HRD Participants Receive Awards at Workforce Development Meeting
Three participants in A-B Tech's HRD program were given awards during the Mountain Area Workforce Development Board Christmas meeting Dec. 7.
Jean Epps, received recognition through the Mountain Area JobLink Dislocated Worker Program. She was nominated by Stacy Peek from JobLink. Epps was laid off from Steelcase in February 2003 after nearly 18 years in the job. She knew she no longer wanted to work in the manufacturing environment due to the number of closings and layoffs in the area.
Epps had always worked in an office, but knew she needed to update her skills in order to be more marketable. She enrolled in the Office Systems Technology Program at A-B Tech and graduated this past May. She began her career with Biltmore Farms, Inc., in a position and atmosphere that she says is "almost unbelievable."
Lora Horner was nominated by Gea Skeens, WIA case manager, for her success in WIA short-term training. Horner arrived in Asheville about two years ago after fleeing from a domestic violence situation. She and her daughter first went to Charleston, S.C., because "it was as far away from the situation I could get. If the ocean hadn't been there, I would have kept going."
Later, Horner came to Asheville and she and her daughter were taken to the ABCCM Women's Shelter. She worked in labor pools and at the shelter. She applied for public housing and her caseworker strongly suggested she could do better. That led her to the Aspire program at A-B Tech. She completed her CNA course in July and has been working ever since. She is now preparing to go back to school to get her degree in Medical Laboratory Technology.
Amanda Owenby was named the outstanding Workforce Development participant from the HRD program at A-B Tech, after being nominated by Alma Fisher.
Owenby began the Aspire class in May and graduated with perfect attendance. She entered the Job Club employability lab the very next day. She was there every single day until she began her unpaid work experience at Goodwill Industries as a clerical assistant in June.
In October, Owenby began her work at Harbor Inn Seafood as a hostess. Her supervisor complimented her quickness at learning the job by saying, "Her third day here, she was one of only two hostesses for the lunch rush. I just had to throw her out there. She picked it up and ran with it."
Hospitality Education Students Raise Funds For Louisiana College
Delgado Community College in New Orleans has a Hospitality Education Department similar to A-B Tech's with Hotel and Restaurant Management, Culinary and Baking and Pastry Arts programs.
However, while A-B Tech's program is about to celebrate the opening of a new hospitality center, Delgado was left with practically nothing after Hurricane Katrina hit. A-B Tech students decided to help their Louisiana counterpart by raising nearly $500 through pledges and gourmet coffee.
Gary Schwartz, Hospitality Education instructor, said the fundraising project started out as a person-to-person outreach, from A-B Tech students to the students at Delgado.
"We wanted our students to be able to connect with the efforts hotel and restaurant professionals were making across the country," he said. "Our industry is famous for being involved in these types of activities and we as educators wanted our students to learn about and participate at this level as well. For other efforts we had made collections during production, or donated tip money, the thought here was a more personal gift from the students would be more satisfying and meaningful."
Jon Andrews, Hotel and Restaurant Management student, had discussed the idea with Schwartz. "Their college virtually mirrors what we do here. It was devastated by Katrina. They didn't have anything. We take for granted what we have," he said. "We're hospitality and we need to be hospitable."
Andrews asked his peers to make pledges to donate over a period of one month. "I would go to people and they would give me $20 and $40. I wanted them to give what they could. Don't give until it hurts, but give until it feels good, and they answered that call," he said.
The Culinary and Baking and Pastry Arts students took another direction and offered gourmet coffee for sale on Fridays in the Birch building.
Hospitality Education will send Delgado a check to allow the school to help replace what it may need.
NCAEOP Holiday Auction
Joe Franklin, CIS Curriculum Project Manager, purchases his tickets for the NCAEOP raffle held during the annual holiday silent auction Nov. 30 in the Ferguson Auditorium lobby. Home-baked cakes and cookies were available as well as crafts, such as earrings and Afghans. The raffle featured a wagon filled with holiday goodies.