke County except the Hildebran and Henry River communities. Total employment in the area has increased by 33 percent (7,000 workers) during the past five years. This increase was the result of the community's intense effort to bring new industry into the area and provide job opportunities for its citizens, in addition to unusual growth records by existing industries. The office serves a considerable number of applicants from 10 sur-rounding counties who commute a distance up to 40 miles. These com-muters constitute a valuable source of labor because the local labor supply is inadequate to staff the long estab-lished and new industries. Many large expansions have been made by existing industries which have added a heavy strain on the labor force. The Morganton local office pro-vides manpower services in an area that has 800 employing establish-ments. One of these firms is the largest furniture manufacturer in North Caro-lina and the eighth largest manufac-turing establishment in the State. Other primary industries are textile, including hosiery, apparel, food and kindred products, electrical machin-ery, boot and shoe, paints and varnishes, paperboard containers, piano, synthetic marble and slate, and government. The government sector includes several large State institutions and constitutes approximately 12 percent of the 28,000 persons employed in Burke County. This important part of the workforce commands an annual payroll in excess of $12 million. This office is staffed by the manager, with 23 years service with the Commission, a selection and refer-ral officer, a veterans employment representative, two counselors, and! three interviewers. The staff has ar aggregate of 112 years (an average oi| 14 years) of service with the Com mission and is characterized by its versatility which enables each membe; to function in any phase of offic* procedure when the situation demand; it. The entire office force is well repre sented in the affairs of the communit] being identified with various civic educational, religious and fraterna organizations. The local office has enrollei approximately 3,000 trainees unde Manpower Development and Trainin Act programs. Training in initial skill 12 ESC QUARTERLY nd upgrading of acquired skills has een provided in several local indus- :ies, institutions and service establish-lents. The training projects have lcluded such occupations as steno-rapher, machinist, furniture workers, loe manufacture, medical technician, lectrical switch assembler, water puri-cation, sheet metal worker, psychi-tric aide, etc. MORGANTON All staff members regularly parti-ipate in job development contacts, romotional telephone calls, employer isits, and other public relations acti-ities. Several staff members are roficient in public speaking, and have een requested to address various civic nd educational groups. Outreach, mployer relations and industrial ;rvices are provided to the extent that ;aff limitation will permit. The office ?rves one itinerant point in Valdese rhich provides ES and UI services, umerous spot points at various indus- •ial plants are served when needed. A very close and harmonious work-lg relationship is maintained with roughton Hospital, Western Carolina enter, Western Piedmont Community dllege, and several other govern-lental agencies. Services primarily rovided are job training, testing, ounseling, job development, place-lent, and follow up. The wide range of services provided 3 the people, industries, agencies and istitutions is facilitated and enriched y the good public image enjoyed by le ESC in the Morganton area. NDUSTRIAL GROWTH )VERTAKES CHEROKEE The Murphy local office provides 'herokee County with employment ervices. In addition to Cherokee it is lso responsible for claims taking func-ions in Graham and Clay Counties. The local office area prior to 1960 was predominantly agricultural in its employment. A dramatic change has taken place since then in industry development. The primary industry in the area consists of textile, electronics, lumber and wood, garment, and furniture manufacturing. These include the well known American Thread Company. A subsidiary of Magnavox Corp., oper-ating under the name of Andrews Furniture Company makes T.V. cabinets here. Litton Industries oper-ates an electronics plant in Cherokee County under the name of Clifton Precision Products. They make small motors for navigational use. In gar-ments, Rimco Manufacturing makes lace, Brumby manufactures underwear and Levi-Strauss Company produces its famous "Levis" dress pants. Ameri-can Enka operates a yarn manufac-turing plant here under the name of Peachtree Products. Berkshire Interna-tional, one of the oldest plants in the area (16 years), is currently expanding even more. They manufacture ladies seamless hosiery. These companies, plus a growing tourist and recreational industry compete with a progressive agricultural establishment in Cherokee. The local office is staffed with only four members, one less than it had when the rapid growth of the area began. The local office staff have prepared labor market information for each of these plants and helped with their staffing as they moved in. The staff has done an outstanding job in working with local employers on many MDTA "on the job" and "coupled" training projects during the past two years. Each staff member is active in some type of community activity with the exception of the manager who was recently appointed to this office. Graham H. Hendricks, a native of Gastonia, is the new manager. He is also the acting Veterans Employment Representative. Mrs. Virginia Scroggs and Mrs. Juanita Weaver, both employ-ment interviewers, are members of the Murphy Business and Professional Women's Club. Avery Gains New Resort In Spruce Pine, the Employment Security Commission office is located in the center of the two counties it serves:, Mitchell and Yancey. Avery County is served by a new office at Boone. Yancey is served every Thurs-day at Burnsville. These counties are three of the highest in North Carolina and each has one of the highest peaks in the State. Mount Mitchell in Yancey County is the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. Grandfather Mountain in Avery County and Roan Mountain in Mit-chell County are among the top peaks and both are noted tourist attrac-tions— Grandfather Mountain for its mile-high bridge and Roan for its Rhododendron gardens. When com-pleted, the Beach Mountain resort, which is located in Avery County, will be one of the largest resorts in the eastern United States. Its year 'round facilities include an airport with a 5,000-foot runway, six golf courses and swimming facilities. It also has eight ski runs. Until 1961 the primary industry in the Spruce Pine area was mica and feldspar mining which employed over 70 percent of the total industrial employment in the three-county area. Eighty percent of the feldspar and 70 percent of the mica mined in the United States was from this section. Mining is still an important industry but it now employs only about 15 percent of all industrial workers in 11 establishments. The textile industry has shown a steady increase since 1961 and now employs about 80 percent of the total industrial payroll in 14 establishments. There are seven hosiery mills, five sewing plants, one broad woven cloth mill and one rug yarn mill. Seven of these have been located here since 1961. The newest industry is a furni-ture plant which began operations in July, 1967. The Spruce Pine office opened on October 1, 1942, with Davis M. Nichols as manager. He is still manager of the office and is active in civic affairs. A member of the local Cham-ber of Commerce, Nichols belongs to the Rotary Club, the Mitchell County Technical Action Panel, the Avery County TAP, and to the Mitchell County Industrial Development Corp. He's also a member of the WAMY Community Action Advisory Panel and the Overall Development Program advisory committee of all three counties. Counselor James Acuff is comman-der of the local VFW post and is a member of the board of directors of the Spruce Pine Jaycees. WAYNESVILLE BUSY WITH TOURISM The Employment Security office in Waynesville offers the complete Em-ployment Security program to Hay-wood County and handles unemploy-ment insurance claims and the Manpower Development Training Act program in Jackson County. ESC QUARTERLY 13 Haywood Uounty embraces 347,520 acres of land in the moun-tains of western North Carolina. Its borders reach into the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and the Pisgah National Forest. The Blue Ridge Park-way skirts its mountain tops. The county has some 19 mountain peaks with elevations of 6000 feet or more. These mountains are covered with fine timber and contain many fertile val-leys where towns are located and farms are cultivated. The County has four incorporated towns, Waynesville, the county seat and largest, Canton, Hazelwood, and Clyde. Lake Junaluska, the world capi-tal of Methodism, is a summer recrea-tional and educational community built around a 250 acre lake. Maggie Valley is another community be-coming quite thickly