Lou Stout, director of occupational extension, human-resources development and career readiness certification, at Beaufort County Community College, recently received the DuPont Davis Excellence in Workforce Development Award in recognition of her contributions to workforce development in the region.
“Partnerships like ours are what make Beaufort County not only a great place to work, but also a great place to live,” Stout said during an awards ceremony in Williamston in March. “Together we are building a better workforce, one student at a time.”
Stout was cited for her work, beginning in 2010, with the Region Q Workforce Development Board, its business-services staff and Beaufort County JobLink Career Center to help PotashCorp-Aurora identify qualified candidates for jobs at the company’s Aurora operations.
She began WorkKeys Career Readiness Certification pre-employment screening tests and coordinated that testing and follow-up to ensure the best results needed to meet the needs of PotashCorp-Aurora employee recruitment efforts.
Stout also led the college’s efforts to provide additional pre-employment screening tests as requested by PotashCorp-Aurora.
Stout has been employed in the Division of Continuing Education at BCCC for 17 years.
DuPont Davis was a Hertford County commissioner and strong supporter of workforce development in Region Q, which now includes Beaufort, Bertie, Hyde, Martin and Pitt counties. Stout is the second recipient of the award named for Davis since its inception.