The North Carolina Community College System is a partner in two major exhibits at this year's State Fair -- BioFrontiers, which showcases the importance of biotechnology to North Carolina, and the Literacy for a Lifetime portion of UNC-TV's pavilion.

BioFrontiers is a new exhibit sponsored by the State Fair.  The exhibit is in a large tent opposite the Kerr Scott Building just inside the Blue Ridge Road entrance to the fairgrounds in West Raleigh.  It features partners from state and federal government; from private industry; and from non-profits and education.  Faculty and students from Wake Technical Community College built the large, motorized "double helix" structure featured in the exhibit.

The community college exhibit focuses on education and training for people interested in working in biotechnology, especially in manufacturing.  Each year, more than 760,000 men and women enroll in the 59 institutions of the North Carolina Community College System. An increasing number of them are preparing for jobs in biotechnology.

North Carolina has the largest concentration of biotechnology industries in the Southeast. These companies pay well, starting at about $22,000 a year and averaging $40,000. Now at 25,000, the state's biotech workforce could top 100,000 within 15-20 years.

The North Carolina Community College System and the North Carolina Biotechnology Center are partners in a comprehensive training program for pharmaceuticals and bioprocessing developed with the help of NovoZymes, Vance-Granville Community College and Central Carolina Community College. Other colleges will soon offer the training, which now includes BioWork, BioQuality and BioBusiness.

Biotechnology is the focus of two-year technical degree programs at Alamance Community College, Cape Fear Community College, Central Carolina Community College, Guilford Technical Community College and Wake Technical Community College. Other colleges are exploring degrees.

All of North Carolina's community colleges offer excellent technical and college-transfer programs in basic sciences, engineering and manufacturing technology and other disciplines important to biotechnology.  For details about community college involvement in biotechnology, check the "BioFrontiers" section under "What's New" on the NC Community College System website at www.nccommunitycolleges.edu

The following community colleges are scheduled to have representatives working in BioFrontiers:

* Alamance Community College, 9 a.m. - 9:30 p.m., Saturday, October 13
* Vance-Granville Community College, 9 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Monday, October 15
* Cape Fear Community College, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tuesday, October 16
* Wake Technical Community College, 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, October 17
* Guilford Technical Community College, 1 - 6 p.m., Thursday, October 18
* Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, 6 - 9:30 p.m. Friday, October 19

The North Carolina Community College System is a partner in this year-long outreach project sponsored by UNC-TV. Representatives from the literacy programs of the North Carolina Community College System will be in the UNC-TV pavilion on the southwest corner of Dorton Arena between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. each day.

North Carolina's community colleges are the state's primary providers of adult literacy, basic skills, English as a Second Language, and GED/Adult High School. In the 1999-2000 academic year, more than 151,000 people enrolled in basic skills programs through community colleges.  Colleges offer more than 14,000 classes at more than 2,000 sites on campus, in churches and housing projects, and at other community sites.  Programs broadcast by UNC-TV, the state's public television network, are important parts of the basic skills effort.

For information about the programs and services of the North Carolina Community College system, call Chancy Kapp, Audrey Bailey or Peggy Beach at the System Office in Raleigh, 919-733-7051, or consult the System Office Website at www.nccommunitycolleges.edu

-NCCCS-

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