populated. Manufacturing, centered in or near the towns, is about as diversified as could be found in any county in the state. The largest industry is Champion Papers, recently merged with U. S. Plywood. It employs over 2500 workers and is engaged in the manu-facture of paper and pulp. A small branch of this plant is located in Waynesville and makes laminated papers. The second largest industry is rub-ber goods manufacturing. Dayco Southern, a branch of the Dayco Corp. of Dayton, Ohio, employs more than 1600 and is growing yearly. It makes foam rubber pillows and mattresses, various types of rubber hoses, V-Belts, and several items for use on textile machines. Another industry is shoe manufac-turing, also classified in rubber because of the rubber soles which are vulcan-ized to the uppers by a process devel-oped and owned by the company itself. The oldest factory in the area is a tannery which makes leather from raw hides and cuts soles. A bedroom furniture factory pro-vides work for 400 to 500 persons. Several smaller manufacturing industries exist. Among the items they make are upholstery materials, foam rubber mattresses and springs, woven labels for clothing, dairy products, wooden novelties, women's clothing, chemicals and other wood products. As might be expected, the forests have contributed much to the eco-nomy of the area. Lumbering and logging have been important industries since pioneer days. They provide full time work or supplement farm income of many of the county's people. Saw-mills are seen almost daily hauling from the forests to the paper mill. More recent products such as Christ-mas trees and ornamental shrubs are coming from the forests. Over half of the county's popula-tion lives in the rural area and agricul-ture is one of its chief industries. The fertile valleys and mountain slopes, plentiful rainfall, warm days and cool nights are ideal for the growing of grass, vegetables, corn, burley tobacco, tomatoes and apples. The county is one of the State's top producers of apples and trellis type tomatoes, and is also a leader in poultry, dairying, and good beef cattle. The fastest growing industry, and one of the most profitable, is the tourist and travel business. The scenic beauty of the mountains and their wonderful climate have always brought many tourists to the area. The development of additional recreational facilities and the fine system of high-ways through the area are bringing more and more visitors, not only in the summer, but in the winter for the skiing season. To accomodate these tourists, scores of motels and restau-rants have sprung up. Retail trade, construction, and other service busi-nesses have been enhanced by tourism. The estimated annual income from the travel industry in Haywood County is between $7,000,000 and $8,000,000. The county is considered to be one of Carolina's best balanced counties. Its real estate brings a high premium and its economy is good. While it has always had a surplus of labor, the gap between supply and demand is narrow-ing. Farm income is good and the average wage is the highest in the State. To serve all of the people and the industries of this area, the local office has a staff of six people, one assigned exclusively to the agriculture program. All employers cooperate well with the office and most of them call on the office for services. Demands are heavi-est during the spring and summer months when hundreds of seasonal workers are needed by the tourist businesses. In addition to the regular staff, a claims deputy and a field representative have their headquarters in the office. The local office staff members are closely associated with the life of the community taking part in its social, religious and civic affairs. The office is recognized and used frequently as a source of labor market information for the area. It is also called on for cooperation and assist-ance in development programs. The veterans employment representative is an active member of the VFW and the American Legion, being a member of the board of directors and adjutant in the latter. The manager is a member of the board of directors of the Haywood Improvement Foundation, is a com-mittee chairman in the local Business and Professional Women's Club, is a member of the board of directors of Mountain Projects, the CAP for both Haywood and Jackson Counties. She has held offices in this organization and is now serving on a special com-mittee composed of representatives of all counties west of Haywood to study plans for a Concentrated Employment Program. She is a member of the local Technical Action Panel and a member of the Advisory Committee on Adult Education and Training for Haywood Technical Institute. A rather unique thing about the Waynesville Office is that it has been managed by a woman almost from its beginning. Its present manager has held the position since 1946 and she succeeded another woman manager. Shares in America for sale. only $37.50 only $56.25 $7,500 Take stock in America Buy U.S. Saving* Bondi & Freedom Sharet SP-1004 14 ESC QUARTERLY HN H.WILSON irea Supervisor HH GEORGE ASHLEY Forest City Gastonia - Hickory ESC Administrative Area CARL HARRELSON Gastonia ! s *-r?\ III H. D. BOYLES Hickory HENRY ALLEN Lenoir PAUL LAWING Lincolnton CEPHAS CLONINGER Newton TROY PERRY North Wilkesboro FRANKLIN WARE Shelby WADE WILSON Statesville ESC QUARTERLY 15 L^LCYMEKT S L=CUUtTV COMMISSIOK FOREST CITY Rutherford ESC Places Handicapped The Forest City local office pro-vides employment services for Ruther-ford County. The county covers 625 square miles with a population of 45,000. One-third of the population reside in the tri-city areas of Ruther-fordton, Spindale and Forest City. The remaining two-thirds are widely dis-persed throughout numerous unincor-porated towns and small communities. Although the majority of people live in rural communities, 90 percent of the county's 18,460 work force is non-agricultural. One of every three workers in Rutherford County is em-ployed in the textile industry. Trade and services employ 17 percent and furniture 6 percent of all workers. Eight percent of the work force are government employees. Total employ-ment is expected to increase by 10 percent between 1965 and 1970. The Forest City office has a staff of five people, which includes a farm placement interviewer. The manager, George Ashley, began work with the Commission in 1967 as an Interviewer in Rockingham. Prior to coming to the Forest City Local Office, he worked as a job developer in the Concentrated Employment Program in Lumberton and later as center coordinator at the CEP center in Lumberton. He came to Forest City in October, 1969. David L. Bray, veterans representative, has been with the Commission since 1946. He came to Forest City as a claims deputy in 1960 and became veterans represen-tative in August, 1966. Janet Toney, employment interviewer, started as a stenographer in May, 1965. She was promoted to interviewer in June, 1967. Cromer Curtis has been farm placement representative since Feb-ruary, 1963. Members of the Forest City staff participate in many professional, civic, and community groups. A partial list of their affiliations includes: Ruther-ford County Human Relations Council, Rutherford County Personnel Association, Rutherford County Tech-nical Action Panel, assistant scout-master, bloodmobile chairman for American Red Cross, Board of Direc-tors Vocational Workshop, Rutherford Mental Health Association, personal representative for County Welfare Family, VFW, Jaycees, Lions, and Civitan clubs. A review of 1968 activity shows that 2,217 new applications were filed through the Forest City office. Em-ployment counseling was provided 455 applicants. There were 690 placements made, including 43 handicapped work-ers. Several of the easiest remembered accomplishments in 1968 include: placing a totally blind applicant, who was later selected as the outstanding handicapped worker of the year for Rutherford County; obtaining a job commitment for a local man which resulted in his release from federal prison in another state; and placing a handicapped woman who has only one leg as driver for a blind social worker. During the year staff members pre-sented 18 programs before school, civic, agency, and community groups covering all phases of local office employment service operations. Gastonia Office Aids Local Industry Gaston County is strategically located in almost the exact geogra-phical center of the Piedmont plateau. Manufacturing plants began operations along water courses in 1846, process-ing raw materials raised on local farms. From these humble beginnings Gaston County has grown into one of the foremost industrial and textile centers in the Nation. It has more spindles in its textile plants and uses a larger number of bales of cotton than any other county in the United States. The textile industry employs more than 28,000 persons out of a total employ-ment of about 64,000. The overall economy is very vitally affected by business and employment conditions in the textile industry. Prior to the 1940's Gaston Countj had practically all of its eggs in th< textile