Recent VGCC grad featured in career pathways discussion for educators
Educators, local industry representatives, community leaders and a recent Vance-Granville Community College graduate shared ideas at a panel discussion organized on June 21 by the Advanced Manufacturing Skills Training Alliance (AMSTA), a partnership of VGCC, Granville County Schools, Franklin County Schools, Warren County Schools and Vance County Schools.
The event was part of “AMSTA Summer Cruisers 2017,” a multi-day program that brought teachers from the four counties together to learn more about manufacturing and the regional economy. Day three of the program was held at Franklinton High School and began with greetings from the state’s deputy superintendent of public instruction, Dr. Maria Pitre-Martin, who applauded the participants and said AMSTA is a model for the state.
Next, a discussion on “career pathways” featured panelists Ronnie Goswick, the director of business and economic development at Carolina Sunrock and a former Franklin County economic development director; Arlan Peters, manager of sustainability at Novozymes North America in Franklinton; Eric Breit, director of strategic initiatives for the Capital Area Workforce Development Board; and Thomas Boyd of Henderson, a recent VGCC Mechatronics Engineering Technology program graduate.
Barbara Boyce, representing the Triangle Regional Career Pathways Collaborative (TRCPC), served as the moderator. The collaborative consists of three workforce development boards, five community colleges (including VGCC), ten public school districts and numerous community and industry partners. The primary goal of TRCPC is to develop career pathways to align with the regional labor market and support the regional economy.
Goswick told educators that he hopes K-12 teachers will focus on so-called “soft skills,” good work habits and professionalism, which apply to any type of work. “We can train them on the job skills they will need for a particular job,” he said of new workers at his company. Similarly, Peters said that schools should produce “students who are good thinkers, who can solve a problem,” and said basic science was essential for his company. “Even in jobs that aren’t science-related, you can use your scientific training,” he noted.
Boyd was asked to talk about his pathway. He graduated from Southern Vance High School, worked for a few years, and then enrolled at VGCC, originally intending to study web design. Boyd then switched to the college’s new Mechatronics Engineering Technology degree program, primarily due to his interest in robotics. “Mechatronics is a program that combines different parts of many different fields, a little electronics engineering, mechanical engineering, a little bit of design, and overall industrial maintenance, so you’ve got a little bit of everything to get you started when you’re looking for a job,” Boyd said. “After a year in the program, I was approached about an internship opportunity for a design job at AXIS Corrugated Container, a manufacturer in Butner. I enjoyed taking the design classes, so I took the internship. After I completed the internship, they offered me a full-time job, and I’ve been working there a little over a year now.” In May, he became one of VGCC’s first three Mechatronics graduates.
Boyd said it would be beneficial for younger students to learn generally about how businesses operate, how to network and how to communicate professionally. He added that teachers should explain to students the job opportunities available for students if they earn two-year degrees, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. “Your average high school student thinks they want to go to a four-year school and they’ll automatically get a great job right from the start, but a lot of them don’t realize that you can get a two-year degree and get a really nice-paying job,” Boyd said. “Even if they want to go to a four-year school, doing the two years at a community college first will help them out in the long run. It gives them a good start with a couple years to figure out what they really want to do, and then they can decide on furthering their education somewhere else.”
Breit, representing the workforce development field, said according to the latest research, “the quality of the current and future workforce is now the single most important factor for industry recruitment and retention, so employers want to know about not only current workers but also about the local schools.” He added that the nine Triangle-area counties, including both urban and rural areas, are considered a single labor market, “so it makes sense for workforce development boards, community colleges and public schools throughout the region to put our heads together to see how we can better collectively serve the region, our employers and our students.” Breit said that TRCPC is focused on jobs that are in demand, in the sectors of advanced manufacturing, information technology, life sciences and health care.
After the discussion, a second panel was held to discuss school choice and its impact on the public school systems. Speakers included Dave Machado, director of the Office of Charter Schools at the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, and Dr. Deanna Townsend-Smith, assistant director of that office.
