Tag Archive for: #vancegranvillecommunitycollege

Diverse Healthcare Leader To Speak To Students, Public On April 24

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— courtesy VGCC

The Medical Office Administration program at Vance-Granville Community College will host a presentation on medical office careers by a veteran healthcare instructor and manager on Tuesday, April 24, at 6 p.m. on the Main Campus.

Marianne Durling, currently an associate compliance officer with the Duke University Health System, will be in the Conference Room in Building 8 to speak with students in VGCC’s Health Services programs. The public is also invited to attend.

Durling has been active in some aspect of healthcare for more than 37 years, including clinical patient care, insurance and auditing, resulting in a diverse background, according to Christal Thomas, program head and instructor for Medical Office Administration at the college.

She has developed and taught a successful medical coding degree program, as well as a healthcare management degree program, for local colleges, for more than 11 years, garnering praise from employers and students. She won Instructor of the Year in 2012 at one of those colleges and was nominated for a state instructor of the year honor. She works with the American Academy of Professional Coders curriculum and credential development and serves as a member of the Healthcon Education Committee.

Durling has a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration, a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Health Information Administration, a Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences, and an Associate’s Degree in Health Professions. She has credentials in RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CPC, CPCO, CIC and CPC-I.

She is described as a coding, auditing and revenue cycle subject matter expert for lawyers as well as a seasoned textbook editor for multiple publishers.  She has been published in national professional publications.  She has served on the AAPC National Advisory Board and has served multiple terms as president and president-elect of the Oxford Tri-County North Carolina chapter of the AAPC. She has also served two terms as coordinator of the Triangle Region chapter of the North Carolina Health Information Management Association. In 2017, she was awarded the NCHIMA Special Recognition Award for her work with NCHIMA.

For more information, those planning to attend can contact Christal Thomas at (252) 738-3325 or thomasc@vgcc.edu.

— VGCC —

VGCC Trustees OK Budget Requests For County Funding

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— courtesy VGCC

VGCC Trustees OK Budget Requests For County Funding

The Vance-Granville Community College Board of Trustees approved a proposed total budget request of $3,190,150 for the 2018-2019 fiscal year for Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties at its bimonthly meeting on the college’s Main Campus on Monday, March 19.

In other action, the board also heard updates on the college’s recent grant success, the state’s audit of energy consumption, and the annual financial audit by the state.

VGCC’s budget requests for plant operations and maintenance funding, which include $2,578,710 in current expenses and $611,440 in capital outlay, now go to the board of county commissioners in each of the four counties served by VGCC. The capital outlay budget is composed of $95,960 in recurring needs and $515,480 in one-time needs.

“We are requesting level funding for operating funds for each of our campuses from our counties this year,” said Steven Graham, VGCC’s vice president of finance and operations. “We have projected that our continuation costs are in line with the amount of funding that we are currently receiving from our respective counties.”

Of the $2.57 million current expense county budget, $1,151,597 is being proposed for Vance County for the Main Campus and the nursing simulation lab at Maria Parham Health; $752,184 for Granville County for Main Campus, South Campus and the Culinary Arts location in Oxford; $369,168 for Franklin’s campus; and $225,625 for Warren’s campus. The college will be using $80,136 in institutional monies to fund current expenses.

Of the $95,960 in recurring capital outlay requests for facility improvement needs, funding by county is: Vance, $41,220; Granville, $28,740; Franklin, $20,000; and Warren, $6,000.

The college is requesting the one-time capital outlay funds of $515,480 for the Main Campus in accordance with VGCC’s Capital Improvement Plan submitted to Vance County, said Graham. Vance and Granville share in the funding of the campus between Henderson and Oxford on a 3:1 ratio. A total of $386,610 is being requested from Vance County and $128,870 from Granville.

“The majority of that requested funding will go towards parking lot repairs and resurfacing here at the Main Campus,” said Graham, adding that the funds will also help with the replacement of groundskeeping equipment and a campus police vehicle.

County funding represents approximately 9.5 percent of the college’s overall budget.

Grants Update

Vance-Granville has received grants totaling $1,615,222 for 2017-2018, according to a report delivered to the board by Dr. Ken Lewis, the college’s vice president of institutional research and technology.

