SPCC Makes A Difference In Anson County

North Carolinians sometimes take the quality of our community college system for granted, but as an Ohio native who has worked with companies from all over the U.S. and the world, I can attest that what we do here in terms of technical training and education is the envy of nearly every other state, and the handful of states who are on a par with us are in that position largely because they have copied our model. Community colleges were the engine that propelled a mostly agrarian North Carolina economy into the Industrial Age and created factory jobs for hundreds of thousands of workers during the post-war boom of the 1950's and 1960's. As the global economy changed in the 1980's and 1990's, our community college system kept pace, diversifying into technology, medical and advanced manufacturing training.

There are currently 58 community colleges serving the 100 North Carolina counties. Virtually every person living in the state is within a 30 minute drive of a community college. Here in Anson County, South Piedmont Community College (SPCC) operates two facilities, the L.L. Polk Campus in Polkton, and the Lockhart-Taylor Center in Wadesboro. The Polk campus is a 20-acre comprehensive academic and technical training facility which offers a full range of degree and certificate programs. The Lockhart-Taylor Center offers law enforcement, EMS and technical training, and is also the location of Anson County's NC Works office and Small Business Center.

Students at SPCC can choose from 28 degree programs in areas as diverse as accounting, liberal arts and medical office management. Numerous certification programs are also available in workforce skills such as welding, auto body repair and computer technology. The 21st Century Manufacturing initiative offers students an intensive 160-hour program in one of four high-demand fields, CNC, advanced manufacturing, mechatronics and advanced industrial maintenance. In any given year, approximately 2,500 students are enrolled in programs at one of the two Anson County campuses with an average of 150 individuals entering the workforce with a certificate or degree annually.

Where SPCC and North Carolina community colleges in general really make a difference, though, is through customized training. While degree and certificate programs do an excellent job of preparing students to enter the workforce, customized training takes that principle a step further and assists companies by creating job-specific training plans. This training is typically offered at little or no cost to the employer, and under certain conditions might even include paying a portion of the travel expense incurred in sending an employee off-site for specific vendor training.

Interested in learning more about how SPCC and the North Carolina Community College System can help your business find a home in Anson County? Visit AnsonEDP.com or SPCC.edu.