Randolph Community College has received $25,000 from the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation Ribbon of Hope program to expand services to workers in Randolph County who lack sufficient skills for entry-level jobs. The program, called Career Connections, will provide the preparation and support for Adult Basic Education (ABE) and General Education Development (GED) students to connect to credit and noncredit career pathways.
The program allows RCC to contextualize its Basic Skills classes to a student's particular career path, according to Amanda Byrd, dean of Basic Skills at RCC. Contextualized courses are those that reflect the skills needed for a particular career. "We are partnering with the Human Resources Development and Occupational Extension areas of Continuing Education to establish career pathways for these students," she said. "The goal is for the students to earn their GEDs and certification to assist them in obtaining entry-level positions in the HVAC/Industrial Maintenance and Office/Clerical fields by the end of the program."
Two pathways have been chosen for the Career Connections program: Industrial Maintenance/Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Office/Clerical. "We chose these because they were the most popular in the recently completed 12 in 6 JobsNOW program, and they offer the most employment opportunities," said Byrd. "There is also a clear pathway into curriculum (college credit) programs with both of these programs."
Elizabeth Kremer, director of Occupational Extension programs for RCC, added that the College intends to incorporate other components into the program, such as interview skills, resumé writing, and job search strategies. All students will receive job placement assistance through the JobLink Career Center, located on RCC's Asheboro Campus.
Byrd said that the Career Connections program is scheduled to begin in August and continue for two years, serving 20 students per year. "We've chosen to take most of the money and put it toward scholarships for students," said Byrd, with 87 percent of the grant to be used for scholarship support and the remainder for hiring a curriculum developer to help with contextualization of courses. RCC intends to offer $400 scholarships for Office/Clerical for 10 students per year and $600 scholarships for Industrial Maintenance/HVAC for 10 students per year.
The target groups for this program are students enrolled in RCC's Adult Basic Education Levels I and II. For more information about the Career Connections program, contact the Basic Skills office at RCC at 336-633-0106.
Since 2008, the N.C. GlaxoSmithKline Foundation has awarded 70 grants to nonprofits across the state under the Ribbon of Hope program. As part of the grant, recipients also receive customized consulting services and technical assistance from the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits. The goal of the Ribbon of Hope program, which offers one-time $25,000 grants, is to have a positive impact on the lives of North Carolina's citizens in each of the state's 100 counties by supporting programs that further health, science and education in local communities.
