Sandhills Community College (SCC) is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and is a member of the North Carolina Community College System. It offers programs and classes for citizens with varied educational needs and backgrounds. The college offers 3 college transfer degrees (Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and Associate in Fine Arts) and more than 30 technical programs leading to an associate's degree, diploma or certificate. The Continuing Education program offers courses on and off campus and via the Internet and is available to help adults upgrade their current skills or undergo retraining. SCC is composed of the 150-acre main campus in Pinehurst, and two satellite campuses: Hoke Center in Raeford (Hoke County), and Westmoore Center in Robbins. In addition, St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke each have a satellite campus at SCC.
SCC works closely with new and existing business and industry to provide specialized training at its campuses, at the worksite, and throughout the community.
The North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) Performance Measures Report for 2006 gives SCC a Superior ranking in meeting the state's standards in 5 performance areas: completer satisfaction, employment of graduates, curriculum student retention and graduation rates, employer satisfaction with graduates, and business and industry satisfaction with customized training.
SCC also offers the guarantee that each graduate will be competent in his or her field or the college will retrain the student free of charge.
Dedman Center for Business Leadership
SCC's Dedman Center for Business and Industry Services provides services in workforce development to area businesses and industries. In addition to offering a wide variety of training programs to develop and improve computer skills, management and supervisory skills, and technical skills, the Dedman Center also provides consultation services, resource identification, skills assessments at all levels through WorkKeys, and special training programs such as New & Expanding Industry and Focused Industrial Training to support local businesses and industries.
The New and Expanding Industry Training Program (NEIT) was created by the State of North Carolina to provide free, customized job training to new and expanding companies and is offered through the North Carolina Community College System. To be eligible for this program, a company must meet certain criteria:
- Must create 12 or more new jobs during a one-year period;
- Jobs must be newly created, not relocated from one community in North Carolina to another;
- Must be one of the following types of industry: manufacturing, technology intensive, regional or national warehouse or distribution, regional or national customer service or data processing center, central administrative office or air courier services;
- Consideration is given to total capital investment and the quality and wage/skill levels of the jobs created.
Services offered through the NEIT program include:
- Pre-employment assistance;
- Qualified instruction and training to front-line production, technical and customer service employees, and their first-level supervisors;
- Facilities and equipment; and
- Supplies and customized materials.
The Focused Industrial Training Program (FIT) provides free, customized training opportunities to existing manufacturing industries in North Carolina. Training is provided to incumbent skilled and semi-skilled production workers, industrial maintenance workers, and their supervisors when skills need to be upgraded because of new technology, processes or equipment.
The WorkKeys Foundational Skills Assessment Program assists employers with workforce needs and development. Through Job Analysis, WorkKeys first identifies the specific skills and skill levels needed for each job. Next, through Foundational and Personal Skills Assessment tests, the skill levels of job candidates and current employees are measured. Once skill gaps are identified, the final step is to provide the training needed to bring the individual's skill levels in line with the job requirements.
For more information about the Dedman Center, or the NEIT, FIT and WorkKeys programs, contact:
Alan Duncan, Director 910-695-3769 Email:
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Small Business Center
SCC's Small Business Center offers programs for small business owners and employees, as well as for prospective owners / entrepreneurs. Resources available through the Small Business Center include educational materials such as videos and software, confidential one-on-one counseling, free or low-cost workshops/seminars, and networking with professional organizations throughout the community.
For more information on the Small Business Center:
Marilyn Neely, Director
910-695-3938
Website link: www.sandhills.edu/sbc/ Email:
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Entrepreneurship Program
Statistics indicate that entrepreneurship will create 70% of all new jobs over the next 10 years. In response to the global economy’s increasing focus on entrepreneurship as an economic catalyst, SCC has developed an Entrepreneurship Program to foster entrepreneurship and provide students with the skills, experience and networks they will need to become successful business owners and entrepreneurial leaders. SCC is a pioneer in this initiative as only a handful of educational institutions nationwide offer similar programs. The Entrepreneurship Program uses the National Standards for Entrepreneurship Education and is a three-phase, one to two-year program embedded in the Business Administration curriculum. Phase I is completion of the Entrepreneurship Certificate in which students are required to take 6 specific courses totaling 17 credit hours. Phase II involves hands-on experience through SCC's Small Business Center, mentoring opportunities and completion of the Business Plan Capstone Course. Phase III enables graduates of the Entrepreneurship Program to present their business plans to an audience of professionals and investors in the community. |