The grants include: Perkins, $185,266; NCWorks Career Coach, $116,000; Duke Energy/Piedmont Natural Gas Apprenticeship, $200,000; Department of Transportation Summer Institute, $35,000; Basic Skills Continuation, $827,504; Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, $205,000; Heavy Equipment Operator, $31,452; and NC Tobacco Trust Fund, $15,000.

Additional grants are in progress, including the NC TechHire Alliance, Governor’s Innovation Grant, Siemens Solid Edge CAD and Tecnomatix, and Cannon Foundation, Dr. Lewis noted.

The update was provided from the board’s Curriculum Committee, chaired by Trustee Barbara Cates Harris.

Environmental Assessment

Vance-Granville has saved more than $1 million in energy and water costs over the past decade, according to the results of a State Energy Office assessment recently announced by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.

“We are pleased to report that Vance-Granville is 30 percent below the baseline for community colleges in energy consumption and 27 percent below our 2007-2008 consumption,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, VGCC’s president, in making the announcement to the board.

The environmental quality assessment gave VGCC a ranking of 12th out of the 58 community colleges in lowest consumption, which Dr. Williams described as “extraordinary given the age of our buildings.”

Danny W. Wright, VGCC’s chair of the Board of Trustees, said, “This demonstrates great stewardship on the part of the people who manage plant operations.”

State Financial Audit

The State Auditor’s Office gave Vance-Granville a clean financial statement audit for the 2016-2017 fiscal year, according to an announcement from Dr. Williams.

“The results of our tests disclosed no deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting that we consider to be material weaknesses in relation to our audit scope or any instances of noncompliance or other matters that are required to be reported under Government Auditing Standards,” said State Auditor Beth Wood in a letter to the college’s Board of Trustees.

“This is a great credit to our Business Office as well as all of the employees throughout the college who deal with financial information,” said Dr. Williams. “I know that I speak for all of the board in commending all staff involved.”

State Budget Priorities

The North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) has adopted seven legislative priorities for the 2018-2019 session of the North Carolina General Assembly, Dr. Williams informed the trustees.

Totaling $52.6 million in recurring funds and $15.2 million in non-recurring funds statewide, the priorities are: closing the skills gap by investing in short-term workforce training programs leading to industry credentials; modernizing the information technology system; ensuring colleges continue to have direct access to information technology staff; incentivizing student access and completion; ensuring high school students are career and college ready; ensuring students have access to 21st Century equipment; and supporting faculty and staff.

The NCCCS adopted a comprehensive strategic plan in February, “Putting Education to Work,” that will guide the system through 2022, focusing on student interest and access, clear and supported pathways for student progress and success, economic and workforce impact, and system effectiveness.

Building Projects

A final assessment of field work has been submitted to the college for the replacement of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and fire alarm systems on the Main Campus, according to a report of the board’s Building Committee, delivered by Trustee Donald C. Seifert, Sr., chair.

The fire alarm replacement work will be completed first, with the initial HVAC system renovation projects for two of the Main Campus buildings being completed in 2019.

With design work and construction documents scheduled to be completed in April, bids are scheduled to go out in May for the renovation of a 3,200-square-foot area at the back of Building 10 to accommodate a practical simulation lab for the Fire/Rescue, Basic Law Enforcement Training and Emergency Medical Services programs. The renovation should be completed this summer.

Renovations to the Welding lab and a demonstration area in the Welding classroom at Franklin County Campus are expected to be completed in early April.

Each project is being funded by monies allocated by the Connect NC Bond passed in March 2016 by North Carolina voters.

Exterior masonry renovations on the Main Campus, which are scheduled to be bid out in April and to begin in May, are being funded by the bond funds and a remaining balance of $69,000 from county resources used for structural renovations to roofs and masonry.

Other Action

In other action:

• Sovanny “Sophie” Taylor of Louisburg, student trustee and president of the Student Government Association, detailed recent and upcoming events for students.

• The Investment Committee, chaired by Trustee L. Opie Frazier, Jr., reported on college’s investments.

