Jim Schwalm (center) of the N.C. State Employees Credit Union (SECU) presented a $500,000 check to SCC officials on Sept. 25 in Sylva.
The donation from the SECU Foundation supports the Good Jobs WNC initiative, which aims to address workforce needs in the manufacturing, skilled labor and healthcare sectors.
The Good Jobs WNC Initiative is a cooperative effort among the 11 westernmost community colleges in North Carolina, local employers, the John W. Belk Endowment, The Leon Levine Foundation, America Achieves, Dogwood Health Trust, SECU and other philanthropic agencies.
Pictured with Schwalm are, from left: Scott Sutton, SCC’s Dean of Workforce Continuing Education; Dr. Don Tomas, SCC President; Dr. Barbara Putman, SCC’s Executive Vice President of Instruction & Student Services; and Mike Despeaux, SCC’s Director of Career Services.
Sociology students host forums for Jackson County candidates
For the first time since 2020, Southwestern Community College students hosted forums this fall for candidates seeking public office.
Individuals seeking seats on the Jackson County Board of Commisssioners and the Jackson County Board of Education participated in the forums that were held in the Burrell Conference Center on SCC’s Jackson Campus.
Students in Instructor Timothy Moser’s Sociology class studied local issues and asked questions of the candidates.
The format for each forum avoideddirect dialogue between the candidates. Instead, each candidate was given an opportunity to individually address questions posed by students.
“This was a wonderful learning opportunity for our students, and it was an ideal setting for undecided voters to hear directly from the candidates,” Moser said.
Students in the class include: Micah LaVigne of Franklin, David Johnson, Zach Okelley of Cullowhee, Edwin Figueroa Ascencio of Cashiers, Bella Everett of Sylva, Morro Styer, Aidan Holler of Whittier, Emmerson Rhinehart of Canton, Kai Smith, Mags Colvin of Sylva and Sean Starling of Tuckasegee.
For more information about Southwestern and the programs it offers, visit www.SouthwesternCC.edu, call 828.339.4000 or drop by your nearest SCC location.
SCC receives $271,575 to prepare students for ‘Good Jobs’
As part of a collaborative effort aimed at providing relief to the region affected by Hurricane Helene, the Good Jobs WNC Initiative has awarded Southwestern Community College $271,575 to help address workforce needs in manufacturing, skilled labor and the healthcare sectors.
After assessing some of the strongest needs of the labor market in Southwestern’s service area, SCC officials are focusing on two areas for expansion: Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) and Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC). Plans for adding an evening LPN program and a daytime HVAC program are already underway at Southwestern.
“This funding allows us to create a sustainable educational model and create a pipeline of talent for area employers while also preparing students for good jobs,” said Dr. Don Tomas, SCC’s President. “This is exactly what community colleges have been doing successfully for a very long time, and our region is going to benefit tremendously from this investment.”
The Good Jobs WNC Initiative is a cooperative effort among the 11 westernmost community colleges in North Carolina, local employers, the John W. Belk Endowment, The Leon Levine Foundation, America Achieves, Dogwood Health Trust, State Employees Credit Union and other philanthropic agencies.
Its goal is to place 1,200 students into high-demand job opportunities within the region. SCC’s initiative defines a “good job” as one that provides a living-wage income (starting wage of at least $42,000 annually), benefits and an opportunity for advancement.
With the additional LPN educational track, SCC can double the number of yearly LPN graduates and improve the workforce pipeline of nurses. Recent research reveals that 83 percent of SCC graduates stay, live and work in the college’s service area of Jackson, Macon, Swain Counties and the Qualla Boundary.
For the HVAC program expansion, a shortened (14-week) certificate program teaches essential foundational competencies, providing a rapid pipeline for matriculating skilled workers in the local economy. Four days of classroom instruction will be paired with one day of hands-on training in the field.
The Good Jobs Framework, developed by America Achieves, guides the initiative’s work across 11 community colleges and 23 counties to expand education, training and employment access for low-income residents of Western North Carolina. The goal is twofold: prepare and place more residents into good jobs in Western North Carolina, and translate that experience and lessons learned to build evidence, tools, and recommendations to improve education and workforce policy at large scale at the state and national levels.
