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| For Release: IMMEDIATE | Contact: Public Affairs |
| Date: September 18, 2002 |
Petroleum industry donates oil pack units to community colleges
RALEIGH: Santa came a little early for ten community colleges, courtesy of the North Carolina Petroleum Marketers Association (NCPMA). Representatives from community colleges located across the state traveled to Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh on September 17 to take possession of brand new, state-of-the-art ThermoPack Oil Furnace & Air Conditioner units, manufactured by Thermo Pride in Denton, North Carolina. These units donated by the NCPMA have high oil-efficiency ratings and will be used in education and training of students at the colleges.
"We always consider the North Carolina Community College System to be a valuable resource in the prosperity of our industry as well as a vital force in the growth of industry in North Carolina," said Gary Harris, Executive Director of NCPMA. "Anything that we can do to enhance the service delivery of the community college will benefit industry, the state, and the citizens of North Carolina."
What the oil industry is doing is donating 38 of these oil pack units over the next three years, one for every community college now offering the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) curriculum. The first ten were presented on Tuesday to the colleges with the highest program graduation rates.
Colleges receiving the units are: Alamance Community College -
Graham; Gaston College - Dallas; Johnston Community College - Smithfield;
Mayland Community College - Spruce Pine; Robeson Community College –
Lumberton; Sampson Community College – Clinton; Southeastern Community College
– Whiteville; Stanly Community College – Albemarle; Vance-Granville
Community College –Henderson; and Wake Technical Community College - Raleigh.
"In order to thrive, our hands-on training programs need the support of
industry," said North Carolina Community College System President H. Martin
Lancaster. "This donation represents a prime example of a successful
partnership that will benefit thousands of students and the consumers they will
eventually serve."
Steve Andrews, national accounts manager for Thermo Pride, told the gathering the hope was that the addition of this new training equipment would attract more students to the program and eventually mean more business for the industry. "More students," said Andrews, would create "a steady flow of qualified HVAC professionals."
There were 1743 students enrolled in HVAC programs in the NCCCS last year. "This number represents far fewer than the industry needs," said Lancaster. He urged the Wake Tech HVAC students who attended the event to stick with the program and to also encourage others to enroll. "The training you receive can lead to a lucrative lifestyle," said Lancaster.
The funding for this public/private venture is made possible by an industry organization, the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA), which channels funding through state affiliates, including NCPMA. The 38 units would have a retail value of nearly $160,000.
The North Carolina Community College System, with almost 800,000 students, is recognized internationally as a top provider of workforce education and training. The System includes 58 comprehensive community colleges and the North Carolina Center for Applied Textile Technology.
-NCCCS-
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