• Trustee Sara C. Wester, chair of the Personnel Committee, updated board members on new employees, retirements and resignations, and she informed the board of the plans for the annual evaluation of the president.

• Dr. Williams announced the following events: Sixth Annual Dinner Theater, April 26-27; Endowment Fund Golf Tournament, May 1; Vance-Granville Community Band concert, May 7; and Graduation, May 11. She said the board will have its annual retreat on Aug. 27.

The next meeting of the VGCC Board of Trustees will be held on Monday, May 21, at the Main Campus.

–30–

VGCC schedules leadership series for nonprofits

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— courtesy VGCC

The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center is offering a new series of free seminars that provide essential management skills for leaders of nonprofit organizations. The “Packing Your Toolbox for a Strong Nonprofit” series is presented in partnership with the Triangle North Healthcare Foundation, a regional grant-making organization that was established in 2011 as the successor to the Maria Parham Healthcare Foundation.

The six seminars include “Leadership Development for Nonprofit Organizations,” on February 8; “How to Write a Business Plan — The Most Important Part of Starting a Nonprofit,” on February 22; “Financial Management for the Nonprofit Organization” on March 8; “Developing Your Nonprofit Board” on March 22; “Fundraising 101 for Your Nonprofit” on April 5; and “Finding & Writing Grants” on April 19.

Each session will begin with lunch at 12:30 p.m. and will end by 3 p.m. The series will be held in room 7109 (Building 7) on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County. The Triangle North Healthcare Foundation will cover all costs of this series, including tuition, lunch and reading materials.

Melissa Driver Beard of Driving Force Relations, who has served as executive director for several nonprofit organizations, will be the instructor for four of the sessions. Ed Ormsby, former director of the Small Business Center at Edgecombe Community College, will teach “How to Write a Business Plan,” while Karen Kennedy, Community Development Manager for the City of Sanford, will teach the final session on grants.

Participants in the leadership program will be required to become clients of VGCC’s Small Business Center, which is free of charge.

Small Business Center Director Tanya Weary said that these seminars will be particularly helpful to new executive directors or new volunteer leaders for nonprofit organizations. Space is limited for each seminar. The deadline to register is Jan. 31.

For more information, contact Tanya Weary at smallbusiness@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3240.

Registration can be completed online at www.vgcc.edu/schedules/small-business-center.

–VGCC–

(VGCC is an advertising client of WIZS.  This is not a paid advertisement.)

VGCC enrolling students for spring semester

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— courtesy VGCC

Area residents have until Jan. 4, 2018, to complete the process of registering for the spring 2018 semester at Vance-Granville Community College, but college officials urge prospective students to register before the holidays.

The semester begins on Jan. 8, with classes offered on schedules of 16, 12 and 8 weeks. Course schedules are available online at schedules.vgcc.edu.

For new students, the process of enrollment begins with completing an application for admission at www.vgcc.edu/application along with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at fafsa.gov. Then, students will request their official high school transcripts, and in some cases, their transcripts from other colleges they have attended. Next, they should meet with an academic/career coach and schedule a placement test, unless it is waived. Finally, students complete an orientation session, either online or in the traditional face-to-face format.

One relatively new resource for students residing in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties is the VanGuarantee scholarship program. The VanGuarantee is designed to cover tuition, student fees and/or textbooks for eligible students whose financial needs are unmet by federal financial aid and other means of support. For more information on all the various types of financial aid, contact the VGCC Financial Aid Office at fao@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3280.

The college offers classes at four campuses and online, including six degree programs that are offered completely online: Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Medical Office Administration – Coding Specialist and Supply Chain Management.

VGCC’s Main Campus is located on Poplar Creek Road in Vance County (about midway between Henderson and Oxford) at the intersection with Interstate 85 (Exit 209).

The Franklin County Campus is located just west of Louisburg on N.C. 56.

South Campus is on N.C. 56 between Creedmoor and Butner.

The Warren County Campus is located at 210 West Ridgeway Street (U.S. 158 Business) in Warrenton.

For more information on enrolling, call (252) 738-3234 or visit any campus.

–VGCC–

(VGCC is an advertising client of WIZS.)

