Southeastern Community College has received three years of funding to hire an N.C. Career Coach to support manufacturing students. The coach will focus on recruitment, retention and completion for the Manufacturing Skills Pathway through Workforce Continuing Education and the Advanced Manufacturing Pathway through the Electrical and Mechatronics Engineering Technology curriculum programs.

The funding, which will extend from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2022, totals $215,283 over the three-year period. The State Board of Community Colleges awarded $118,746 for this position with $96,537 in local funds from the Columbus County Commissioners and five local companies: Atlantic Packaging of Tabor City, Council Tool of Lake Waccamaw, Filtec Precise of Tabor City, Honeycutt Produce of Chadbourn and Top Tobacco of Lake Waccamaw.

“This is exciting news,” SCC President Tony Clarke said Tuesday. “It demonstrates what can be done when we partner with employers and our county government.”