High Point Enterprise-Sen. Hagan Promotes Jobs Bill During College Visit

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Efforts to create more jobs and retrain unemployed workers in the Triad were the number No. 1 topics of discussion when U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan toured Davidson and Davie community colleges Monday, including the new Welding and Advanced Manufacturing Machining Labs that will open in the fall.

If passed, the America Works Act, which was co-sponsord by Hagan, D-NC, would encourage national industries, the including construction, automotive and aerospace sectors, to come together and agree upon the skill sets necessary for employees. When the industries agree upon standards, curriculums will be developed for training programs at community colleges to offer industry recognized credentials, which would qualify graduates for employment in any state.

The training can also count towards a degree when the student is ready to further their education.

"It will push credential programs, so when a student goes to a company, they can say that 'I have the skills to do the job.' There are jobs available right now in North Carolina. We just have to be sure that we have the skill set to teach the perspective students and workers," Hagan said.

"My No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 goals are jobs, jobs, jobs. This bill will give preferential treatment to those community colleges and to those workforces that are training for the jobs that are out there. We have to make sure that they coordinate that. The students are being trained here (Davidson County Community College) on the most recent equipment, so they are trained when they come in the door."

Mary Rittling, president of DCCC, said the legislation will benefit both Davidson and Davie counties.

"There is not any doubt in my mind that the counties will benefit," Rittling said. "In both areas, we have had a suppressed environment when it comes to job performance. So the things that we do and any support we get federally, will help us. We are teaching students to do things as a foundation but hope that the student gets excited about what they are doing and decides to go forward with that career track in the future."

North Carolina is one of four states in the country selected by the Manufacturing Institute to implement a job-training program that issues nationally recognized credentials. Eight community colleges in the state parrticipat in the Manufacturing Skills Credential System, which is the model for the America Works Act. The counties included are Alamance, Davidson, Forsyth, Guilford, Piedmont, Randolph, Rockingham and Surry.

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