With the stroke of a pen, Vance-Granville Community College President Dr. Rachel Demarais joined more than 200 of her colleagues across the country to show support of entrepreneurship.
Demarais was joined by Tanya Weary, dean of South Campus and Dr. Jerry Edmonds, vice president of Workforce Development and Community Engagement on Tuesday, Feb. 23 for the virtual signing of the “Presidents for Entrepreneurship Pledge,” which took place at the community book read and discussion for Who Owns the Ice House: Eight Life Lessons from an Unlikely Entrepreneur.
The pledge outlines five action steps to increase focus on entrepreneurship and the impact community colleges have on the economic well-being of the communities they serve, according to information from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE).
In signing the pledge, more than 200 community colleges across the country are making a commitment to play a greater role in stimulating economic development in their communities. “An entrepreneurial mindset is critical to solving today’s challenges for tomorrow,” Demarais said.
“As a lead workforce developer in our region, it is imperative that VGCC support economic development through both skills and entrepreneurial training,” she added. Programs offered through the VGCC Small Business Center as well as incorporating entrepreneurial thinking in the school’s trades programs contribute to promoting the idea of entrepreneurism, she said.
According to NACCE President and CEO Rebecca Corbin, the pledge is a way for community colleges to advance entrepreneurship and create jobs across the country. Community college presidents who take the pledge commit to these five action steps:
- Develop transparency of community college and community assets
- Create internal and external teams dedicated to entrepreneurship
- Increase entrepreneurs’ engagement in community colleges
- Engage in industry cluster development
- Create broad exposure to their college’s commitment to entrepreneurship.
The National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) is the nation’s leading organization focused on promoting entrepreneurship through community colleges. The association represents more than 300 community and technical colleges who serve more than three million students. For more information, visit www.nacce.com. Follow NACCE on Twitter at @NACCE and like NACCE on Facebook at National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship.