Over the summer, Southwestern Community College and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians partnered to provide training to students interested in learning the trades.
The program was hosted by the Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO) at its Technical Training Institute’s training center, and was made possible with funding from ARPA, allowing EBCI members to take the course for free.
Students received instruction on various subjects of building trades, as well as safety training, CPR training and a forklift operator certification. During the course of the program, students were divided into groups to build an 8x8 shed.
“We learned some hard stuff in this course, and it was great to absorb it,” said student Richard Arch. “Not many people get this opportunity.”
On Aug. 19, Arch and others in his class – John Crowe, Crystal Greenarch and Frank “Pete” Taylor – became the first of their class to graduate, celebrating the completion of this course with a ceremony at SCC’s Jackson Campus.
“I want to congratulate the Tribal Employment Rights Office for spearheading such a groundbreaking collaboration with SCC,” said Dr. Don Tomas, SCC President, during the ceremony. “The 400 hours of training represent a substantial investment in your community’s future by laying a solid foundation for career growth and development, equipping individuals with valuable skills and enhancing job opportunities.”
The next class will begin in January 2025 and will be open and free to anyone in the EBCI community. For more information on how to enroll, contact Latresa Shuler, SCC’s Coordinator of Workforce Continuing Education, at ldowns@SouthwesternCC.edu or 828.339.4425.
