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In recognition of the successes and value of registered apprenticeships in rebuilding local, state and national economies, U.S. Secretary of Labor Martin Walsh recently promoted the week of November 14-20 as National Apprenticeship Week, and NC Governor Roy Cooper proclaimed the period as Apprenticeship Week in North Carolina. The newest partner to the McDowell Apprenticeship Program (MAP) is Marion Machine.

McDowell Technical Community College, in partnership with NCWorks McDowell, McDowell Economic Development Association (MEDA) and McDowell Senior Center will host a Job Fair on November 17th from noon to 6 p.m. in Room 113 of the Harold Smith Building on the college’s main campus at 54 College Drive in Marion. While residents of all ages are invited to the fair, adults over the age of 55 are particularly encouraged to participate.

McDowell Technical Community College received upgraded instructional equipment recently due to a grant in the amount of $95,767 from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). The purpose of the grant was to assist with a major project intended to grow the newly established McDowell Apprenticeship Pipeline (MAP) and related career and technical training

Sometimes there are life-altering events that lead us to self-reflection and cause us to re-evaluate who we are and who we want to be. For Tiffany Sisk, that process started in 2020 when she became divorced, the COVID-19 pandemic began and schools went online.

McDowell Technical Community College staff will be holding informational sessions on Monday and Tuesday, October 17th and 18th, to assist prospective students of all ages in completing college applications and related documents, including financial aid forms—such as FAFSA—and North Carolina’s Residency Determination Service (RDS) paperwork. College staff will also provide information on career assessments, how to request transcripts, and where and how to access online documents.

To those who know her well, it came as no surprise when Susan Long was recently named the 2022 Staff Member of the Year at McDowell Technical Community College. Susan has superior customer service skills and a long track record of providing excellent guidance and support to McDowell Tech students, particularly adult learners. As a former adult learner herself, her commitment to helping students achieve their academic and career goals is unwavering.

McDowell Technical Community College continues its efforts to find equitable solutions for its students and our community. The college has been awarded a grant from the State Library of North Carolina (SLNC) to increase digital literacy and equity for historically unserved and underserved populations in McDowell County and throughout the region.

Perspective is often a derivative of time and circumstance. When Auburn Nanney was in high school, there was a stigma about going to a community college. “People shied away from 2-year colleges,” she said. Now, less than a decade later, Nanney is a real cheerleader for community college education.

A beautiful framed print taken from an original sketch of the McDowell Tech campus is inspiring considerable pride and nostalgia among faculty, staff, students and alumni who have seen it. Both framed and unframed prints are on sale now via the MTCC Foundation website at https://mcdowelltech.edu/mtcc-foundation.

Chip Cross recently partnered with Snyder Paper Corporation to provide leadership training to Snyder’s management team. In return, Cross suggested that Snyder donate his payment to the McDowell Technical Community College (MTCC) Foundation, Inc.’s endowment to support needy and deserving students at McDowell Tech.

Apprenticeship programs can help employers develop a talent pipeline of highly-skilled workers that helps grow their business. Apprenticeships can also help productivity, improve profitability, and increase an employer’s bottom line. This is why McDowell Technical Community College is invested in partnering with employers to expand its work-based learning efforts.

McDowell Technical Community College (MTCC) has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA)