Twenty-one new electrical linemen poised to accept high-paying jobs after only nine weeks of high-quality training

 Winston-Salem, N.C. – Forsyth Technical Community College is proud to graduate the 46th class of the Forsyth Tech Electrical Linemen Academy. Most of the 21 graduates have secured jobs and start to work as early as next week.

“Forsyth Tech is proud of our electrical lineman graduates, our instructors and the overall program,” said President of Forsyth Tech Janet N. Spriggs. “Through our community partnerships with Duke Energy, and the utility contractor companies, we have developed a quality instruction program that will provide a great foundation for these students to have a life-long career.”

Forsyth Tech offers a leading lineman program in the south. Since 2010, Forsyth Tech has trained more than 700 workers in the nine-week program. Forsyth Tech was one of the first colleges to start this type of program and is currently the only nationally certified line worker class in North Carolina. It offers five, nine-week sessions per year, with 24 students per session. The programs fill up months in advance and have an extensive waiting list.

“There are few jobs where a student right out of high school can take a nine-week program and get a job making $18 to start, with full benefits and a retirement plan,” said Josh Burcham, director, Technical Skills Program, Economic and Workforce Development. “If they stick with the job and become a journeyman lineman, they can be making $40 an hour within about five years. Now, especially lineman jobs are in high demand as older workers are retiring.”

An interesting highlight during the graduation, was John Palmer, who was accompanied by three uncles and a cousin who are also linemen. Their family has a long history of linemen beginning with Palmer’s grandfather, John Ed Brown who worked for Pike Electric. Palmer’s relatives were visiting North Carolina from Florida and heard it was Palmer’s graduation so they all came to the ceremony. Palmer said, “This is a great career opportunity especially with my family’s experience and history in the field.”

The graduation ceremony was held October 9, 2019, at the Northwest Forsyth Center in King, N.C. Forsyth Tech has nine campus locations throughout Forsyth and Stokes counties. The Northwest Forsyth Center in King is a state-of-the-art facility for basic law enforcement training, emergency medical training, and criminal justice technology and forensics.

Students or employers interested in learning more about the Forsyth Tech Electrical Linemen Academy can contact Tim Webb, adjunct instructor, at tdwebb@forsythtech.edu or call 336-757-73076. For more information about Forsyth Technical Community College, please visit www.forsythtech.edu or call 336-734-7023.

Caption:   Adding another lineman to the Brown/Palmer family, are from left: Robert Brown (uncle), Clay Brown (cousin), Sam Brown (uncle), John Palmer and Brad Brown (uncle).

Caption: All 21 Forsyth Tech linemen graduates on the poles waving to family members.

About Forsyth Tech

Forsyth Technical Community College is a catalyst for equitable economic mobility, empowering lives and transforming communities. The college offers associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates in over 200 programs of study, including programs that promote personal and professional development through non-credit courses and seminars, as well as customized training for business and industry. Forsyth Tech serves more than 35,000 students with approximately 1,500 full and part-time faculty and staff.  For additional information, visit forsythtech.edu and follow on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

New network will expand biotechnology education and encourage research opportunities at two-year colleges nationwide

Winston-Salem, N.C. – Forsyth Technical Community College was awarded more than half a million dollars from the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education (NSF-ATE) to develop a new national biotechnology education center to address the rapidly growing need for highly skilled technicians in biotechnology.

Forsyth Tech, awarded $535,297 for this particular grant, is the home for the National Center for Biotechnology Workforce which focuses on capacity building, best practice and skills standard generation. This is the third award of more than half a million dollars from the National Science Foundation. A recent grant focused on defining the workforce skills technicians will need for manufacturing jobs where biomedical devices intersect with tissue engineering.

“This network will transform the biotech educational landscape,” said Russ Read, executive director for the NCBW. “Working across geographic regions will foster connections between students, institutions, industry and community. By galvanizing these connections, we can ensure the biotechnology sector continues to thrive with a pipeline of highly skilled graduates, and future leaders in education.”

For this award, Forsyth Tech is one of eight organizations who were granted $7.5 million total. Beginning this month, Austin Community College in Texas will lead the project. Austin Community College will create the InnovATEBIO National Biotechnology Education Center — named for the connectivity between advanced technological education and biotechnology education — to consolidate several biotech education projects into a national network. This network will share best practices and expand research opportunities for students at two-year institutions. The InnovATEBIO will also focus on biotechnology technician education across the country, with a specific focus on strengthening connections between high school and community college programs to increase the number of high school students recruited to biotechnology. The center also will provide early research experience and hands-on learning opportunities in the community college.