basket. Intensive efforts on th< part of community leaders to diversify local industry began to reap dividend; in 1946 when Sunspun began opera tions. West Virginia Pulp and Pape; Company (corrugated boxes), Sou thern Paper Industries, Pyramid Elec trie, Homelite Manufacturing Com pany (chainsaws), Northwest Plastics Garlock (oil seals), Talon, Inc. (zip pers), Lithium Corporation, Ower Steel, Standard Business Forms, Pyra mid Mills (Christmas ornaments) Danoca Industries (girls' dresses & sports clothes), and many other com panies have greatly diversified oui industrial operations. The Gastonia local State Employ ment office has recruited, tested screened and referred workers to staf: new or expanding operations foi Homelite, Burlington Industries, Medi center, Amp, Inc., Garlock, Holidaj Inn, Textiles, Inc., Danoca, Airtownt Mills, Sears, Paul Rose, Rose's Variety Store, West Virginia Pulp & Papei Company, Pyramid Mills, Clark's, Wix Corporation, McDonald's, Hardee's Shoney's, and others. Products manufactured in Gastor County include: carded and combec cotton, synthetic and worsted yarns sewing thread, woven cotton anc synthetic goods, tire fabric, knil goods, woven labels, shoe laces, ho siery, textile machinery, gears, drives castings, card clothing, rolls, ring tra velers, weavers' knotters, belting, tex tile aprons, dyeing machine forgings business forms, chemicals, oil and ai filters, oil seals, corrugated boxes chain saws, plastics, electrical compo nents, Christmas ornaments, knittin; yarn, wreaths, brushes, apparel an< slide fasteners. Gaston County has experienced un paralleled prosperity and exceptionally good employment conditions durin; the mid '60's. During 1964, 1965, an< 1966, 11,410 new jobs were createij for an exceptionally high growth rat of 21 percent for the three-yea period. Business conditions were no as good in 1967, but 1968 has bee another boom year. This unprect dented demand for workers plus nei agency programs, concepts, and phik sophies has very greatly affecte operations of the Gastonia Emploj ment Security Commission Office. In the past five years, 1963-196' record breaking numbers of new appl cants registered for jobs: 7,173 1963; 8,213 in 1964; 8,823 in 196! 9,186 in 1966; and 9,303 in 196' Employers placed orders for aboi 40,000 workers with the local offic during this same period. More the 25,000 persons have been placed c jobs during the past five years by tl Gastonia Employment Office. Opi mum manpower exchange servic could not be given to individual app 16 ESC QUARTERLY nts and employers because of this [usually large volume of business. The local office has had a staff nging from 16 in July, 1964, to 17 January, 1969, and staff size has mained relatively unchanged through e years. The population of Gaston County s increased from 87,531 in 1940 to 5,775 in 1965. During the past few years, the blic employment service has greatly oadened its objectives and concept services from that of manpower change to human resources develop- ?nt and utilization. Gaston County's st settlers were Scotch-Irish, Scotch ghlanders, and Germans—all thrifty, iustrious persons of high moral >er. The greatest asset of any com-anity is its people. If the available )rk force is not fully utilized, many rsons remain liabilities and tax bur-ns rather than productive citizens. ; present, one of every 2.2 persons len, women, and children) in Gaston >unty is gainfully employed. The unusually strong demand for >rkers during the past few years has rerely depleted the supply of exper-iced and high-quality trainable Mfkers. A shortage of low and 3dium cost housing has greatly de-rred importing of workers. So at esent the only semblance of a solu- >n to the severe labor shortage in the sa is to educate, train, and upgrade ailable workers. Our staff evaluates the qualifica- >ns of each applicant to determine if has been utilizing his total capabili- ;s to the fullest extent, and if he has e requirements or potential for jobs ailable in the community. If the plicant cannot qualify for any of ir job openings, we do not just sadly ake our heads and say "I'm sorry." e try to assist and motivate him to ke positive, planned steps to become lployable or more employable. Applicants are referred to employ-ent counselors for assistance in oosing, changing, and/or adjusting a job or a field of work. An terview or a series of interviews is id in a private office by the coun-lor to obtain detailed data concern-ing the applicant's work experience (elements liked and disliked), educa-tion and training, leisure time activi-ties, skills, socio-economic factors, per-sonal traits, interests, and aptitudinal potential. The counselor may use interest inventories and proficiency and apptitude tests. During these inter-views the counselor is also giving the applicant information including job openings in the area and elsewhere, prevailing wages, and advantages and disadvantages of jobs or fields of work. Then the counselor and applicant de-termine the best of sometimes many alternative fields. The applicant then arrives at a vocational plan. There is seldom a short straight line between "where the applicant is vocationally" and "where he wants to go." In some cases the individual may only need to learn to read well enough to follow simple written instructions to obtain the job he desires. He may need to complete his high school education or take refresher courses to enter college. He may need a tempo-rary "stop-gap" job or part-time work to finance vocational, technical, busi-ness, or college courses. Gaston County fortunately has two four-year colleges, beauty schools, a business school, N. C. Vocational Textile School, and a Community College that offers adult education, vocational, technical, and college parallel courses. Applicants are also referred to Vocational Rehabilitation for physical and mental evaluation, medical, sur-gical and hospital services, artificial applicances and training; to Gaston Skills (sheltered workshop); to Health and Welfare Departments for suppor-tive services; to Social Security; and to MDTA and other training courses. Employees of the local office are members of many community organi-zations including Gastonia Chamber of Commerce, Gaston Personnel Associa-tion, Social Planning Council, Mayor's Citizens Advisory Committee, Tech-nical Action Panel, Interagency Club, Interagency Case Conference, Gaston Skills Executive Board, American Legion, Pilot Club, and Mental Health Association. Participation in activities of these groups keeps us informed and GASTONIA aware of community needs, problems and happenings, and allows us on many occasions to explain, offer, and promote ESC services. These contacts and aquaintance with community leaders make us more effective and enhance community understanding and acceptance of our agency and operations. Employer representatives and community leaders are generally most cooperative when we ask them to serve on the Manpower Advisory and Employ the Handicapped and Older Worker Committees. Applicants who are deemed ready for jobs are of course referred to available job openings. Considerable efforts are made to develop jobs for individuals after training and rehabili-tation. The local office staff has devoted considerably more time and effort per individual applicant recently, espe-cially for mentally and physically handicapped persons, veterans, youths, including many drop-outs, older wor-kers, welfare recipients and nonwhites. When we are successful in motivating, guiding, and assisting individuals to take steps to improve themselves and in placing them on jobs that utilize their fullest potential, we can then have a personal feeling of accomplish-ment in achieving our goals. Balanced Industry In Hickory Area Hickory, Look Magazine's All America City of 1968, is located at the foothills of our beautiful western mountains in the rapidly industrialized upper Piedmont section of our State. Long noted for the manufacture of fine furniture and as the men's hosiery capitol of the United States, it is fast becoming a major retail shopping center for the western part of North Carolina. The Hickory local office takes pride in its part in the economic growth of this area, which includes not only the city of Hickory and its surrounding suburbs, but the town and area of Longview, parts of eastern Burke County, southern Alexander County and southern Caldwell County. Hickory is spoken of as a well balanced industrial area with a wide variety of consumer goods manufac-tured locally and distributed all over the world. There are over 60 firms making fine furniture of all types, including bedroom and dining room suites, upholstered furniture of all types, school and institutional furni-ture and fine custom made church interiors. The concentration of these plants locally has been the impetus for the furniture supply firms to locate ESC QUARTERLY 17 their plants in the Hickory area. These include manufacturers of foam rubber and poly-foam material, sofa and chair springs, woodcarving plants, uphol-stery fabric weavers, plants making saws, bits, and other cutting tools, and paper