VGCC announces Volleyball schedule

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UPDATE – Please follow the link below for the updated schedule for VGCC women’s volleyball. A home match that originally was scheduled for Oct. 18 has been moved to Oct. 4.

VGCC Volleyball Schedule 2017

The Vance-Granville Community College women’s volleyball team is scheduled to play 18 matches, including seven home matches, during the 2017 season. The Vanguards compete in Region X of National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III, which includes a number of community colleges in North Carolina and Virginia.

The Vanguards will begin this year’s campaign on Tuesday, Aug. 29, at Guilford Technical Community College. VGCC’s first contest at home is set for Friday, Sept. 8, at 7 p.m., when the Vanguards host Walters State Community College (Tennessee) at Aycock Recreation Center in Henderson.

For more information on VGCC athletics, contact Jermiel Hargrove at hargrovej@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3246.

VGCC announces free Small Business Summit with holiday focus

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The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center has scheduled its sixth annual Small Business Summit for Tuesday, Oct. 24, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m., at the Lake Gaston Lions Club in Henrico. Entitled “Making the Holidays Pay Off,” the free event is designed to help local businesses plan ahead for the upcoming holiday season with innovative marketing practices.

CenturyLink is the presenting sponsor for the event. Local partners helping VGCC to organize the summit are the Chamber of Commerce of Warren County, the Warren County Economic Development Commission and the Lake Gaston Regional Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center.

Business representatives and interested members of the community are invited to attend. Registration is now open at tinyurl.com/holiday-summit.

The day starts off with registration and networking with attendees and vendors at 8 a.m. The first hour-long seminar will be “Shop Local — Buy Local — Invest Local to Gain More Business for You and Your Area” at 8:30 a.m. Presenter Martin Brossman will help participants get the most out of a “Shop Local” program, including the use of social media.

“Holiday Event Planning for the Small Business Owner” follows at 9:45 a.m. with Lisa Gingue of Vino Oasi in Stem. Gingue will discuss planning events that attract holiday shoppers.

At 11 a.m., Brossman will present “Take Photos like a Pro to Get More Business with Your Social Media.” This session covers the basics of low-cost photography techniques to attract more customers with social media and web marketing.

The keynote presentation, from noon until 1 p.m., will be “Get Social! Grow Your Business!” with Kristen Baughman and Stacey Price Sprenz, both of Raleigh-based Tabletop Media Group. Baughman, the founder of the agency, and Sprenz, a photographer, will teach attendees how to take their social media to the next level using photos and videos. They will offer a few tips and tricks on how to promote participants’ businesses and unique holiday offerings to media outlets and social influencers in their community. Tabletop Media Group is a boutique agency serving clients in the food, beverage, agriculture and lifestyle industries.

Lunch will be provided free of charge to the first 100 registered participants by CenturyLink. For more information, contact VGCC Small Business Center Director Tanya Weary at (252) 738-3240 or smallbusiness@vgcc.edu.

–VGCC–

VGCC instructor graduates from leadership program

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Dr. Kambiz Tahmaseb, a Biology and Chemistry instructor at Vance-Granville Community College, recently graduated from the North Carolina Community College Leadership Program (NCCCLP). He is one of approximately 35 community college faculty and staff members from across the state who completed the program this year.

The six-month leadership program, which includes face-to-face instruction at various locations, provides preparation and training to develop future community college leaders. The program is highly experiential in nature, and, this year, participants worked in teams to address challenges at hypothetical community colleges. They became involved in every aspect of those colleges, from naming and branding to strategic planning.

In addition to strengthening their leadership skills, NCCCLP participants learn about the structure and governance of the community college system, enjoy opportunities for networking, and form a diverse pool of qualified educational leaders.

“The major lesson I learned from the program is that leadership is not about being the president of a college, or a company or a nation,” Dr. Tahmaseb said. “Leadership happens in every level of our lives. In the NCCCLP, I learned a lot about myself, and how I interact with others, both in my private life and professional life, and how those interactions affect how I may influence those individuals. The lessons I learned will help me as a husband, father, teacher and colleague.”

