|
|
|
| For Release: IMMEDIATE | Contact: Public Affairs |
| Date: December 7, 2000 |
Community college provides training for Corning Incorporated expansion
Project a prime example of New and Expanding Industry Training success
RALEIGH: The world-class workforce training provided by the North Carolina Community College System has again helped fuel economic growth for the State. On December 7, Gov. Jim Hunt announced that Corning Incorporated would expand their operations in North Carolina, the second expansion announced at the Cabarrus County facility this year. This $450 million addition will mean 475 new jobs for the Concord area.
"This is unprecedented – a company announcing two expansions of this magnitude in less than a year, " Hunt said. "This expansion is the best example of how economic development occurs in the 21st Century."
Commerce Secretary Rick Carlisle added that with this expansion North Carolina becomes the leading state in optical fiber production. Carlisle credited the success to a great partnership involving the state, local economic development organizations and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, which trains the employees who work at the Corning plant.
The Corning success is mirrored in other training efforts provided by the NCCCS, which sponsored 193 New and Expanding Industry Training (NEIT) projects in the 1999-2000 program year and trained 20,000 people for new jobs. Sixty percent of the projects were with expanding North Carolina companies, like Corning Incorporated, and 68% of these programs were located in rural counties, enabling the rural parts of the state to benefit from the economic opportunities available in North Carolina.
A recent survey of NEIT recipients reinforced the high level of satisfaction of those companies. Ratings given by the 48 companies completing the survey show that 91.7% of clients feel the training provided by their local community college met the company’s expectations and they ranked the training as very good or excellent. The overall impact of the NEIT Program on company operations was ranked as either very good or excellent by 93.7% of the companies responding. The companies also rated the preparation of employees for productivity as either very good or excellent by almost 96%.
At the Corning Incorporated announcement, Tom Nettleman, division vice president and manufacturing manager of Corning’s Telecommunications Products Division, thanked Rowan-Cabarrus Community College representatives present at the announcement for their contribution. He pointed out the Concord facility will become the largest optical fiber producer in the world. "The community college provides a world-class service that was instrumental to our success," he said.
In addition to providing the training for the Corning employees, RCCC also trained the construction workers who are building the expansion. "Our mission is to help the people of our state obtain and hold good jobs, at every level," said NCCCS President H. Martin Lancaster. "Our community colleges are working very closely with industry to provide the skills for success."
The North Carolina Community College System, with 760,764 students, is the third largest community college system in the United States. The System is the state’s primary agency for delivery of job training, literacy and adult education programs.
###
RETURN TO TOP OF CURRENT PAGE
Last modified: Friday, May 20, 2011 02:19:35 PM
This page maintained by Public Affairs.