product plants for packing and shipping, and many large trucking firms. Buyers from all states visit Hickory at least twice a year to view new styles at our two furniture market buildings, and to observe the beautiful show-rooms various manufacturers maintain at their plants. The men's and women's seamless hosiery manufacturers have their pro-ducts used all over the world. We have over 100 plants making men's, women's, and children's hosiery, knit-ted cloth, and knitted garments. The high quality and originality of these products have caused their brand names to be household words nearly everywhere. Many of these mills have been located in this area for very many years, but the nature of this enterprise is such that new mills can be organized and succeed rapidly. The hosiery industry, like the furni-ture manufacturers, has been responsi-ble for the rise of makers of supplies for the hosiery trade, such as paper box plants, printers of labels and decals, yarn plants, machine shops, and many others. The Catawba Valley Hosiery Club has a yearly show at the Hickory Community Center to enable equip-ment manufacturers from all over the world to display their newest pro-ducts. Buyers and dealers from every state and many European countries attend this event and plans are under-way by this organization to build a permanent structure for year-round exhibitions. Hickory also has plants making woven fabrics, yarn mills making cotton, synthetic and stretch yarns for every purpose. This area is the home of Shuford Mills, with five plants. Burlington Industries has two plants. We have five plants making elastic yarn and one plant making Lycra and Spandex yarns. Other industries for which Hickory is noted include The General Electric Company's Hickory transformer plant which makes all types of electric power transformers and employs over 1000 skilled workers. The Superior- Continental Corp. makes telephone and TV cable of all types, Central Telephone components, and com-munity TV equipment. Shuford Mills plant makes all types of pressure sensi-tive tapes. Lamcal, Inc., manufactures continuous roll plastic fabric which is used for building insulation, packing material, backing for various materials, shower curtains, plastic containers, and many other items. The retail sales of this area have risen from $82,000 yearly in 1958 to over $225,000 in 1968. Three major shop-ping centers are located along Highways 64-70 and 1-40. Many nationwide retail stores are represented in these shopping centers, including the largest J. C. Penny store in the State. W. T. Grant, Eckerd Drugs, Belk's, Sky City Stores and many others are included in the Catawba Mall, Catawba Shopping Center, and the Midtown Shopping Center. Plans are now being made to erect another shopping center to be opened within the next three years. The Hickory office, under the direction of its manager, H. D. Boyles, has a staff of 12 members, Boyles' assistant is John H. Heffren, inter-viewer III, with Jane Abernethy in charge of claims; James M. Whitworth, veterans employment representative II; Keith Teague (who also serves the Lenoir office two days each week), and Bill Holsclaw, counselors I; Margie Osborne, interviewers in claims, re-ception, testing and placements; Bon-nie Lineberger for managerial, profes-sional, and clerical occupations; James Besse for sales and service personnel; and Frances Wood for hosiery, textiles and sewing operations. Jim Whitworth, in addition to his assignment as VER, is also responsible for furniture and miscellaneous industries, and John Heffren deals with all industries when required. All staff members have a wide knowledge of our local industry. The acceptance of our office by the indus-tries of Hickory is evidenced by the numbers of signs posted by the em-ployers stating that all referrals to them are made through ESC. Our staff is well represented in the many civic organizations, fraternal, and churches of the city. We have a Steward of the United Methodist Church, members of the Board of the Lutheran Church, and Sunday school teachers. All eligible staff members belong to the American Legion and VFW. Jim Whitworth is past Comman-der of Post 48. He is also director of the Catawba County Fair Association. The Hickory local office staff is also represented in Masonic Lodges, Moose, and Elks, Altrusa, and others. We are members of the Mayor's Committee to Employ the Handicapped, consultants for the Good Neighbor Council, the Flynn Home for Alcoholics and the Hickory Sheltered Workshop. We feel that our principal form of service to the community is to work closely with all facets of our area's citizenry, not only to help staff our growing industry, but to find the best possible job opportunities for our applicants. We strive to open the doors of industry to those considered disad-vantaged, to assist in the training and upgrading of those underemployed, to create a congenial, informed, and interested service organization in Hickory, and to assist our people attain their economic goals. -~-»rr-"-—— _- v LENOIR Furniture Major Industry In Lenoir Nestled under the slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Lenoir is shel-tered from much of the snow and icy road conditions of surrounding areas. In over 30 years of operation the office has never been closed because of weather conditions. The Lenoir Employment Security Commission office serves Caldwell County, which has a total population of about 58,000. The total work force is estimated to be approximately 22,000, with a total employment of 21,650. The ESC office is located on the main access route leading east from downtown and occupies a new brick building designed to ESC specifi-cations and completed in March, 1968. Population of the area served is concentrated within a ten mile radius of the local office, so itinerant servict is not required. Furniture manufacturing, employ ing over 60 percent of all industria workers, is the major industry and the economic backbone of Caldwel County. Over one-third of the tota work force is directly engaged in furni ture occupations, and some of th< world's finest furniture is made here The furniture industry has made spec tacular growth during the past fiv years, and will continue to do so if th necessary labor supply can be obf tained. However, lack of adequat| housing has been a major obstacle h relocating workers from surplus labc areas. Textile operations, while secondar to the large scale furniture industrj constitutes some 3,000 jobs to th area and is significant to the overa economy. The Lenoir office staff consists of manager, one veterans employmer representative, two interviewers an one interviewer-stenographer. A! except the manager, are natives < 18 ESC QUARTERLY Caldwell County. In addition to the egular staff, we provide office facili- ;ies for an outstationed evaluation ipecialist, and a field representative. Counseling service is provided on a wo-day per week itinerant basis by a :ounselor from the Hickory local )ffice. Staff members are affiliated with a lumber of community groups. The nanager, Henry B. Allen, is a member >f the VFW, American Legion, Ki-vanis, and the local Technical Action 'anel. One interviewer is a choir direc-or, PTA member, and a member of he Caldwell County JACS Com-nittee. The interviewer-stenographer, vlargaret M. Huffstetler, is a charter nember of the Lenoir Business and 'rofessional Women's Club and she has >een secretary-treasurer of a local Sunday school for over 20 years. Jnemployment )rops In Lincolnton The Lincolnton labor market area ticludes all of Lincoln County with a lopulation of 30,000 persons and also Jherryville and vicinity in Gaston bounty which has a population of 0,000 persons. It is located ten miles outhwest of Lincolnton. Prior to 1963 Lincoln County lepended mainly on the textile indus-ry for its livelihood. The economic rowth in Lincoln County has contin-led steadily since 1963 and has grown rom one of surplus workers to one vhich now has a shortage of workers, ^his is due to new plants, under the ^rea Redevelopment Act program, hopping centers, motels and other etail outlets, which have caused a teady increase of approximately ,000 new jobs. A new 100-bed hos- •ital is now under construction and is lated for completion around July, .969. Several textile and garment tlants recently expanded operations nd this increased their total number >f employees. Many of these plants LINCOLNTON continue hiring trainees. The furniture industry has improved the growth of the area with a steady increase in employment. The increases in manu-facturing have also caused an increase in the trade and service fields. The demand for workers will continue since plants which have started opera-tions in the past five years continue to glow and expand. There is no major industry in the eastern part of the county which borders on Lake Norman. This section of the county is rapidly developing into a large recreation area with a large number of families building permanent homes near the lake. These people are employed and commute to surround-ing cities, such as Charlotte, Newton, Mooresville and