VGCC to offer Agricultural Entrepreneurship program at two locations
— courtesy VGCC
The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center will soon offer the “NC REAL Agricultural Entrepreneurship” program at two locations.
The seven-week course is designed specifically to help local farmers and budding entrepreneurs succeed in developing profitable, environmentally-sound small farms or agricultural businesses.
The class is scheduled to be offered at Granville Expo & Convention Center (4185 US Highway 15 South, Oxford) on Tuesday evenings, Sept. 12 through Oct. 24, from 6 until 9 p.m.; and on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County (Room 7109) on Saturday mornings, Oct. 7 through Nov. 18, from 9 a.m. until noon.
NC REAL Agricultural Entrepreneurship is designed for small business owners who grow crops or trees, raise livestock, or make sauces, pickles or jams with items from a garden. The goal is for participants to strengthen their business savvy in order to gain the highest profit margin possible.
Participants will consider challenges such as pricing their products; the logistics of getting their products to the market; selecting the best market; and how to generate income between growing seasons. Other topics include business development and management, finance and regulatory requirements, quality and safety standards. Participants will also be introduced to resources and contacts that can help them operate more efficiently and effectively.
For both classes, the instructor will be Carrie Harvey of Harvey Hills Farms in Oxford, who is also a client of the VGCC Small Business Center.
“This is a hands-on, interactive program, beneficial to farmers or anyone who grows a marketable agricultural product, who wishes to start a business or has been in business less than three years,” said Tanya Weary, director of the Small Business Center. Each participant will receive free, one-on-one counseling as a client of the Small Business Center, which will help them take their ideas to the next level of business planning.
Tuition for the course is $70, and the cost of the textbook is $25.
For more information and to register, contact Tanya Weary at (252) 738-3240 or smallbusiness@vgcc.edu.
–VGCC–
Emergency Supplies-Family Preparedness Items (Irma)
Hurricane Irma’s potential to affect the local area will remain unclear a while longer. However, it is not too soon to scout around and make a list of what you may want and need in case emergency supplies and family preparedness items are needed.
In a morning email to local officials and local preparedness teams, the Director of Emergency Operations for Henderson – Vance County, Brian Short, provided the list of items seen below.
Short said, “Let me be clear, I am in no way saying that everyone should run out now and buy everything on the list, however people should begin looking around the house to see which of these items they already have and be thinking about what they may need. We will continue to keep everyone informed and will forward along additional information as it is received.”
Short said, “…we simply should not ignore the potential of this system and we should not wait until the last minute to prepare.”
Recommended Family Preparedness Items
The best time to assemble a three-day emergency supplies kit is well before you will ever need it. Most people already have these items around the house and it is a matter of assembling them now before an evacuation or State of Emergency order is issued. Stocking up now on emergency supplies can add to your family’s safety and comfort during and after a
disaster. Store enough supplies for at least three days, preferably seven days, in one place.
Start with an easy to carry, water tight container – a large plastic trash can will do, or line a sturdy cardboard box with a couple of trash bags. Next gather up the following items and place them in your kit:
Essentials
- Water – 1 gallon per person per day (a week’s supply of water is preferable)
- Water purification kit or bleach
- First aid kit and first aid book
- Pre-cooked, non-perishable foods, such as canned meats, granola bars, instant soup & cereals, etc.
- Baby supplies: formula, bottle, pacifier, soap, baby powder, clothing, blankets, baby wipes, disposable diapers, canned food and juices
- Non-electric can opener
- Anti-bacterial hand wipes or gel
- Blanket or sleeping bag per person
- Portable radio or portable TV and extra batteries
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Essential medications
- Extra pair of eyeglasses
- Extra house and car keys
- Fire extinguisher – ABC-type
- Food, water, leash and carrier for pets
- Cash and change
- Seasonal change of clothing, including sturdy shoes
Sanitation Supplies
- Large plastic trash bags for waste, tarps and rain ponchos
- Large trash cans
- Bar soap, shampoo and liquid detergent
- Toothpaste and toothbrushes
- Feminine hygiene supplies
- Toilet paper
- Household bleach
- Rubber gloves
- Don’t forget your pets when getting prepared!!!
HOW TO HELP DISASTER SURVIVORS IN TEXAS
Please see the press release below courtesy of FEMA. Remember, a donation is a powerful tool. And don’t be scammed.
—–
WASHINGTON – The compassion and generosity of the American people is never more evident than during and after a disaster. It is individuals, non-profits, faith- and community-based organizations, private sector partners, and governmental agencies working together that will most effectively and efficiently help survivors cope with the impacts of Tropical Storm Harvey.
Please follow a few important guidelines below to ensure your support can be the most helpful for Tropical Storm Harvey disaster survivors.
TO DONATE TO RELIEF EFFORTS
The most effective way to support disaster survivors in their recovery is to donate money and time to trusted, reputable, voluntary or charitable organizations.