A resident of Durham, Tahmaseb earned bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Chemistry at Willamette University in Oregon and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Science at Wright State University in Ohio. He was also a postdoctoral research associate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Tahmaseb joined the VGCC faculty in 2012 and has taught both face-to-face and online science courses, spending most of his time at the college’s South Campus near Creedmoor. He is also currently serving his second term as the elected vice president of external affairs for the North Carolina Community College Faculty Association.

The North Carolina Community College Leadership Program was created in 1989, under the auspices of the state chapter of the American Association for Women in Community Colleges, to provide an interdisciplinary approach to leadership training through professional development. Graduates have used the skills and connections gained from the program to be more successful leaders in all areas and at all levels in the North Carolina Community College System.

–VGCC–

VGCC to hold Bone Marrow registration events

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Vance-Granville Community College, in partnership with the Project Life Movement, is planning a three-day, three-campus bone marrow registration drive in October.

Members of the community are invited to join VGCC students, faculty and staff at one of the events being held on three of the college’s campuses: Tuesday, October 3, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. in the seminar room (G1131) on South Campus, located between Creedmoor and Butner; Wednesday, October 4, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. in the student center/lounge in Building 2 on Main Campus in Vance County; and Thursday, October 5, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. in the multi-purpose room on the Franklin County Campus near Louisburg. 

At each event, participants will have their cheek swabbed to provide DNA that will enter a growing bone marrow donor registry. The painless registration process takes only a few minutes, but could save a life if a participant turns out to be a match for someone in need of a bone marrow transplant. Such treatments are the only hope for many people diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell anemia and other blood cancers and diseases. Around 60 percent of those in need of a donation currently cannot find a donor match, according to Project Life, a national movement that started with students at Davidson College and has spread to more than 25 other schools. VGCC first held a college-wide bone marrow registration event with Project Life in the fall of 2015.

Participants must be between the ages of 18 and 60 and in good health to be on the bone marrow registry.

Taking the lead on this initiative at VGCC are students in the Radiography program.

For more information, contact Radiography Clinical Coordinator/instructor Stacey Soles at (252) 738-3515 or soless@vgcc.edu, or Ann Henegar at (704) 299-6310 or www.projectlifemovement.org.

Anyone who is unable to attend one of the VGCC events but wants to join the bone marrow registry can find more information at www.deletebloodcancer.org.

–VGCC–

VGCC invites community to Manufacturing Day

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Vance-Granville Community College will hold a “Manufacturing Day” celebration on Thursday, Oct. 5, from 8:30 to 11:15 a.m. and 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. Job seekers and students are invited to attend and to learn more about manufacturing and related careers.

Local manufacturers and equipment vendors will provide demonstrations and information highlighting their products and their employment opportunities. Attendees will learn about career options in the region’s industries and the technical skills required to succeed in such careers.

Participants are set to include Altec of Creedmoor, Boise Cascade of Roxboro, Glen Raven of Norlina, Mars Petcare of Henderson, CertainTeed of Oxford and Carolina Sunrock of Butner, among others.

Representatives of VGCC technical programs, including those that provide education and training related to advanced manufacturing, will also be on hand. These include curriculum programs in Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Technology, Automotive Systems Technology, Electronics Engineering Technology, Mechatronics Engineering Technology and Welding Technology. VGCC’s Admissions and Financial Aid departments will also have representatives there. Attendees will also be able to learn about the North Carolina Triangle Apprenticeship Program (NCTAP), a four-year program that leads to a student obtaining an associate degree at a community college and paid, on-the-job training at a participating employer.

Event organizers hope to develop a pipeline of highly trained and skilled employees. “VGCC and industry partners are working together to address the skills gap, connect with future generations, and educate them about the outstanding opportunities that manufacturing careers can provide,” said Ken Wilson, project manager for the TechHire grant at VGCC, which supports advanced manufacturing training and information technology training.

The VGCC event is one of many across the country celebrating National Manufacturing Day (also known as “MFG Day”). The annual observance was established by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the Manufacturing Institute (MI), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP).

For more information, contact VGCC Academic & Career Coach Tiffani Polk at polkt@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3291.

Five VGCC Students Participate in Signing Ceremony for Apprenticeship Program

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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.