Forsyth Tech Holds Information Sessions for Short-Term Worker Training Classes in Stokes County

"Forsyth Tech in Stokes County has received a $90,000 Rural Community Mobilization Grant through the NC Department of Commerce to provide short-term job training to the unemployed and underemployed in Stokes County. The program is designed to connect qualified residents with full-time jobs and new careers, and the training will be provided at no cost.

The college will launch this program (“Stokes Works”) by holding the first of several information sessions for potential participants on Tuesday, September 9 at 10am at the college’s King location at 3111 Big Oaks Drive.  

The Stokes Works grant focuses on training qualified residents for in-demand jobs, such as electronic health records specialists, electrical linemen, facility maintenance technicians and welders, administrative assistants, and bank tellers. Classes will begin as early as September, and the program will run through the end of April 2015. Financial assistance may be available for qualifying Stokes County residents.

The program is a collaboration between Forsyth Tech, the Winston-Salem Urban League,  Northwest Piedmont Workforce Development Board, and other local agencies, which provide participants with the services they need in order to complete the training, including providing

employer referrals, résumé development, employer connections, interview preparation, transportation and other ancillary services.  

“This program is designed to help the un-employed and under-employed in Stokes County find meaningful and gainful employment,” says Ann Watts, director of Stokes County Operations and Off-Campus Centers for Forsyth Tech. “Connecting these people to employers who need skilled workers is a win-win for the program participants as well as the economic prosperity of employers in Stokes and surrounding counties.”

Additional information sessions will be held according to this schedule:

·      Wed., Sept. 10, 6 pm, King Public Library, 101 Pilot View Dr, King

·      Thurs., Sept. 18, 6 pm, Forsyth Tech Stokes County Center, 1165 Dodgetown Rd. in Walnut Cove

·      Fri., Sept. 19, 10 am, Forsyth Tech Stokes County Center, 1165 Dodgetown Rd. in Walnut Cove

All information sessions are free and open to the public.

Residents who have questions about Stokes Works or would like to participate can call Sally Elliott at 336.593.5402, ext. 1101.

About Forsyth Tech

Forsyth Tech (forsythtech.edu) provides students with flexible educational pathways to 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 fifth largest community college in North Carolina and serves more than 35,000 students with approximately 1,500 full and part-time faculty and staff."

- A Press Release