Finally, attendees received updates from several guests. Jo Anne Honeycutt, director of Career & Technical Education (CTE) for the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, said that her department is emphasizing Work-Based Learning (WBL) opportunities and is working on a new high-school-to-college articulation agreement that will help students transfer their high school course credits to colleges. LaTanya Patillio, a former CTE teacher and the new teacher advisor to Gov. Roy Cooper, addressed educators and said that “AMSTA is an example of what public schools are doing right.”
Tresha Layne from the Southern Regional Education Board said that she is working with AMSTA on professional development tied to project-based learning, and praised the partnership for helping the K-12 schools collaborate with VGCC and employers to develop a skilled talent “pipeline.” Sara Lloyd, VGCC’s director of customized training, added that she fields calls from industries about their workforce development needs and helps to connect them to K-12 schools and the college concerning internship opportunities.
Attendees concluded the event by touring Franklinton High School’s Career & Technical Education wing.
For more information on AMSTA, contact Stephanie Ayers at ayerss@vgcc.edu or (919) 316-0026.
–VGCC–
Volunteers Needed for Next Coop Food Giveaway
VANCE COUNTY FOOD GIVEAWAY!
On Thursday, July 13, 2017 the NC Central/Eastern Food Bank will be distributing bags of food to community members who are in need of food at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market, 210 Southpark Drive, Henderson, NC.
The distribution will start at 10:00 a.m.
Citizens will receive disbursements using a drive-through method, as bags will be brought to individual cars when citizens arrive at the site.
Please contact the Vance County Extension office if you are interested in volunteering; email tapride@ncsu.edu or call 252-438-8188.
All volunteers should arrive at 9:00 a.m.
Thirty Seven Domestic Violence Related Homicides Reported in NC in 2017
From January 1 to July 2, 2017, there have been 37 Homicides as a direct result of Domestic Violence in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
THIS HAS TO STOP!
If you or someone you know is a victim of Domestic Violence, please call FAMILIES LIVING VIOLENCE FREE.
919-693-5700 or Hispanic line 919-690-0888 anytime day or night, 7 days a week.
You could be saving a life…may be your own.
Peggy Roark
Adult & Empowerment Services
Families Living Violence Free
125 Oxford Outer Loop Road
PO Box 1632
Oxford, NC 27565
Office: 919-693-3579
Crisis: 919-693-5700
Website: www.flvf.org
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Info Sessions to be held for new STEAM Academy at E.M. Rollins
Vance County Schools
For Immediate Release
July 6, 2017
Parents and students can learn more about the new STEAM Academy at E.M. Rollins Elementary for the 2017-2018 school year during meetings scheduled for Monday, July 10, and Thursday, July 13, at Perry Memorial Library on Breckenridge Street in Henderson.
Both meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be led by Principal Stephanie Alston.
Enrollment is still open for the new year to elementary students throughout Vance County. Plan to attend one of these meetings to learn how to submit an application during open enrollment.
VGCC connects students and new graduates to employers
As the end of the spring semester approached, the staff of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant program at Vance-Granville Community College held their first-ever “College-to-Career Mixer” for students to meet with potential employers. Not only were 15 new graduates of the Welding Technology and Mechatronics Engineering Technology programs in attendance, but also five students who were not yet ready to graduate but were looking for potential Work-Based Learning (WBL) opportunities.
Prior to the event, college staff members drilled the students on job interview techniques, and some students participated in mock interviews. All received resume preparation assistance and detailed information about the employers who would be in attendance at the mixer. Participating employers included BFS Industries, LLC, of Butner; Bridgestone/Bandag of Oxford; Novozymes North America of Franklinton; Carolina Sunrock of Kittrell and Butner; Trulite Glass & Aluminum Solutions of Youngsville; Glen Raven of Norlina; Delhaize America of Butner; J.P. Taylor/Universal Leaf of Oxford; and Altec of Creedmoor. 
“As we move forward, VGCC will be looking for ways to increase our synergy with our employer partners while providing a robust pipeline for qualified future employees,” said Zane Styers, who manages the TAACCCT grant. “Industry tours, Work-Based Learning, internships and apprenticeships are options that form the framework for our College-to-Career pipeline.”
