VGCC receives Plus 50 Grant
Vance-Granville Community College was recently chosen to join the Plus 50 Encore Completion Program, a national effort to train 10,000 baby boomers for new jobs in health care, education and social services. The program is sponsored by the American Association of Community Colleges . VGCC is one of only four community colleges in North Carolina currently participating in the program, which seeks to assist adults age 50 and over in completing degrees or certificates in high-demand occupations that give back to the community.
At VGCC, older adults can prepare for a variety of careers associated with the Plus 50 program. In health care, the college offers training to become a Nurse ( RN or LPN ), Nurse Aide (CNA I or II), Medical Assistant , Pharmacy Technician , Radiographer , Medication Aide, Phlebotomist, Emergency Medical Technician (Basic to Paramedic level), Medical Coder, or Health Unit Coordinator . Education programs at VGCC can train students to work as teacher’s aides , early childhood educators and substitute teachers. The Human Services Technology programs at the college train professionals who might work in social services, mental health or substance abuse counseling agencies. Students served by the Plus 50 program may be enrolled in continuing education or curriculum programs, taking classes on any of VGCC’s four campuses or online . Adults age 50 and over who are already enrolled at VGCC in these programs, as well as new students, can benefit from the college’s participation in Plus 50.
As part of the program, VGCC is receiving a grant worth $15,000 over the next three years to enhance training programs through professional development for instructors and guidance in targeting the baby boomer population. This summer, the college sent Kyle Burwell, who will coordinate the program at VGCC, to a two-day Plus 50 training workshop, and the college will receive advice on “best practices” from staff at other community colleges that have successfully implemented programs for older learners. As part of Plus 50, VGCC plans to provide orientation, academic support and counseling tailored to the particular needs of adults who have returned to education after many years in the workforce. Students may also receive help updating their computer skills to succeed in class and on the job.
“We are excited about this new initiative, particularly because some of the fastest-growing jobs in our region are in health-care, education and social services,” said Kyle Burwell, VGCC’s Coordinator of Human Resources Development . “With Plus 50, we will build upon our college’s tradition of preparing adults for new careers, and help even more people to obtain skills and complete the degrees or certificates that they need to successfully re-enter the workforce.”
VGCC is one of 36 new colleges selected for Plus 50 this year. Since 2008, AACC and its network of Plus 50 Initiative colleges have worked with baby boomers and helped them prepare for new careers. An independent evaluation of AACC’s Plus 50 Initiative found that 89 percent of students agreed that college workforce training helped them acquire new job skills, and 72 percent attributed landing a job to such training. “Many adults age 50 and over want to train for new jobs that help others and are hiring, but they need to update their skills. Community colleges offer a supportive environment where baby boomers can train for new jobs quickly and affordably, while completing a marketable degree or certificate,” said Mary Sue Vickers, director for the Plus 50 Initiative at AACC. The Plus 50 Encore Completion Program is funded with a $3.2 million grant to AACC provided by Deerbrook Charitable Trust.
For more information about Plus 50 at VGCC, contact Kyle Burwell at burwellk@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3276 .
For more information about the national Plus 50 Initiative, see http://plus50.aacc.nche.edu .
