Edgecombe Community College Wins National Career Preparedness Award
Rocky Mount, NC (PRWEB) July 31, 2013 -- Edgecombe Community College received a national award in May for its efforts to prepare students to be successful in careers and the workplace.
Edgecombe was among four honorees that received national awards on May 21 in Washington, D.C., during a gala that concluded ACT’s inaugural “College and Career Readiness Campaign.” The college received the national Career Preparedness Award.
“We are thrilled beyond words by this singular recognition,” said Dr. Deborah L. Lamm, president of Edgecombe Community College. “For a school like Edgecombe, which serves 13,000 people a year, to receive a national award is a highlight for all of us at the college who work hard every day to prepare students to be work-ready.”
ACT established the “College and Career Readiness Campaign” to create awareness around the goal of college and career readiness and to recognize exemplary efforts across states in advancing this goal.
“The individuals and organizations we honored this week prove that college and career readiness can be achieved,” said Jon Whitmore, ACT’s chief executive officer. “Our campaign is intended to encourage more people to take up the cause, to support them in their efforts, and to recognize and celebrate their accomplishments.”
According to the ACT organization, “Edgecombe Community College recognizes the struggles facing its students in today’s labor market. Located in a county facing a 16.6 percent unemployment rate, Edgecombe actively combats these difficulties through job fairs, mentoring programs, student assistance funds, and other programs meant to ensure that students are ready to succeed after graduation.
“With campuses in Tarboro and Rocky Mount, Edgecombe Community College led the process for Edgecombe County to be recognized as one of the first Work Ready Communities in North Carolina, and it frequently partners with area companies to ensure that its students graduate with the skills and the recognition needed to be successful in their careers.”
Central to the college’s career preparedness efforts is the Career Readiness Certificate (CRC), a job skills assessment system that is utilized by employers nationwide. All ECC students are given the CRC assessment in curriculum program courses. Over the past three years, 70 percent of Edgecombe graduates have earned a certificate of career readiness.
Within the college’s continuing education division, a CRC is required for health occupations programs, such as nurse assistant and phlebotomy, as well as the back-to-work program. The college has awarded more than 3,400 CRCs, equivalent to over 13 percent of the workforce in Edgecombe County. Selection criteria for the Career Preparedness Award included accessibility of career readiness assessments and career preparation programs; relationships with local employers; student success indicators including graduation and transfer rates to four-year colleges; dedication to career planning; and leadership opportunities for students outside the classroom. Six states participated in this first year: Alabama, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
The national award recipients were selected from finalists nominated in the six participating states. A national committee composed of nine respected leaders in education and workforce development evaluated the state nominations and selected award recipients in each of the four categories.
For more information about Edgecombe Community College and its many distance learning options, visit their website at http://www.edgecombe.edu.
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Steady growth and expanding impact have characterized Edgecombe Community College as it has evolved from one small building in 1968 into a multi-campus institution with campuses in Tarboro and Rocky Mount, North Carolina. The college helped meet the educational and training needs of about 13,000 individuals in our community last year. This included the implementation of distance learning and online courses to reach students with travel and time barriers. Throughout, their strength is and will remain putting the needs of students first.
Mary Tom Bass, Edgecombe Community College, http://www.edgecombe.edu, 252-823-5166, [email protected]
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