Governor Perdue Awards Covidien State’s First Certified Work Ready Plant

Governor Sonny Perdue awarded Covidien’s Macon facility the state’s first Certified Work Ready Plant. More than 350 hourly employees of the global healthcare products company earned Work Ready Certificates.

“Covidien’s employees made a commitment to build their skills, guaranteeing a more successful, competitive and profitable future for this company, for themselves and for their families,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “My vision is for Georgia to be a state where great companies flock to succeed and grow, and Covidien is proof that we’re headed in that direction.”

Work Ready Certificates are awarded to individuals who successfully complete a four-part assessment of skills in applied mathematics, reading for information, locating information and work habits – skills employers consider essential to on-the-job success. The Work Ready Certificate gives employees a powerful tool to demonstrate their skill level and commitment to work. It can also provide them with a roadmap for gaining new skills for promotions and career development.

Covidien implemented the Work Ready program last spring and worked with Central Georgia Technical College to profile and identify the specific skills needed to successfully perform in its plant. The company used those profiles to encourage employees to earn Work Ready Certificates as a means to develop improved training programs and to make more informed decisions regarding promotions.

Job profiling is conducted by certified profilers located at each of the state’s technical colleges. The profiles are free for companies meeting minimum hiring criteria.

Since implementing Work Ready, Covidien has seen a positive impact on its operations including:

200 percent improvement in training entry-level employees
67 percent reduction in cost and time to hire qualified candidates
35 percent improvement in production efficiency
58 percent reduction in waste
“These accomplishments are thanks to the dedication of our employees and their willingness to take on new challenges,” said Naomi Stifter, Covidien human resources manager. “I am looking forward to even greater successes in the future as we continue to grow with Work Ready.”

Georgia’s Work Ready initiative, a partnership with the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, is based upon a skills assessment and certification for job seekers and a job profiling system for businesses. By identifying both the needs of the business and the available skills of Georgia’s workforce, the state can effectively develop the employee’s skills and match them with the right jobs.

For more information on the Work Ready initiative please visit the Web site at www.gaworkready.org.

About Covidien

Covidien is a leading global healthcare products company that creates innovative medical solutions for better patient outcomes and delivers value through clinical leadership and excellence. Covidien manufactures, distributes and services a diverse range of industry-leading product lines in four segments: Medical Devices, Imaging Solutions, Pharmaceutical Products and Medical Supplies. With 2007 revenue of nearly $9 billion, Covidien has more than 43,000 employees worldwide in 57 countries, and its products are sold in more than 130 countries. Please visit www.covidien.com to learn more about Covidien.