“This work began with listening to the people who know Western North Carolina best: its community college leaders, employers, and residents,” said MC Belk Pilon, President and Board Chair of the John M. Belk Endowment. “Their leadership has brought us to this point. We are thrilled that national philanthropy will build on local communities to help make sure that this region not only delivers strong local programs but develops lessons learned and tools to take lasting pathways to economic mobility to a much larger scale.”
For more information about Southwestern and the programs it offers, visit www.SouthwesternCC.edu, call 828.339.4000 or drop by your nearest SCC location.
EDA Grant provides more than $2.5 million for dedicated Workforce Con Ed space
The structure currently housing SCC’s Holt Library was completed in 1983.
For almost the entirety of Southwestern Community College’s 62-year history, precious little space has been fully dedicated to short-term workforce training.
That’s about to change.
Thanks in large part to a $2,593,557 million grant award from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), Southwestern will be able to renovate the existing Holt Library structure into a centralized space for the college’s Small Business Center and workforce development.
Planning is underway, and officials are working to schedule construction to begin shortly after Holt Library moves to a new location at the center of SCC’s Jackson Campus. Renovation of the Workforce Continuing Education Division’s space is expected to be completed by the summer of 2028.
The total project cost equates to $3,241,946. As part of an 80/20 federal/local funding split, the project’s remaining budget of $648,389 will be covered by a local match from SCC’s institutional funds.
“As is the case at community colleges across the country, short-term workforce training is in high demand throughout our service area,” said Dr. Don Tomas, SCC’s President. “This investment by the EDA will benefit not only our existing businesses but also thousands of workers and their families in the years to come.”
The EDA grant is supported through disaster recovery funding. Hurricane Helene exposed training gaps throughout the region, and SCC has identified ways to address those gaps by expanding space to provide short-term, relevant training that is responsive to business needs. These efforts are part of a strategy for fostering the region’s long-term economic resilience.
SCC’s Workforce Continuing Education Division typically trains individuals for new careers in four months or less and helps aspiring and existing entrepreneurs to grow their small businesses.
Southwestern’s official grant submission to the EDA highlighted the fact that the Southwestern NC region – including SCC’s service area of Jackson, Macon, Swain Counties and the Qualla Boundary – is in the process of adding about 6,000 jobs between the years 2022-2032. Many of those new jobs require technical or vocational schools, but only 44.9 percent of area residents have a degree or credential – far lower than the state average of 58.4 percent.
The existing Holt Library has 11,056 square feet, and initial plans call for the creation of multiple classrooms, conference rooms, flex spaces and offices to support workforce training and the Small Business Center. The Workforce Continuing Education Division currently occupies less than 1,300 square feet of office space inside Founders Hall – the only structure on Southwestern’s campus when the institution opened in 1964.
“We’re grateful to Dr. Tomas and our college administration for supporting this effort to secure space that can be dedicated entirely to helping individuals receive the training they need to quickly prepare for high-demand careers in our area,” said Scott Sutton, SCC’s Dean of Workforce Continuing Education.
Within five years of project completion, SCC officials project the new facility will help generate a 10-percent increase in the number of course completions in an industry-recognized credential.
The investment is projected to generate $32.8 million in annual payroll over the same time span.
For more information about Southwestern and the programs it offers, visit www.SouthwesternCC.edu, call 828.339.4000 or drop by the nearest SCC location.
Dillsboro Automotive gifts hybrid vehicle to students, new lab
In an effort to help the next generation of vehicle technicians, Dillsboro Automotive owner Darrin Sutton recently dropped off a 2007 Toyota Prius that he’s donating to the Automotive Systems Technology program at Southwestern Community College.
The early generation hybrid wil be used in SCC’s new lab space that’s dedicated exclusively to helping students learn more about Electric Vehicles and hybrid engines.
“It’s kind of a full-circle thing, right?” Sutton said. “Hopefully these young people will learn something that can further their careers, and hopefully one day some of them might come work for me in my business as they have in the past. I think the program here is great, and I’m excited to see this new space and the resources that they’re putting into helping educate upcoming technicians.”
