WINSTON-SALEM, NC (APRIL 30, 2020) - Today, April 30, the Piedmont Triad Regional Workforce Development Board (PTRWDB), in partnership with the Mask the City program launched the Workplace Restart initiative that provides up to two Nightingale™ Face Masks (based on product availability) and COVID- 19 health training to local employers and their staff. PTRWDB is piloting this initiative in Forsyth County with the purpose of getting businesses open and people back to work while ensuring the health and safety of the workforce. Small and midsize local employers should visit MaskTheCity.com to access a link to the registration form.
The comprehensive COVID-19 health training provides businesses and their employees’ information on topics ranging from how the coronavirus spreads to how to maintain social distancing in communal work areas. Designed exclusively for Triad workplaces, this interactive course is divided into two short segments. The first module educates employers on how to protect their staff from workplace outbreaks, and the second module is a tool for employers to provide employees guidance on new workplace safety procedures, including instructions for proper usage of the Nightingale Face Masks.
"Our goal with the Workplace Restart initiative is to help prepare our community to effectively and safely return to work as we continue to fight this virus. We must educate our communities on the proper ways to protect our workplaces and ourselves to reduce the risk of recurring outbreaks. By following best practices, local businesses will play a central role in boosting the confidence of our citizens," said Matthew Dolge, Executive Director of the Piedmont Triad Regional Council.
“We are thrilled that the Workforce Development Board has embraced the Mask the City effort to support small businesses in our community program and give access to masks at no charge once they complete a simple employer training video,” Greater Winston-Salem, Inc. President and CEO Mark Owens said. “Workplace Restart is ideally suited for companies 250 employers and less—yet this program offers a training resource for companies of all sizes so we are all prepared for a safe phased reopening of our economy."
To participate in the Workplace Restart initiative, small and midsize employers should visit maskthecity.com and submit a registration form. A team member from the PTRWDB will contact candidates with details. After the employer completes the module one training, the masks will be distributed to the organization, free of charge, based on product availability.
Additional information about the Mask the City initiative can be found at maskthecity.com and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @maskthecity.
PTRWDB is a division of Piedmont Triad Regional Council (PTRC). PTRWDB serves the counties of Caswell, Davie, Forsyth, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, and Yadkin. The mission of PTRWDB is to assist the development of the regional workforce to meet the needs of employers now and into the future. Members of the board include representatives of PTRC, regional employers and community colleges. PTRWDB oversees local area NCWorks Career Centers and NextGen Youth Program and are a part of the state and national Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act system. For more information about PTRWDB, visit www.ptrc.org.
The purpose of Mask the City is to provide everyone in Winston-Salem access to a mask and urge them to wear it as well as to continue social distancing for 40 days from April 22 through May 31. The masks will be widely dispersed throughout the community under the program. William M. Satterwhite, III, JD, MD, Chief Wellness Officer at Wake Forest Baptist Health, and his team designed the mask in conjunction with Renfro Corporation. Renfro is manufacturing the masks, which are called the Nightingale™ WS Protective Mask.
# # #
Questions related to the Mask the City effort? Please email us at info@maskthecity.com