Cash donations offer voluntary agencies and faith-based organizations the most flexibility to address urgently developing needs. With cash in hand, these organizations can obtain needed resources nearer to the disaster location. This inflow of cash also pumps money back into the local economy and helps local businesses recover faster.
Please do not donate unsolicited goods such as used clothing, miscellaneous household items, medicine, or perishable foodstuffs at this time. When used personal items are donated, the helping agencies must redirect their staff away from providing direct services to survivors in order to sort, package, transport, warehouse, and distribute items that may not meet the needs of disaster survivors.
Donate through a trusted organization. At the national level, many voluntary-, faith- and community-based organizations are active in disasters, and are trusted ways to donate to disaster survivors. Individuals, corporations, and volunteers, can learn more about how to help on the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) website.
In addition to the national members, The Texas Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (Texas VOAD) has a list of vetted disaster relief organizations providing services to survivors. Texas VOAD represents more than three dozen faith-based, community, nonprofit and non-governmental organizations.
TO PERSONALLY VOLUNTEER IN THE DISASTER AREAS
The State of Texas is asking volunteers to not self-deploy, as unexpectedly showing up to any of the communities that have been impacted by Hurricane Harvey will create an additional burden for first responders.
The National VOAD has also noted the situation may not be conducive to volunteers entering the impacted zone and individuals may find themselves turned away by law enforcement.
To ensure volunteer safety, as well as the safety of disaster survivors, volunteers should only go into affected areas with a specific volunteer assignment, proper safety gear, and valid identification.
At this time, potential volunteers are asked to register with a voluntary or charitable organization of their choice, many of which are already in Texas and supporting survivors on the ground.
The National and Texas VOAD websites are offering links to those who wish to register to volunteer with community- and faith-based organizations working in the field.
Most importantly, please be patient. Although the need is great, and desire to help strong, it is important to avoid donating material goods or self-deploying to help until communities are safe and public officials and disaster relief organizations have had an opportunity to assess the damage and identify what the specific unmet needs are.
Volunteer generosity helps impacted communities heal from the tragic consequences of disasters, but recovery lasts much longer than today. There will be volunteer needs for many months, and years, after the disaster, so sign up now.
Tropical Storm Harvey is still dangerous, with the potential to impact additional areas of Texas and Louisiana. As the situation changes, needs may also change in these areas. Continue monitoring traditional and social media channels to learn more.
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Release date:
August 29, 2017
Release Number:
HQ-17-072
Vance County Schools closes Western Vance High School Building
Vance County Schools has officially closed the Western Vance High School building on Poplar Creek Road near Henderson.
The facility will no longer be used to house instructional programs by the school system. Superintendent Anthony Jackson recommended relocating the programs currently housed at the Western facility to available unused space on the campus of Henderson Middle School. This recommendation was approved by the Vance County Board of Education at its meeting on June 12.
With the board’s action, the AdVance Academy formerly housed at Western Vance was relocated to a two-story building on the campus of Henderson Middle School (HMS) on Charles Street in Henderson. The school system’s Youth Empowerment Academy also has been moved to the same location and will use a portion of the first-floor area of the building. The Youth Empowerment Academy, a successful middle school intervention program, had been located in a portion of the old two-story building across from Eaton-Johnson Middle School on Beckford Drive in Henderson.
The decision to close the Western Vance facility was made to save operational costs for the school system and to utilize available space on the HMS campus. 
“As the board of education continues to look at strategies to improve the efficient use of resources, we will intentionally look internally for opportunities to maximize the use of all available tools as we continue working to improve student achievement,” Jackson said.
The two-story building, located to the right of the main entrance to HMS, has been updated to accommodate the academies. New flooring and painting were completed throughout the building. Improved lighting and new ceiling tiles also have been installed as part of our district-wide energy improvement project. Furniture and equipment from the AdVance Academy, Youth Empowerment Academy and Evening Academy were moved to the new location, as well. Art panels designed by students from Southern Vance High School will be placed on the entrance wall facing the street and will provide just a glimpse of the modern feel of the facility. This site will focus not only on strong academics, but on social and emotional development for students. It will provide clubs, workplace experiences and visits to universities and colleges to ensure students understand the opportunities available to them upon graduation.
Principal Stephanie Ayscue is leading a staff of core teachers at AdVance Academy, where approximately 90 high school students complete much of their course work using a blended learning model of both face-to-face and online instruction in a technology-infused environment where students and staff are consistently encouraged to be innovative. Dr. Ralphel Holloman continues as the coordinator for the Youth Empowerment Academy, which serves middle school students with a team of instructors and community volunteers who provide a multitude of experiential opportunities for the middle school students as a means of helping them choose a career pathway. The Evening Academy, coordinated by Kerry Morrison, will continue to provide another option for middle and high school students who need an alternative pathway to complete their high school experience. All of the programs at AdVance Academy are presented using blended learning models in collaborative environments where students are given opportunities to choose their pathways to graduation.
