Gov. Sonny Perdue and the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development on Wednesday announced the third annual Work Ready Awards, which recognized and honored the partners, businesses and individuals who have supported Georgia Work Ready throughout the year.

“Georgia Work Ready has transformed the workforce in our state since 2006,” Perdue said in a news release. “Using this innovative initiative, we are building a world-class workforce with the skills that employers demand. The growing list of Certified Work Ready Communities demonstrates Georgia’s commitment to increasing the technical skill levels of our workforce at the community level.”

Fifty-nine counties—which included Decatur County—joined the list of Certified Work Ready Communities in 2010.

Two Georgia employers—BASF Corp. in Sparks and CJB Industries of Valdosta—were recognized for their use of Work Ready to profile jobs, make hiring decisions and develop ongoing workforce development programs.

Georgia’s Work Ready Regions, which support Georgia’s fastest-growing industries by ensuring the necessary workforce is trained and ready to meet their needs, were also recognized or their ongoing success.

Georgia’s Work Ready initiative is based on a skills assessment, certification and skills gap training for job seekers and a job profiling system for businesses. By identifying both the needs of business and the available skills of Georgia’s workforce, the state can more effectively generate the right talent for the right jobs.