Lincolnton. Non-agricultural wage and salary workers (excluding domestics) are esti-mated at 14,150 for this area, 9,205 in manufacturing and 4,945 in other than manufacturing. The textile industry is the largest industry, turning out such products as synthetic and worsted yarn, hosiery, shoe laces, carded and combed yarn, woven cloth and synthe-tic goods. Workers are found in other diversified industrial plants including a processing plant and metal working plants. Various sewing operations in the Lincolnton area include the produc-tion of sweaters, T-shirts, athletic uni-forms, women's and children's gar-ments and sports clothes. Our largest sewing plant moved their entire opera-tions to Lincolnton from Pennsyl-vania. This firm was the first secured after the Lincoln Industrial Commis-sion was formed. A large furniture company is now in the process of expanding one of its plants and expects an increase in employment in the near future. The Lincolnton office has a staff now of five and two/ fifths persons, including the manager, veterans employment representative, two inter-viewers, a stenographer and a coun-selor two days each week. The staff works closely with the Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce and the Lin-coln Industrial Commission by supply-ing them with labor information and other facts concerning available workers. We also meet with prospec-tive employers to discuss the avail-ability of labor in the area. A rare new business started opera-tions in Lincolnton the first of 1969. It's a plastic house manufacturing firm. This is a unique plant and employment was around 30 when the firm began production. The Lincolnton State Employment Office renders testing services to seniors of the four high schools in the area each year. These students are given the General Aptitude Test Bat-tery for purposes of placement on jobs or to enter technical schools. One high school offers career day each year for the seniors, and a staff member from the ES office is invited to participate along with representatives from col-leges and business schools. Lincoln County has grown from a total of 4,543 workers covered by unemployment insurance in 1960, to a total of 7,405 for the second quarter of 1968. The present rate of un-employment is .8 percent compared to 14.5 in 1961. This area has grown steadily from one of textile employ-ment to one of a more diversified area which is good for the economy of this area. This should continue throughout the coming years. Catawba ESC Staff Diversified Catawba County is one of the few counties in the State having two employment offices. The Newton office is located in the county seat and serves the eastern portion of the county, including Maiden, Claremont and Catawba. Total population for this section of the county, as projected to 1967 by the University of North Carolina, is 43,416 persons. Total employment for the area, according to ESC figures, is in excess of 17,000. The Newton city limits joins the Conover city limits and the population of these two municipalities is 9,895, while the population within a three mile radius is 30,500 and employment is 75 percent of all that located in the eastern portion of Catawba County. Maiden is located in the south-eastern part of Catawba County and joins the Lincoln County line. Industry within the Maiden area employs 2,500 persons, while the population within a three mile radius is approximately 3,500. Claremont industrial establishments employ 800 persons, but the town's population is only 735. Within a three mile radius the population is in excess of 2,000. Catawba industries employ 700 persons in a city of 509. The estimated population within three miles is 1,500. The point is this: All but approxi-mately 11 percent of the population of the county is located in what we consider the right angle of eastern Catawba which includes the previously mentioned towns and cities. Some of the main industries in our area are: (1) Household furniture manu-facture, including many types of upholstered furniture and case goods. (2) Cotton and synthetic fabrics manufacture, including dyeing and finishing knit goods. These are pre- ESC QUARTERLY 19 dominantly modern plants with the most up-to-date equipment and machinery available. (3) Glove manufacture with one of the largest glove manufacturing centers in the nation. (4) Hosiery manufacture. There are many medium to small hosiery plants located in this right angle. (5) Garment manufacture. This section continues to increase with modern plants and steady facilities. (6) Paper, paper board box, and box manufacture with modern plants and steady employment. (7) General building and con-tracting. This field continues to expand because we have lots of indus-trial and commercial expansion as well as new residential construction. (8) Finance, insurance and real estate. This is an expanding field because industrial and population growth is higher than average. Other industries in the area include plastics and buffing. Seven persons are assigned to the staff of the Newton employment office, including a claims deputy. In an office this size each member must be able to perform practically all duties. Bill Osborne, in addition to his veterans employment representative role, is assigned to handle the textile field, construction, and others. Also in charge of handicapped employment, he is a member of the American Legion and the VFW. Interviewer Joyce Seagle, in addi-tion to her normal duties of this position, has charge of the youth program, high school program, and assists with the handicapped program. She is on the board of the "Joint Action of Community Services" (JACS). Interviewer Paige Brotherton is responsible for employer relations with the large furniture and affiliated industries in this section of the county. He is a member of the American Legion, Jaycees, and Amvets. Employment counselor Geraldine Propst handles the employment coun-seling program in the Newton office. She belongs to the North Carolina Personnel and Guidance Association. Stenographer Sylvia Moretz, in addition to the regular stenographic duties of this office, also handles certain interviewing duties such as claims taking, applications, and orders. Manager C. A. Cloninger, Jr., is active in the Eastern Catawba County Chamber of Commerce, Technical Action Panel, Mayor's Committee, Bi- Racial Committee, and the Inter- Agency Council. Claims deputy Charles W. Durham is stationed in the Newton office and is assigned to the following offices: Newton, Hickory, Lincolnton, Marion, Morganton, Spruce Pine, and Burnsville. Office Serves Three Mountain Counties The North Wilkesboro local office area includes Alexander, Alleghany, and Wilkes Counties. These three counties are located in the Northwest Development Association. Alleghany lies along the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Wilkes County is sur-rounded by the Blue Ridge and Brushy Mountains, and Alexander County is at the foot of the Brushy Mountains. These counties have a total population of 72,239 persons, and a civilian work force of 27,740 with employment of 26,870. The industry within the area is diversified. It includes two electronic plants, three shoe manufacturing and two mirror plants. Other industries are apparel, glove manufacturing, hosiery, textile, furniture, smoking pipes and a manufacturer of saw blades for hand and power-driven saws. The newest addition to industry in this area is the Abitibi Corporation, a $12 million plant, which is now under construc-tion and is scheduled to be completed in January of 1970. This plant will manufacture plywood paneling. The area can boast of having one of the largest mirror manufacturing plants in the world. It is also the home of Holly Farms Poultry Industries, Inc., the largest poultry processing plant in the world. This firm processes almost 2,000,000 chickens a week for distribution to the nation's supermarkets. The firm em-ploys approximately 2,400 people in Wilkes County and 250 in Alexander County. In addition to this employ-ment, they have 500 contract growers in the area. The company also has 400 head of cattle scattered on farms throughout Wilkes County and are contributing to other agricultural pro-ducts in many ways. One of the most recent ventures is the purchasing of all local corn produced in the area at a reasonable rate, providing farmers register acreage with their company. North Wilkesboro is the home office of Lowe's North Wilkesboro Hardware, a retail building supply company, with 55 stores in 10 states. This is also the home of the North-western Bank, which is now operating 96 offices in 56 cities and towns in western and Piedmont North Carolina. The Northwestern Bank is the fifth largest bank in the State. A branch of another large bank, North Carolina National Bank, is located in North Wilkesboro. The area is noted for its recrea-tional facilities. Two of the noted resort areas, Blowing Rock and Roar-ing Gap, along with five ski resorts and a number of golf courses and camping areas, are now operating in the three mountain counties. Others are in the process of being developed. The