Sampson Community College and the Sampson-Clinton Public Library have teamed up to try to make the local workforce stronger and employees more knowledgeable. A state grant secured through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) will bring new technology to the county which can benefit job seekers in the area.
“The main reason I wrote this grant, honestly, was to provide more connectivity for the residents of Sampson County,” says Heather Bonney, Library Director at the Sampson-Clinton Public Library. “This grant provides forty laptops. A lot of citizens are uncomfortable with technology, but our partnership will allow us to provide one on one services with the college. They will provide the instructors and we will provide the technology.”
The grant falls under the Strengthening Capacity category of LSTA funds grants and as a result, SCC will be able to teach Human Resources Development (HRD) courses in libraries across the county to include Clinton, Newton Grove, Roseboro, and Garland. HRD is SCC’s Workforce Development program that promotes community and economic growth by focusing on meeting business and industry needs and serves as a gateway for economic, social, and educational success through employability skills training and career development counseling to those who are in transition and trying to refine their skills for the ever-changing workforce.
“There is no better way to bring these classes to the community than by partnering with the library,” says Alonza Royal, HRD Coordinator for the college. “HRD has been around for fifty years through community colleges to better train the workforce and create better economic opportunities and that remains our goal. We are excited to team up with the library to do it!”
Bonney doesn’t believe that garnering interest in the classes will present a challenge. “We provided a workshop that included a two-day beginner’s computer class. When we announced it, it filled up in three days. People want to learn. Today, anything you do—including applying for a job—you have to do on a computer and that’s where the library and SCC come in.”
For more information about SCC’s Human Resources Development program or how this partnership can benefit you, contact Royal at aroyal@sampsoncc.edu.
About Sampson Community College: Sampson Community College is a member of the North Carolina Community College System, located in Clinton, NC in Sampson County. The college offers many programs to include two-year degrees, college transfer, continuing education and workforce development options and early college education. SCC is committed to the principles of equal educational and employment opportunities for all.