The $1.75 million TAACCCT grant, the largest single competitive grant in VGCC history, has helped the college develop and enhance innovative training programs for advanced manufacturing careers. The TAACCCT grants are part of a nearly $2 billion initiative of the U.S. Department of Labor to expand targeted training programs for unemployed workers, especially those impacted by foreign trade. For more information on TAACCCT, contact Zane Styers at styersz@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3342.
–VGCC–
Critical Red Cross blood shortage prompts emergency call for donations
RALEIGH, N.C. (July 5, 2017) — The American Red Cross is facing a critical blood shortage and is issuing an emergency call for eligible blood and platelet donors of all blood types to give now and help save lives.
Blood donations have fallen short of expectations for the past two months, resulting in about 61,000 fewer donations than needed and causing a significant draw down of the Red Cross blood supply. The shortfall is the equivalent of the Red Cross not collecting any blood donations for more than four days.
“It’s crucial that people donate now to meet the needs of patients every day and to be prepared for emergencies that require significant volumes of donated blood,” said Nick Gehrig, communications director, Red Cross Blood Services. “Every day, blood and platelet donors can help save lives, and right now these heroes are needed to give as soon as possible.”
How to Help
To schedule an appointment to donate, use the free Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). The Red Cross has added more than 25,000 additional appointment slots at donation centers and community blood drives across the country over the next few weeks to accommodate more donors. Donation appointments and completion of a RapidPass online health history questionnaire are encouraged to help reduce the time it takes to donate.
Summer Months Lead to Shortage
Blood shortages often worsen around Independence Day due to many fewer volunteer-hosted blood drives at places of work, worship or community gathering, and this year is no exception. Nearly 700 fewer blood drives are scheduled during the Independence Day week than the weeks before and after the holiday.
Overall, the summer months are among the most challenging times of the year for blood and platelet donations as regular donors delay giving while they vacation and participate in summer activities. In a recent survey of Red Cross blood donors, more than 73 percent indicated vacation plans this summer, many of them occurring the weeks before and after Independence Day.
New donors and those who haven’t given in a while are especially encouraged to roll up a sleeve and help save lives. Nearly one-third fewer new blood donors came out to give last summer than during the rest of the year due in part to schools – where blood drives are held and where new donors give – being out of session during the summer months.
Who Blood Donations Help
Every two seconds in the United States blood and platelets are needed to respond to patient emergencies, including accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant procedures, and patients receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease. The Red Cross must collect nearly 14,000 blood donations every day for patients at approximately 2,600 hospitals across the country.
Upcoming blood donation opportunities July 5-25
Franklin
Louisburg
7/15/2017: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Maple Springs Baptist Church, 1938 NC 56 Hwy E
Person
Roxboro
7/16/2017: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., Theresa Baptist, 3919 Chublake Rd
7/18/2017: 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Person Memorial Hospital, 615 Ridge Rd.
Semora
7/21/2017: 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., Semora Ruritan Club, Hwy. 119 N
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
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Little Hotel Fire Displaces 34 Residents
For the second straight nationally observed holiday here in the United States, the local Henderson community has been marked by fire.
Mid-morning today, The Little Hotel on Garnett Street, which provides rented apartments to its residents now, suffered heavy smoke and water damage due to an electrical fire in a room on the first floor. Thirty four residents are temporarily displaced.
Just over a month ago on Memorial Day, the ETC manufacturing facility, which produced cleaning supplies, burned for the second time in 13 years, and the family has announced publicly now that the facility will not be rebuilt as it was previously.
Fortunately neither fire resulted in any injuries.
Henderson Fire Chief Steve Cordell told WIZS News his department received the fire alarm to The Little Hotel this morning about 8:30. He said firefighters were advised in route that an occupant said the fire was on the second floor. Cordell said, “On our arrival, we found light smoke coming from the second floor. Upon our investigation, we found a room and contents fire on the first floor.”
He said the fire was quickly extinguished.
When asked why the fire started, Cordell said, “The fire started from an overloaded electrical socket.”
The 34 occupants are being assisted by local emergency management, according to Cordell. He said, “They are going to be sheltered at New Sandy Creek Baptist Church by The Red Cross. The Red Cross is coming in and setting up a food shelter and a housing shelter for them.”