Other partners in this grant include:

• Finger Lakes Community College, Canandaigua, New York
• Madison College, Madison, Wisconsin
• Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories (DNA Learning Center), Cold Spring Harbor, New York
• NY City College of Technology, New York, New York
• Digital World Biology, Seattle, Washington.
• Bay Area Bioscience Education Community, San Francisco, California.
• Baltimore City Community College, Baltimore, Maryland.
• Washington State University, Pullman, Washington.

“I am so proud of the innovative work we are doing at Forsyth Tech through the National Center for Biotechnology Workforce. Our students gain early research experience, hands-on training and marketable skills that employers are looking for. The nation will not be able to fill high-tech research and development positions without engaging with its most diverse student populations, which can largely be found in community colleges. Together we are bridging the gaps in biotechnology education,” said Forsyth Tech President Janet Spriggs.

For more information on the National Center for Biotech Workforce, contact Russ Read at RRead@Forsythtech.edu.

About the National Center for the Biotechnology Workforce
 The National Center for the Biotechnology Workforce has strong ties to national bioscience workforce development back to 2005. It has led several federally funded bioscience workforce initiatives. The National Center for the Biotechnology Workforce work focuses on capacity building, best practice and skills standard generation. The National Center for Biotechnology Workforce is part of the Economic Development Workforce of Forsyth Technical Community College. The laboratory is open to qualified tenants as well as educational instructors and grant partners. For more information, see www.biotechworkforce.org.

About Forsyth Technical Community College

 Forsyth Technical Community College is a catalyst for equitable economic mobility, empowering lives and transforming communities. The college offers associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates in over 200 programs of study, including programs that promote personal and professional development through non-credit courses and seminars, as well as customized training for business and industry. Forsyth Tech serves more than 35,000 students with approximately 1,500 full and part-time faculty and staff. For additional information, visit forsythtech.edu and follow on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. –– Salem College announced on October 10, 2019, a new co-admission agreement with Forsyth Technical Community College (Forsyth Tech) to facilitate degree completion and student success by improving access to undergraduate educational resources, university facilities, and support systems.

“Forsyth Tech is excited to collaborate with Salem College in this agreement,” said President of Forsyth Tech Janet N. Spriggs. “Having this strategic alliance will offer tremendous benefits to our students and to the community in demonstrating how higher education works together to improve student completion and success.”

“Salem College is honored to be a key member of the wonderful higher education eco-system that we have in Winston-Salem,” Salem College President Sandra Doran said. “We offer a diverse and inclusive community at Salem College as we prepare graduates to make a bold impact locally, nationally, and globally. We’re thrilled to welcome Forsyth Tech students to our campus.”

In partnership, Salem College and Forsyth Tech will enhance and expand the educational opportunities for Forsyth Tech’s Associate in Arts (AA), Associate in Science (AS), and Associate in Applied Science (AAS) graduates. Salem College will establish a seamless, guaranteed transfer guide for Forsyth Tech’s AA, AS, and AAS graduates with a 2.0 grade point average or higher for the Bachelor of Arts degree. In most cases, up to 60 hours of transfer credit will be accepted. Salem College will maintain a part-time Coordinator of Transfer Admission on Forsyth Tech’s campus one day each week.

Initially, Salem College will offer a Bachelor of Arts in Integrative Studies to Forsyth Tech students who meet admission requirements. Recruitment will begin immediately upon signing with classes being offered in the Spring 2020 term. Both colleges will participate in a joint Advisory Committee comprised of Salem College and Forsyth Tech faculty, staff, and/or administration that will meet twice a year to review this partnership.

Forsyth Tech has launched four new co-admission partnerships with North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Winston-Salem State University, to improve student access to undergraduate and graduate education. The programs began enrolling students this fall.

About Salem College
Salem Academy and College is the oldest educational institution for girls and women in the United States. With more than 18,000 alumnae who serve as entrepreneurs, physicians, researchers, artists, lawyers, teachers, community volunteers, and corporate executives, Salem Academy and Salem College continue to educate the next generation of global leaders. For more information about Salem Academy, please visit salemacademy.com. For more information about Salem College, please visit salem.edu.

About Forsyth Tech
Forsyth Technical Community College provides students with guided educational pathways into a competitive workforce for the community and global economy. The college offers associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates in more than 200 programs of study, including programs that promote personal and professional development through non-credit courses and seminars, as well as customized training for business and industry. Forsyth Tech is the seventh largest community college in North Carolina and serves more than 35,000 students with approximately 1,500 full and part-time faculty and staff. For additional information,  follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.