Cherokee students and their families, along with Tribal officials and SCC leadership, gathered on Monday, Aug. 19 to celebrate their completion of the Facilities Maintenance program. Southwestern Community College (SCC) and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) partnered in January 2024 to provide training to students in various aspects of building trades. The 8-month program was made possible with funding from ARPA and hosted by the Tribal Employment Rights Office at the TERO Technical Training Institute’s training center.
Students in the program received safety and flagger training by an authorized instructor for OSHA, CPR training by a certified instructor from SCC, and forklift operator certification also through SCC. General instruction in basic construction math, blueprint/building plan basics, carpentry, plumbing, electrical, drywall installation, flooring/roofing, hand and power tools, and materials management was taught by Taylor Davis, an EBCI member. The program began with eleven students
and graduated four.
Student Richard Arch said, “We learned some hard stuff in this course, and it was great to absorb it. Not many people get this opportunity.” John Crowe stated, “Life’s a garden, you gotta dig and grow – I grew.” These students, along with Crystal Greenarch and Frank “Pete” Taylor, received a certification of completion from SCC.
Dinilawigi (Tribal Council) Chairman Mike Parker addressed the graduates and their families saying, “Don’t ever stop learning, you can always learn something new and put it to use for yourself and your community.”
SCC President Don Tomas stated, “I want to congratulate the Tribal Employment Rights Office for spearheading such a groundbreaking collaboration with Southwestern Community College! The 400 hours of training represent a substantial investment in your community’s future by laying a solid foundation for career growth and development, equipping individuals with valuable skills and enhancing job opportunities.”
The current class was divided into groups and had to design and build an 8 X 8 shed. The next full class will begin in January 2025 and will be open to anyone in the community. Students will be assigned a project that will be more detail and incorporate more finish work. Interested individuals will be able to learn more in the coming months by visiting its Facebook page at Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO) Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
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As a part of TERO’s commitment to workforce development, a full-time training program is being developed to help job bank and Mother Town participants prepare to enter the workforce. While the goal is for participants to become employable, our team also encourages them to rebuild and strengthen community connections that may have been lost due to substance use/abuse disorders, as well as barriers due to underemployment or unemployment.
Some of the training options that are being considered include masonry (this class is currently on-going), painting (business/residential), plastering and drywall hanging, basic plumbing, basic carpentry, office skills including basic bookkeeping, spreadsheets, word processing, and office decorum. These classes will be enhanced with topics such as creating resumes and cover letters, dressing for interviews, work ethics, OSHA 10, first aid/CPR/AED, and mock interviews.
To provide these opportunities, the Training team will engage skilled instructors, schedule classrooms, obtain supplies and materials, and report to the TERO Commissioners on student progress. At the end of the class, each student achieving their goal will be awarded a certificate of completion and a letter of support from the program that may be used when applying for jobs.
The TERO Technical Training Institute (3TI) Center is located at 149 Children’s Home Loop. Contact Gerri Grady at 828/359-6365 or gerrgrad@ebci-nsn.gov for more information.