In recent years, SCC and Automotive Systems Technology Program Coordinator David Myers have ensured that students are getting hands-on experience with the latest technology coming out on newer vehicles – including (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems).
Last year, a grant from Duke Energy Foundation gave SCC students the opportunity to construct and program an Electric Vehicle (EV) purchased from Switch Labs. The Duke Energy Foundation also funded a new Mobile EV Lab that SCC instructors can take to area high schools, giving students there an opportunity gain essential skills of EV maintenance.
“When our local employers like Dillsboro Automotive make donations like this, it gives our students the opportunity to learn through experience,” Myers said. “We really appreciate Darrin and Dillsboro Automotive for this generous gift; our students will benefit a lot from being able to work on this vehicle.”
For more information about Southwestern and the programs it offers, visit www.SouthwesternCC.edu, call 828.339.4000 or drop by your nearest SCC location.
Pam Straughan joins Board of Trustees; Chair Mark Jones reappointed
Continuing a rich tradition of representation from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), Pam Straughan of Cherokee was sworn in as the newest member of Southwestern Community College’s Board of Trustees.
Mark Jones, who currently serves as chair, was also appointed to a new term and sworn in on Sept. 8.
Straughan currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Staff-Constituent Services under Principal Chief Michell Hicks. She previously served for 13 years as the EBCI Director of Youth and Adult Education Programs.
She joins a board at SCC that previously included former EBCI Principal Chiefs Walter Jackson, Noah Powell and Leon Jones.
She holds an associate degree in Business Administration and a certificate in Paralegal Technology – Real Estate from SCC. She also earned a bachelor’s in Business and Public Administration from The University of Virginia – Wise as well as a master’s in Higher Educational Leadership from Liberty University.
Appointed to SCC’s board by the Senate of the N.C. General Assembly, Straughan has begun a four-year term that runs through June 30, 2030.
“It is an honor to serve on the SCC Board of Trustees,” Straughan said. “I am grateful for this opportunity and look forward to serving with the Board of Trustees to support SCC’s mission, its students, families and communities it serves.”
Jones was appointed by the House of Representatives of the N.C. General Assembly. A fourth-generation resident of Jackson County, he has served as chair of the Jackson County Airport Authority since 2012.
He previously served four terms on the Jackson County Board of Commissioners and also was past president of both the Cashiers and Jackson County Chambers of Commerce. After spending 36 years as a hospitality professional in Jackson County, Jones retired three years ago.
“Throughout our history, Southwestern Community College has been extremely fortunate to have so many qualified individuals willing to serve in the capacity as members of our Board of Trustees,” Dr. Don Tomas said. “We are grateful to our Board of Trustees for their commitment to supporting the college’s mission on student success, workforce development and community engagement.”
For more information about Southwestern and the programs it offers, visit www.SouthwesternCC.edu, call 828.339.4394 or drop by your nearest SCC location.
Daniel May Scholarships remove financial burden from Automotive Students
If it hadn’t been for the Daniel May Automotive Systems Technology Scholarship, Elijah Huff likely wouldn’t be in college right now.
Because he received the $10,000 award, he’s pursuing his passion of learning how to repair vehicles and get them back on the road.
A Franklin resident, Huff estimates he was eight or nine years old when he began repairing pressure washing machines and lawnmower engines around his home. He moved on to cars at around age 13, and he’s now one of six students to receive a May Scholarship this fall.
“I’ve always been interested in fixing stuff in general, but I probably wouldn’t have come to college for this specifically because it would have just been out of reach if it wasn’t for this scholarship,” said Huff, who is one of a half-dozen first-year SCC automotive students to receive the award this fall.
The scholarships cover students for a two-year period, which is the amount of time needed to earn associate degrees in their chosen field.
It’s the second consecutive year the May Scholarships have been made available to incoming students in SCC’s automotive program.
