Business and industry are the heart of any community and so is the training that supplies the workforce for those companies. Business leaders from the area recently toured Sampson Community College to offer feedback and advice on how to strengthen our workforce by continuing to offer the most effective training possible for students and future employees.
“This is a chance for local business leaders to come through and tour our industrial systems and information technology areas and give feedback on what we can do to enhance our programs,” says Toledo Kemmer, career specialist at SCC. “We value our local businesses and industries, so we want to strengthen partnerships and continue relationships to make sure what we are doing what we need to do to meet their needs.”
“These are two of our strongest programs and we are proud of what we produce,” said SCC President, Dr. Bill Starling. “We want students to know there are great careers out there that can be achieved with two years of training. This event today is important because we can send fliers and emails to promote the college but really, it’s the personal interaction that is irreplaceable. We thank these businesses greatly for giving their time to give feedback and to help us help them.”
SCC’s Industrial Systems program trains students to safely service, maintain, repair, or install equipment. Students learn multi-craft technical skills in print reading, mechanical systems maintenance, electricity, hydraulics/pneumatics, welding, machining or fabrication. Graduates can inspect, diagnose, repair, and maintain industrial process and support equipment. The college has already seen several graduates enter the workforce of local industry in Sampson County.
Likewise, the college’s Information Technology (IT) program prepares grads for employment in the technology sector as designers, testers, support technicians, system administrators, developers, or programmers who use computer software and hardware to design, process, implement and manage information systems in specialties such as database services, security, business intelligence, healthcare informatics and others. The program offers courses that are extremely more cost efficient than many other avenues around the country.
Chuck Spell, director of manufacturing for Hogslat, sees the importance from both sides as he also serves on the SCC Board of Trustees.
“Finding people with these skill sets and hiring them is difficult, but the college has top of the line programs,” says Spell. “In some cases, local industry here has no idea what is offered at the college. It is vital we get the word out. When businesses and the college communicate, it allows businesses to hire from within and makes it so much easier on the employer.”
For more information about the college, visit www.sampsoncc.edu.