North Wilkesboro office has a staff of seven. Manager Troy L. Perry is a native of Alleghany County. He joined the Commission in April of 1944 as an interviewer, was promoted to veterans employment representative and then to manager in December of 1953. Other staff members are a vet-erans employment representative, em-, ployment counselor, employment interviewer II, three employment inter-viewers I and one stenographer. Claims deputy Grady H. Reagan who serves the North Wilkesboro and Lenoir offices maintains headquarters here. The manager served as president of the Kiwanis Club in 1965 and has been reelected as the vice-president for the year 1969; is secretary of the Mayor's; Committee for the Physically Handij NORTH WILKESBORO 20 ESC QUARTERLY tapped, and is past master of the ^orth Wilkesboro Masonic Lodge and >ast High Priest of the chapter. He is ilso active in Church and other com-nunity organizations. Veterans employment representa-ive Harold L. Elder is a member of he VFW and American Legion. Counselor Thomas G. Roberts is a nember of and past president of the lotary Club, is on the board of lirectors of the Yadkin Valley Dairy ^o-op. and is current president of his ocal P.T.A. in Ashe County. Interviewer Conrad Kilby is a mem-ber of the local VFW and has been a member of the North Wilkesboro Vol-unteer Fire Department for a number of years. Interviewer Meneta Proffit is a member and past president of the Department of North Carolina of the Ladies' Auxiliary to the VFW. Since the North Wilkesboro office serves three counties on an itinerant basis weekly, the staff carries an un-usually heavy work load, as some of the members are out of the local office four days per week. STATESVILLE ESC CIVIC MINDED The Statesville office serves Iredell bounty which has a population of 52,526 residents. Statesville, located lear the center of the county (1960 >opulation of 19,844), and Moores-fille, located in southern part of the :ounty (1960 population of 6,918) are he principal urbanized areas of the :ounty. While the office is located in Statesville, the Mooresville area is ;erved with itinerant service each rhursday afternoon. A civilian labor force of approxi-nately 33,000 now reside in the :ounty with 80 percent employed as vage and salary workers in non-igricultural industries. Manufacturing ndustries employ approximately 60 jercent of these workers. Iredell bounty is well diversified in types of nanufacturing industries; although extiles, while well diversified within tself, ranks number one. The Statesville local office has nine staff members assigned. The total ength of service of these members with the Employment Security Com-nission is approximately 119 years. [Tie local office staff is identified with ;he civic, religious and cultural life of ;he community. Manager Wade Wilson is currently ;he chairman of the occupational nformation committee of the States-ville Rotary Club. He is on the board of directors of I CARE and serves on its manpower advisory committee. A charter member of the Iredell Per-sonnel Club, Wilson is also a member of the local Technical Action Panel and belongs to the local Elks Club and American Legion. Veterans employment represen-tative Richard Arthur serves on the board of directors of the Iredell County Covered Workshop and is active in the American Legion and Kiwanis. He serves as committee chair-man on Vocational Guidance. Counselor Judy Wilson, named one of the Outstanding Young Women of America in 1968, was on the board of directors of the Junior Service League and was active in the local Arts and Science Museums. She has recently taken a job in the central office in Raleigh. Interviewer Koula Litchos is on the board of directors of State's Business and Professional Women's Club. Johnny Hoover is our counselor. All Statesville local office staff members participate in church acti-vities and most are involved in various civic responsibilities. Shelby Office Counsels Students The Shelby local office is located in the heart of Cleveland County and is surrounded by communities and small towns. The total population is 70,000 with a civilian work force of 32,000 persons. The two urban areas in the county are Shelby with a population of 17,600 and Kings Mountain with 9,800 population. The Shelby area is continuing its industrial growth with 19,282 persons covered by the unemployment insur-ance program. The major industrial plants of the area have become very diversified. The main products at one time were cotton yarn, sewing thread, broad woven products and hosiery. New industries manufacture narrow fabrics, synthetic fibers, a fine denier of polyester yarn, men's and ladies' hosiery, textured yarn, cardboard package containers, dining room and upholstered furniture, plastic bobbins, carpets and floor covering, drapery and upholstery material, all types of bonded knit cloth, and various knit wear garments. A mobile home build-ing industry began in 1968. This called for a processor of pre-finished rolled aluminum. We have three operations in the eastern section of the county that mine mica, spodumene ore for various uses, and limestone for road building. Brick is another product manufactured in this area as well as various gypsum products. The current staff for the Shelby office consists of seven persons man-ager Franklin L. Ware, Jr., four inter-viewers, a veteran employment repre-sentative and a stenographer. Most all staff members are active in the civic and community life within the coun-ty. Some of the organizations to which they belong and activities in which they participate are as follows: member of Chamber of Commerce, Personnel Council, Public Administra-tors Organization, Technical Action Panel, Cleveland County Civil Defense, VFW, American Legion, chairman of Mayor's Committee on Youth Em-ployment, vice president of the depart-ment of North Carolina of the Ladies Auxiliary, and Sunday school teachers. Office space is provided for Fred Swift, the claims deputy for this dis- (See SHELBY, Page 53) STATESVILLE SHELBY ESC QUARTERLY 21 DON HUDSON Area Supervisor Asheboro - Salisbury ESC Administrative Area CLAUDE WHITLEY Albemarle -auto.. JOHN BROOKS Asheboro LEWIS MORTON Concord DWIGHT LEONARD Charlotte *• • • III WAYNE PATTERSON Kannapolis ALAN KNIGHT Lexington FLOYD HARRILL Monroe J. S. J. HORTON Salisbury 22 ESC QUARTERLY Textile Industry Big In Albemarle The Albemarle local office serves Stanly and Montgomery Counties. The two counties are separated by the Yadkin River which forms the Badin Lake and Lake Tillery. These lakes are fast becoming the playground of the Piedmont. Also located on the Yadkin in Stanly County is the popular Morrow Mountain State Park which, during each week of the summer, attracts thousands of visitors from across the nation. Located 12 miles north of Albe-marle is Pfeiffer College which, in a few years, has grown from a junior college to a four year accredited col-lege noted for its excellence. Stanly County has a population of 43,400 persons and Montgomery County, 19,400. The two counties have a combined work force of approximately 28,050. Of the 27,340 employed workers, 55 percent are employed by manufacturing firms. ALBEMARLE Although agriculture accounts for only six percent of the total employment, Stanly County is one of the leading poultry producing counties in the State. During last year, employment covered by the Employment Security Law accounted for 19,540, or 70 percent of all job holders. Textiles are, by far, the predominate industry. The 33 textile plants, which include yarns, dying and finishing, woven fabrics, carpets, hosiery and other knit goods, account for 46.2 percent of all covered employment. This is followed by wholesale and retail trades with 10.8 percent; apparel and related with 9 percent; furniture with 4.3 percent; construction with 4.2 percent; primary metals with 3.9 percent; electrical components and machinery with 3.8 percent; and food processing with 2.5 percent. The area has enjoyed excellent growth during recent years. Since 1965 new and expanding manufac-turing firms have accounted for 2797 additional jobs. The trend continues and future growth will be limited only to the availability of qualified workers. With the office located in Albe-marle, Montgomery County is served by two itinerant points established in Troy and Mt. Gilead. In April, 1968, services were expanded by the addi-tion of a Job Mobile in Montgomery County. The Job Mobile is a mobile office set up in a panel truck which visits the outlying communities on a regular schedule, making all ES ser-vices available to all the people. The staff of the Albemarle Office is proud of the area's progress and the part they have played in manpower services, as well as in religious, civic and community affairs. The office is allocated seven ES and one UI posi-tions, although several positions are currently vacant. The combined length of service of our staff members is 88 years. The manager, Claude C. Whitley, joined the agency in 1941; the VER, Hubert L. Fesperman, in May, 1956; James D. McGill, inter-viewer, in January, 1955; Mrs. Marga-retta