“Across the country, and especially throughout our service area, there’s a critical shortage of qualified automotive technicians as lifelong mechanics are retiring,” said David Myers, SCC’s Automotive Systems Technology Program Coordinator. “The need for skilled individuals entering this field has never been higher, and we are extremely grateful to the May Family for their generosity and for bringing an education within reach of so many young people in our service area.”
The family of Daniel May has been a longtime, low-key supporter of SCC students.
The May family has provided more than $500,000 of financial support since launching a finish-line scholarship program in 2019 to help students who’d completed more than 50-percent of their required college credit to complete their degrees.
“The May family’s generosity is touching lives across our college and throughout our community,” said Dr. Don Tomas, SCC President. “We are extremely thankful for the way these automotive scholarships are bringing a college degree within reach of more students, who in turn are filling a critical workforce need in our service area.”
Each scholarship covers a lot more than tuition for a student pursuing a two-year associate degree at Southwestern, where tuition and fees are a combined $1,392 for a full-time student in the fall and spring semesters.
Dillon Becker of Whittier said the financial assistance removed stress not only by covering tuition and fees but with other expenses associated with earning his degree.
“It’s most definitely a blessing,” Becker said. “It’s helping out in more ways than anyone could imagine. … There’s less stress, so I can focus more on the schoolwork and learning.”
One of the most-daunting expenses students face is purchasing tools they’ll need in the Automotive Systems Technology program.
The May Scholarship removes that burden and can also be used to cover their gas and transportation costs as well as books and any other education-related expense.
“It’s very helpful since I don’t have to worry that much about money problems or, like, what type of tools to use,” said Alexis Cruz, a May Scholarship recipient from Franklin. “These tools are pretty expensive, so it’s pretty hard to get them. But with this money, it’s very helpful for me to not have to worry about that at all.”
For more information about the Automotive Systems Technology program at SCC, contact Myers at 828.339.4237 or d_myers@SouthwesternCC.edu.
For more information about scholarships at SCC, or to learn how you can start one, contact Evan Hatch at 828.339.4241 or e_hatch@SouthwesternCC.edu.
Want to drive a big rig? SCC offers new career path this fall
For the first time, SCC is offering training to help individuals earn a Commercial Driver License (CDL). Large emergency vehicles, 18-wheelers and vehicles transporting hazardous materials all require a CDL.
On average, a Delivery or CDL driver can expect to make roughly $27.64 per hour.
Orientation for the new class is Sept. 16, and classes start Oct. 13 at the Jerry Sutton Public Safety Training Center in Franklin.
In North Carolina, a Commercial Driver License is required to drive vehicles weighing 26,001 pounds or more, vehicles designed to carry 16 or more passengers or any vehicle transporting hazardous materials.
To enroll in the class, individuals must be at least 18 years old. The class costs $2,005, and financial assistance in the form of $1,500 scholarships are available to all those that qualify.
For more info about the scholarships or to sign up, contact Latresa Shuler at 828.339.4425 or ldowns@SouthwesternCC.edu.
Seven new Nurse Aides completed their studies and clinical rotations through Southwestern Community College’s program, and they will soon be providing vital healthcare services to area residents.
During a pinning ceremony on July 27, SCC Nurse Aide Instructor Michele Kussow told the graduates’ family and friends that all seven successfully passed their licensure exams.
This summer’s graduates are Caitrin Brown of Cullowhee, Brahm Coombs of Waynesville, Emily Lewis of Franklin, Nadia Marshall of Sylva, Lonna Parker of Sylva, Londyn Suber of Asheville and Mark VanHook of Franklin.
All of them are eligible to work under the supervision of licensed nursing professionals in providing nursing care and services for persons of all ages – though Nurse Aides primarily provide care for the elderly.
The graduates also have the option of continuing their education and enrolling in SCC’s other Nursing programs and pursuing an associate degree in Nursing, a diploma in Practical Nursing or a bachelor’s degree in Nursing through the WNC-Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nurses program – a partnership between SCC and WCU.
For more information about SCC and the Nursing pathways it offers, visit www.SouthwesternCC.edu or contact Amber Upton, Director of Pre-Health Sciences, at 828.339.4037 or a_upton@SouthwesternCC.edu.
