A-B Tech to Manufacture Homes for Non-Profit Organizations
Students in several different programs at A-B Tech plan to work together to build modular housing for non-profit organizations.
Construction Management Technology students will construct the units with help from Carpentry, Air Conditioning and Heating, Electronics Engineering Technology, Civil Engineering, Welding and CAD Technology.
"I want to use the skills of as many departments as we can. Total student involvement is what we're trying to do," said Ken Czarnomski, Construction Management Technology chair.
Czarnomski had the idea for two years. He liked the concept of the college reaching into the community. Students will be able to help build the homes, and then they will initially be sold at cost to Neighborhood Housing Services of Asheville.
"We have signed a lease with Colbond in Enka," he said. "Our initial step will be renovating the facilities. Our students are preparing utilities, work tables, storage shelving, inventory space and tools. Other tasks we are doing include bidding installations for objects such as overhead doors, plumbing, and electrical services. The first unit is to begin construction in the spring semester.
"Our classes have toured modular plants in North Carolina and have studied films regarding modular home installations. Building modular units involves utilizing technologies on the cutting edge of the housing industry."
To get an idea of what would be needed, Sherian Howard, CAD Technology chair, took her class to the Colbond site, which sits near the Enka Campus. "Ken introduced us to the site and gave us instructions about what we needed. The students took measurements and then we went to the CAD lab to do floor plans, site plans, elevations and details for that area."
The space has to be large enough to build two 14-by-48-foot units indoors. Electrical service will need to be installed as well as bathrooms for the students. New overhead doors will be needed to get the modular units out after they are completed.
"We will probably go back in the spring and we will take measurements and sketches of the new space after it has been renovated," said Howard.
"The modular homes are going to be a little unusual," said Czarnomski. "They will meet the requirements for WNC Green Council's Healthy Built Homes Program. They will also be constructed from sustainable materials. We're going to make sure the students will get practical field experience using today's technologies."
Service Learning Classes Hold Celebration
Gigi Derballa, Developmental Studies chair, and Lloyd Weinberg, adjunct instructor, read students' comments about their experience during the semester-long Service Learning project.
Over 200 students across the A-B Tech Asheville campus participated in Service Learning projects during the fall semester.
Service Learning encourages students to undertake service projects with non-profit groups in the Asheville area, to reflect on what they learn through service, and to draw connections between what they learn in the community and what they learn in the classroom. Adjunct instructor Lloyd Weinberg and Gigi Derballa, Developmental Studies chair, led the initiative on campus.
Sixteen teachers in 40 classes participated in the project during the fall semester, including ACA 115, English, Spanish, Humanities, Math, Sociology, Chemistry, Philosophy, and Biology.
Students could work at more than 100 area agencies and schools on a wide range of Service Learning projects including tutoring basics skills such as reading and math in local schools, serving as mentors to at-risk youth, working on environmental projects, teaching English as a second language, helping local food banks and shelters for the homeless and working with children and adults with disabilities.
Nicole Luka, an Associate of Arts student in Weinberg's ACA 115 class, enjoyed her project at the WNC Nature Center. "I painted faces and sold hot chocolate to raise money for the red wolf habitat program," she said. "It was really a relaxing project with nothing you had to study for that was a plus."
Prior to coming to A-B Tech in August, Weinberg had six years experience working with Service Learning at UNCA. This fall, he coordinated with area agencies and schools to arrange projects and volunteer opportunities for A-B Tech students. He also had group service projects where his students could to pick one project from a list and work together.
Two group projects were painting playground equipment at a group home for Caring for Children and doing major yard work to create a safe play area for the children at a safe house for Helpmate.
The work had to be meaningful. "We didn't want busy work," said Weinberg. "We wanted something the agencies and students could both benefit from. It gave the students the opportunity to learn about the agency and themselves."
According to Weinberg, the average time requirement of volunteer work was one hour per week to volunteer for 10 weeks. "I have yet to find a student that could not find one hour a week."
During the Service Learning Celebration Dec. 6 and Dec. 7 in Ferguson lobby, student comments were displayed. The following are answers given under the question "What did you learn?"
"I learned that it brings more joy to me by helping others than helping myself."
"I learned that such a little time really makes a difference."
"That the older ladies and I have very different views on cooking turkey."
"Not every student has the same advantages I did."
"That I am a very lucky person, and I have a great mom and dad."
"Not to stereotype the homeless. They have the same values that the 'well to do' have."
"Learning disabled (does not equal) stupid."
"I have more respect for people who work with children in those situations. When I am finished with school I plan to volunteer more. I realized how satisfying it was to bring them happiness. It was like something had been missing from my life that I wouldn't have known unless I had this experience."
A-B Tech, JobLink Partnership Benefits Clients
A strong partnership began between A-B Tech and Mountain Area JobLink in the early days of the center's design. This partnership has grown and strengthened over the years with daily A-B Tech presence.
"The HRD program has strong partnerships with other service agencies in our area, increasing its ability to serve students where needed the most," said Kay Manley, executive director of Adult Basic Skills/HRD. "We maintain a strong partnership with Mountain Area JobLink located in the Maple Building on the Asheville Campus. HRD staff and instructors regularly work with clients who visit JobLink as well as assist with referrals to our various programs."
The partnership involves HRD workshops. Workforce Investment Act funding comes to A-B Tech through funding from JobLink. It pays for retraining people who meet certain income guidelines or those dislocated from their jobs. It is short-term training courses.
Gea Skeens is the WIA case manager and was recently praised by a Workforce Development memorandum. The program at A-B Tech completed more participants overall than any other program for 2004. "This is an extremely hard job for one person to do well, but Gea never fails to give it her very best with such a caring attitude and deep concern for all her clients."
Adult Basic Education and GED classes are also taught at JobLink. A-B Tech employees working at JobLink are Alma Fisher and Lee Spencer in the HRD Job Club. HRD, coordinated by Shelley White, also offers various employability workshops. Under Barbara Brownsmith, ABE/GED coordinator, Carol Meehan and Jill Cain teach the ABE/GED classes.
Mountain Area JobLink has achieved Level III status, which is the highest status.
While the JobLink system was still in its formative stages, criteria were established that set forth very basic principles under which JobLink centers would operate. As the system matured, it became apparent that those chartering criteria should be updated - to raise the bar of minimum service expectations.
For more than a year, the Workforce Commission, the staff of state agencies and local partners worked through the process of creating a new set of chartering criteria for JobLink centers that went into effect July 2003.
The new criteria formalized many of the processes and staffing requirements that were already in place at most JobLink centers. The creation of business plans, having designated JobLink coordinators, and customer service training for all JobLink staff are just a few of the mandated components for the first level. The succeeding level represented a higher dimension of partnering and quality processes.
Level III status represents a great deal of hard work and demonstrates a high level of partnering and a commitment to excellence through continuous improvement.
"During my conversations with staff, it was clear that everyone was committed to quality service and embraced the JobLink concept and philosophy," said Linda Strong with the Commission on Workforce Development.
"I believe JobLink's success is partly due to what these dedicated A-B Tech employees contribute by way of instruction," said Manley.