Peeler, interviewer, in July 1957; Mrs. Dorsey Trivette, stenographer-interviewer, in February, 1961; and Roby A. Burleson, counselor, in October, 1967. Mr. McGill retired on December 31, 1968, after 14 years service. RANDOLPH EXCEEDS STATE GROWTH RATE The Asheboro office of the Em-ployment Security Commission serves Randolph and Chatham Counties in the central Piedmont. These counties comprise an area of approximately 1,000,000 acres and nearly 1,600 square miles. Asheboro is the county seat of Randolph County and Pittsboro is the county seat of Chatham County. Randolph County has a civilian work force of over 29,000 with over 16,000 being employed in manufac-turing. There is much diversification of industry with textiles, including ho-siery, being the largest employing nearly 10,000, followed by furniture with 1,900, machinery with 1,200, apparel with 1,000 and lumber and wood near 600. Approximately 2,500 people are employed in trade and 1,700 derive their living from agricul-ture. Randolph County consistently exceeds the average population and employment growth rate of North Carolina. Chatham County has a civilian work force of over 11,000 with nearly 5,000 being employed in manufac-turing. Textiles, including hosiery, is also the largest manufacturing concern in Chatham County employing 1,900 employees. Food processing employs nearly 1,000 followed by furniture with over 600, apparel 500, lumber and wood with 500, and stone and clay nearly 300. Trade employs over 1,000 with agriculture employing nearly 1,500. The local office is located at 328 Sunset Avenue, Asheboro, in a new spacious well lighted building. It is easily accessible to walking traffic from the uptown business area yet sufficient parking is available for appli-cants and employers using automobile transportation. There are 12 members of the Ashe-boro office staff totaling 135 years of service with the Employment Security Commission. The staff members are at present, or have in the past, served in many voluntary positions of com-munity interest. Some of this includes church work—members of official boards and governing bodies of various churches, church school superinten-dents and teachers; commission or committee members and chairmen, Sunday school class officers and presi-dents, advisory committee members for Industrial and Technical School, officer and president of board of ASHEBORO Exceptional Children School, PTA work, Governor's Advisory Committee on Rehabilitation, Mayor's Committee on Handicap, Mayor's Committee on Employment Opportunities, United Fund executive committee, scout dis-trict commissioners, scout master, scout committeeman, cubmaster, Girl Scout leader, and many offices in American Legion and Veterans of For-eign War, including national com-mittee member, state committee chair-man and member, District Com-mander, Post Commander and Adju-tant, officers and members of civic clubs, including Lions, Kiwanis, Elks and Moose. Most of the members are active in and some have served as committee members and chairman, secretary, treasurer and State president of the Commission's affiliated organization, The International Association of Per-sonnel in Employment Security. The office staff continually strives to improve services and the local office image, and to be accepted as the focal ESC QUARTERLY 23 point of employment opportunities and manpower problems by both applicants and employers. We expect to offer services to all groups and occupations from professional appli-cants to laborers and domestics. The office also cooperates with the schools of this area and provides test-ing, employment counseling and job placement for students entering the labor market. Special services are pro-vided for veterans, Job Corps re-turnees, and other groups as the need arises. Labor market information, wages and hours surveys and various information of interest to community groups is furnished. Concord Ranks High In Household Income The Concord local office serves 53 percent of Cabarrus County. The County has experienced a population growth from 68,137 in 1960 to 75,564 in 1968. The city of Concord has experienced a growth from 17,799 in 1960 to 19,917 in 1968. Concord, per household income, ranked 4th highest in the State at $12,779 per year. Industries in this area are primarily textile and hosiery, employing 64.4 percent of all non-agricultural wage and salaried employees. Cannon Mills Company has nine plants in the area. There are 15 hosiery plants in the area. In November, 1968, the unemploy-ment rate was 0.2 percent. The Concord local office consists of seven staff members and one claims deputy. They are: manager Lewis B. Morton, interviewer Marie F. Brewer, employment counselor Bobby J. A. Overcash, veterans employment repre-sentative William E. Prim, interviewer Deon G. Ritchie, interviewer Jerry K. Young, stenographer Marilyn K. Miller and claims deputy James C. Bradham. The combined years of service of the staff is 118 years. All staff members are dedicated to their work and per-form in an outstanding manner serving applicants and employers. This is realized in that for two of the past four years the office has been first in the State in the placement of handi-capped workers. The high school testing and coun-seling service is carried on at all high schools in the area. This is to assist the seniors, not planning to attend college, in determining what type of employ-ment to plan for. Our General Aptitude Test Battery is administered to applicants for the majority of the manufacturing plants in the area, and is available to all plants free of charge to both applicant and employer. Other special programs are services to the handicapped, the older worker, Job Corps returnee, special services to all applicants with an employability pro-blem, services to youth and prison releasees. Very important is our vet-erans employment service. Our local veterans employment representative contacts each discharged veteran offer-ing our services and explaining, in detail, the many programs available to the veteran. The manager is a member of the Chamber of Commerce Industrial Development Committee, on the board of directors of the Concord Boys Club and Salvation Army. He is a past president of the Concord Lions Club, a former State Vice Commander of the 40 & 8, served eight years as adjutant, American Legion Post 51, and served as Chef de Gare (comman-der) of Voiture 1465-40 & 8 for 10 years. Other staff members are members of veterans organizations, civic and fraternal organizations and churches, that serve the community in numerous ways. KANNAPOLIS ESC OFFERS MANY SERVICES The Kannapolis Employment Se-curity Commission serves five percent of Rowan County and 43 percent of Cabarrus County, including the unin-corporated town of Kannapolis with a population of 33,000 persons and little or no rural area. The area in-cludes approximately 470 individual employing units which have a total labor force of about 21,350 workers. Principal industry in the area is manufacturing with approximately 13,500 of the total 14,500 manufac-turing workers engaged in textile em-ployment. Transportation, communi-cations, public utilities, retail trade, finance and insurance, real estate, service, government and miscellaneous non-manufacturing industries employ about 6,500 people. In the matter of development pro-grams, the local office has for years extended a wide variety of services to the city and community. Testing, counseling, interviewing, we make every effort to match the applicant seeking employment with the openings existing with local employers—giving full consideration to the interests, inherent skills and training possessed by the applicant. Office personnel has been trained to provide extensive test-ing and screening processes that assist greatly in placing the best qualified man on the best job that it is possible to get him, thereby rendering a special service to both employer and em-ployee. The office also works with and assumes the responsibility of preparing the disadvantaged workers to meet KANNAPOLIS competition in the local labor market. These programs are well known and are being used by major employers in the Kannapolis area. We moved into new quarters January 1, 1969, and in these new facilities we hope our services may expand. Lexington Area Experiences Growth The Lexington local office operates from the county seat of Davidson County and serves all of the county except Thomasville. The area served covers approximately 533 square miles. Lexington's primary industries are the manufacture of wood bedroom and dining room furniture, tables, chairs and cabinets, the manufacture of both synthetic and cotton goods in the textile industry, the manufacture of shirts, and related products, the manufacture of men's and children's hosiery, trucking and food processing. Furniture leads with 4,400 employees, followed by textiles with 3,300, appa-rel with 1,300, trucking with 700, and food processing with 700. Industries which have been added in the last decade are the manufacture of ceramic tile, aluminum building products, machined and plated parts, heavy