WAYNESVILLE: Students at twelve North Carolina community colleges now have new training equipment, thanks to the generosity of the N.C. Petroleum Marketers Association (NCPMA).

The NCPMA presented representatives from 12 community colleges brand new, state-of-the-art ThermoPack Oil Furnace & Air Conditioner units. The presentation took place at Haywood Community College in Clyde, North Carolina on October 17. The units were manufactured by Thermo Pride in Denton, North Carolina, have high oil-efficiency ratings, and will be used as training equipment at the colleges offering Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning programs and related courses.

Bill Kemp represented the Petroleum Marketers Association, which hopes that the addition of this new training equipment will attract more students to the program and eventually mean more business for the industry. "Anything that we can do to enhance the service delivery of the community college will benefit the industry and the citizens of North Carolina," said Kemp. "High-efficiency oil heat has taken a beating, but it’s coming back."

The oil industry has now donated a total of 39 of these oil pack units, one for every community college offering the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) curriculum and related courses. The first ten units were presented last year at Wake Technical Community College. The second round of presentations took place at Piedmont Community College in Roxboro on September 26. This donation of 12 units is the final round. The 39 units would have a retail value of nearly $125,000.

Community colleges receiving the units this time are: Asheville Buncombe Community College – Asheville, Blue Ridge Community College - Flat Rock, Catawba Valley Community College – Hickory, Central Piedmont Community College – Charlotte, Cleveland Community College – Shelby,

Davidson County Community College –Lexington, McDowell Community College – Marion, Mitchell Community College – Statesville, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College – Salisbury, South Piedmont Community College – Polkton, Southwestern Community College – Sylva, and Tri-County Community College –Murphy.

Several members of the State Board of Community Colleges attended for the presentation. State Board Chairman James J. Woody, Jr. thanked the industry representatives for their generosity and recognized that the gift is a boost for the colleges that will also benefit the industry. "You are helping us and we will help you," he said.

"In order to thrive, our hands-on training programs need industry support," said North Carolina Community College System Executive Vice President Fred Williams. "This donation represents a prime example of a successful partnership that will benefit thousands of students and the consumers they will eventually serve." Williams was president at Robeson Community College last year when the college received one of the first ten units. "I know what a tremendous difference this equipment means for a community college," he said.

The National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA) is the industry organization that provided the funding for this public/private venture. NORA channels appropriate funding through state affiliates, including NCPMA.

There were 1797 students enrolled in HVAC programs in the NCCCS last year. "This number represents far fewer than the industry needs," said Williams. "This new training equipment may help attract students to the program."

The North Carolina Community College System, with more than 800,000 students, is recognized internationally as a top provider of workforce education and training.

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