MCC Renews Contracts with State and Federal Partners to Help Connect Montgomery County Job Seekers With Area Employers
Published on Thursday, October 1st, 2020
If you are a Montgomery County resident at least 16 years old and find yourself without a job or the means to find one, a team of people at Montgomery Community College are ready to bring all of their resources to bear on your situation. This summer the College renewed agreements to implement the state’s NCWorks program and to administer the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act renewed for additional three-year terms, which will benefit Montgomery County residents who find their employment situation adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic or other circumstances.
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) was signed into law on July 22, 2014. The legislation, which passed with broad bi-partisan support, is designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training and support services to succeed in the labor market, and to match employers with the skilled workers they need to compete in the global economy.
Entering its fourth year after the renewal, MCC’s WIOA program is designed to strengthen and improve Montgomery County’s workforce and help get adult and youth residents, dislocated workers and those with significant barriers to employment, into high-quality jobs and careers. In its first three years, the MCC WIOA program helped 91 Montgomery County residents meet their employment goals!
“Our compassionate, respectful staff have experience serving veterans, low-income individuals, and people who just need to brush up their basic skills before they go out in the workforce,” said Andrew Gardner, Dean of Continuing Education, the department through which the programs are administered. “We have support services to meet customers right where they are, through our NCWorks Career Center, WIOA programming or a host of other partnerships we maintain.”
The resources allocated to MCC for its WIOA adult and youth outreach are just shy of $250,000 for the 2020 program year. Funds are used to identify and recruit WIOA participants, sponsor customer education, pay for on-the-job training, provide referrals to partners, help identify career pathways and obtain specialized certifications.
“We intend to exceed expectations,” explains Geneé Greene, MCC’s Career Center Director. “From the moment a job seeker or employer walks through our door, they’ll be assisted by helpful, respectful, knowledgeable and professional people who care.” When a new customer visits the MCC Career Center, a staff member will give them an overview of available services and partner agencies then help them register with NCWorks. After a brief needs assessment, staff will assist the customer with career services such as creating a resume, career aptitude and interest assessments, job search assistance, labor market information and making referrals to partner agencies (onsite and offsite), including WIOA, as needed.
Montgomery County residents in need of employment counseling can reach the MCC Career Center at 910-898-9669, appointments can be made virtually or in person, whatever is most comfortable for the customer. MCC is committed to ensuring that all Career Center services are designed to assist and support job seekers as they progress toward economic self-sufficiency, as well as promote business and industry strategies that result in an available and skilled workforce.
About MCC’s Department of Continuing Education
MCC’s Department of Continuing Education offers short-term, non-credit, non-degree courses and programs to meet the needs of the community. These needs may be related to job training or upgrading of job skills, personal enrichment and basic literacy. Courses begin and end throughout each semester and are designed to offer quality instruction at a reasonable cost. Some of MCC’s continuing education classes are completely free, and scholarships are available for many students. We serve adults who seek a high school diploma or equivalent, and others who want to improve reading, writing, or communication skills in English. The Department of Continuing Education offers certifications and licensing for several fields including funeral directors, insurance agents, notary public, real estate agents and more. Whether you want to learn new job skills, start a new career or just take classes for fun, MCC’s Department of Continuing Education is a great place to start.