The academies operate separately from Henderson Middle School. The main entrance to the academies is located on the front of the building facing Charles Street. Signs have been erected at the entrance to direct visitors.
Five VGCC Students Participate in Signing Ceremony for Apprenticeship Program
Five students from Vance-Granville Community College were among a dozen who committed to participate in the North Carolina Triangle Apprenticeship Program (NCTAP) at a signing ceremony in Wake Forest on Wednesday, Aug. 16.
The students are now apprentices with eight industries in Granville, Franklin and Wake counties as they finish high school and earn their associate’s degrees at either VGCC or Wake Technical Community College. VGCC students Baylor Chapple and Sebastian Hughes, both of Louisburg, will be working at CaptiveAire in Youngsville, Xavier Durham of Warrenton with Dill Air Controls Products LLC in Oxford, and Zach Willey of Raleigh and Micah Peters of Youngsville with Revlon Inc. of Oxford.
Working through Wake Tech, the signees and the other companies were: Spencer Downing, Accu-Fab Inc. of Raleigh; Ben Elkins and Rhett Keaton, Bühler Aeroglide Corp. of Cary; Daniel Benson, Schmalz Inc. of Raleigh; Brennan Burns and Reily Rhoades, Schunk Intec Inc. of Morrisville; and Nathaniel “Nate” Corl, Superior Tooling of Wake Forest.
Parents of the apprentices and employers from the participating industries joined the students on stage for the signing ceremony as each made a commitment to follow the program. 
“We are grateful to NCTAP for providing the leadership to foster the collaboration between public and private partners that makes this effort successful,” VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams shared with the students, their parents, industry representatives and guests at the dinner and ceremony in the Wake Forest Renaissance Center.
“Apprenticeship is a proven strategy to close the skills gap and meet the workforce needs of industries while at the same time making education more affordable for promising young students,” Dr. Williams added. “To our apprentices, the benefits of this wonderful program are nothing short of life-changing, and that’s why we are so excited to be an educational partner for NCTAP.”
“To our new apprentices, I want to extend congratulations and a warm Vanguard welcome, on behalf of Vance-Granville,” Dr. Williams added. “You are truly ‘Vanguards,’ because you are leaders and pioneers, and you will lead the way for many more apprentices in the future. You will also develop into leaders for your industries.”
NCTAP is a partnership that seeks to provide new opportunities for local students and to prepare a skilled workforce. Typically starting in the junior year of high school, NCTAP is a four-year program that leads to a student obtaining an associate degree at the community college and paid, on-the-job training at the participating employer. Eligible students’ tuition is covered by a waiver from the state of North Carolina. After they graduate from high school, students in the program will be employed full-time by the company.
“Apprenticeships are not exactly what people think they are,” said Marc Bertoncino of Bühler Aeroglide, chairman of NCTAP and master of ceremonies for the event. “This is a very beneficial program for the companies. This is a very beneficial program for young people starting their careers.”
Dr. Stephen Scott, president of Wake Tech, cited the importance of apprenticeships, internships and cooperative education in “bridging the skills gap,” adding, “Parents, we want to tell you that your kids are going to have a job for the next couple of years. They are going to graduate from either Wake Tech or Vance-Granville Community College. And they will have a good paying job and zero debt when they come out (of college). They will have the opportunity to further their education even beyond where this program takes them. So that is a win-win for everyone in this room.”
Bertoncino praised N.C. Sen. Chad Barefoot, R-Wake, for his help in getting legislation changed to boost the apprenticeship program. Whereas companies previously had to pay the state to have an apprentice, Barefoot helped enact legislation that now has the state providing reimbursement for tuition.
“There are apprenticeship programs across the state of North Carolina, but this particular group (NCTAP) has played a really important part in where apprenticeships are today,” Barefoot said. “This continued growth and expansion reaching into new communities will ensure that NCTAP remains the model apprenticeship program for the State of North Carolina.” He added, “Apprenticeships are the key to a successful future for the manufacturing industry of our state.”
Also speaking were Kathryn Castelloes, apprenticeship director for the N.C. Department of Commerce, and Wake Forest Mayor Vivian Jones. Robbie Earnhardt, owner of Wake Forest-based Superior Tooling and former chairman of the apprenticeship program, was recognized by Bertoncino for his vision, leadership and passion in guiding and promoting NCTAP. In attendance also were representatives of the offices of U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, R-NC, and U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC.
Representing VGCC’s NCTAP participating industries were Chris Clough and Cindy Walsh of CaptiveAire, Stephen Tsotsoros and Vanessia Alvarado of Dill Air Controls, Sean Anderson and Pat McKinney of Revlon, and Shaler Chewning of Glen Raven in Norlina. The latest industry to join NCTAP, Glen Raven will be taking its first interns in the coming year. Also present from the VGCC TechHire program were Ken Wilson, project manager, and Tiffani Polk, academic and career coach.
All schools participating in NCTAP can send students to the educational partner institution that best meets the needs of the industrial partner, Wilson said.