industrial drying equipment, mercury batteries, cardboard containers, and the manufacture of fiber glass yarn in the order of their entry into the area. Together these firms employ over LEXINGTON 24 ESC QUARTERLY 2,000 workers. When fully staffed, employment in these same firms will increase to over 2,600 workers. Local furniture interests have expanded their operations by building five additional Dlants employing around 1,300 per-sons since 1956. The Lexington area has a work 'orce of 23,650 people. During the ?ast several months the area has aver-iged a 1.2 percent rate of unemploy-nent among workers covered by the Employment Security law. Employ-nent in manufacturing makes up 61 jercent of total employment in the urea. The following is a percentage jreakdown of employment by ndustry: Furniture 37% Textile 30% Apparel 11% All Other 22% Most of the work force is in manu-facturing with furniture, textile, and ipparel making up 78 percent of all nanufacturing employment. Because )f this heavy concentration of indus- ;rial employment, a high percentage of ictivity of the local office involves ipplicants and employers in this seg-nent of the work force. There has been an unprecedented ;rowth in the Lexington area in the Dast seven years. The rate was accele-rated in 1965 and 1966, but slowed down slightly in early 1967. This growth was resumed in 1968 and by the end of the year employment was at an all time high. The local office has six full-time persons on the staff, including a coun-selor, who is stationed in Salisbury and works in Lexington two days a week. Other staff members are the manager, two interviewers, a veterans employ-ment representative, and a steno-grapher. Also stationed in the office is a field representative who works in the unemployment insurance division under the supervision of the State office in Raleigh, and serves Davidson and Randolph Counties. Staff members are active in various church and civic activities. Among their affiliations are membership in the Lions Club and the Exchange Club, Coordinator of JACS—Joint Action in Community Service, membership in American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Veterans, the Lexing-ton Employ the Handicapped Com-mittee, the Davidson County Social Service Club, N. C. Personnel and Guidance Association, the Davidson County Community Action Com-mittee, Committee on Adult Educa-tion, Chairman of Division of United Fund Campaign and others. Union County Engineer Lures Industry The Monroe office serves Union bounty, with a population of approxi-nately 50,000 people, and is located it 128 South Main Street. The office las been in operation at this location ;ince June 8, 1960. It was formerly an tinerant point of the Charlotte office intil early 1950 when it was estab-ished as a full-time office. It has a ;taff of four members, consisting of a nanager, a veterans employment re-wesentative, a clerk-stenographer and i placement interviewer. The office has numerous functions md offers vital services to the area, rhis includes job placement, the filing >f unemployment insurance claims, )rovision of up-to-date labor market nformation to employers and poten-tial industrial prospects, assisting employers in their personnel practices ind, in general, contributing to maxi-rmm regular employment and expand-ng production through cooperative community action. New industries ocating in the area depend largely apon employment office assistance in staffing plants. A total of 57 new industries have located in Union County since Sep-tember, 1952, which roughly coincides with the date that the present man-ager, Floyd Harrill, became head of the office. A total of 48 are still operating and provide employment for approximately 9,000 workers. Expan-sion by local industries has provided employment for an additional 2,000 workers. A total of 20,000 workers are now employed in Union County. Union County employs a full-time industrial engineer to help secure new industries. This has proven to be a worthwhile investment by the county, and has been a major factor in provi-ding job opportunities for a major percentage of the available workers here. During the three months period ending November 25, 1968, the per-centage of workers in covered employ-ment that were unemployed in Monroe remained at 0.5 for each of the three months. There were only seven towns in North Carolina with lower unemployment rates during October, 1968. Prospects are very good for employment to remain at a very high level during 1969. The textile industry employs the largest number of workers in the county, followed closely by apparel plant employment, with construction employment being a close thiid. The machine trades also provide jobs for a large number of workers. Food pro-cessing and related work provides employment for a large segment of workers that fall within the special age groups. Personnel of the Monroe office are affiliated with and participate in a variety of activities within the Union County area. The placement inter-viewer served as vice-chairman and former chairman of the Fairview divi-sion of the Piedmont Area Develop-ment Association which has won first place four years out of the past seven. He is also an Elder in the Bethlehem Presbyterian Church, a Sunday school teacher of 27 years and Clerk of Sessions of the church, a past Worthy Patron of the Order of Eastern Star and a member of Union Lodge 618 A F & AM. The VER is active in veterans organizations in the area, having served as Chaplain for the Melvin Deese Post for the past seven years, and has also served as chairman of the Legion Oratorical Contest for the county for the past five years, producing a second place winner in the statewide competi-tion. Staff of the Monroe Employment Security Commission Counselor Jerry McDaniel; Stenographer Margery Griffin; Veterans Employment Repre-sentative Solon Walden; Interviewer Buford Price; and Manager Floyd Harrill (seated). ESC QUARTERLY 25 The manager is a Rotarian, and a past president, a member of the Melvin Deese Post of the American Legion and the local 40 & 8 Organization, having served twice as Commander of the local Legion Post, Past District Commander and also has served as secretary and Chef de Gare in the 40 & 8 organization. He is currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Anson-Union Community Action com-mission, Inc., and coordinates acti-vities between that agency and the local ESC office. He has served as deacon and Sunday school teacher in the First Baptist Church, Monroe. He also works closely with the Union County industrial engineer by provi-ding labor market information prior to final decisions being made by indus-trial prospects. Testing, counseling and job placement services have been pro-vided for these firms, enabling them to begin operations smoothly and speedily and enter into production much earlier than they would have been able to do had they found it necessary to do their own recruiting. Salisbury ESC Part Of Community The Salisbury local office of the Employment Security Commission is located in the heart of the central Piedmont of the State. Spencer, our adjoining sister-city, is considered the population center of the Old North State. Salisbury is the county seat of Rowan County and the office serves all of Rowan County, except the town of Landis, and all of Davie County. Rowan County is over 200 years old and like Davie County has been traditionally conservative economi-cally for 50 to 75 recent years. This attitude was not carried to the extreme and has, we feel, been instru-mental in giving the area a stable basis upon which we have been able in the past 20-25 years to bring in new industries and expand many existing firms. Today we find our area in a most healthful and reasonably pro-gressive economic condition. Our growth has been well balanced in that we not only have not had an overly large increase in one type of industry but have had, in addition to our diversified growth in employment, a parallel increase in educational, cul-tural and recreational facilities. We have taken these steps smoothly and with no over burdening of our tax structure. Our citizenry, by and large, is well pleased with the tempo of our progress and consider this "a good place to live." In-migrants from other areas are quick to sense this feeling and the sincerely friendly spirit of our people and their loyalty to their employer has made it easy for our new firms and their "imported" executives to feel and to actually become a part of the community with only the briefest of transitional periods. From its earliest days our area has been a trading center and we are still a leader in per capita sales in the State. Total non-agricultural employment for our area ranks in the following order: manufacturing, trade, government, service, construction, transportation-communications and public utilities and finally, finance, insurance and real estate. While a large segment of our population is "non-urban" our average agricultural employment (1966) was 1310 which is only about four percent of our total civilian work force. Our ma |
OCLC number | 26477199 |