Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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36 UCW SEPTEMBER 28 - OCTOBER 4, 2016 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM UP & COM I NG W EEKLY 'S 4 Locations to serve you Fayetteville, Fort Bragg and Cameron, North Carolina Best Coffee We want to Thank all of our staff, customers and voters for making us the www.thecoffeesceneinc.com House of 2016 Thank You To All of Our Customers For Voting Us BEST PLUMBER for 2016! 910-486-0334 2520 Gillespie St. Fayetteville, NC 28304 whardinplumbing@aol.com www.WadeHardinPlumbingInc.com • 24 Hour Service • Over 150 Years Experience • Exceptional Customer Service • New Installations • Remodeling Repairs and much much more! • Residential • Commercial • Industrial • UP & COM I NG W EEKLY ' S About two months ago, I was privileged to speak in Chicago to a group of approximately 150 collision repair center owners and executives from four auto manufacturers. The group invited me to speak about the CollisionU model and the success of the program. At the end of my visit, I grabbed a cab back to the airport so I could catch my flight to Raleigh. I am not one who would be described as "sociable" on a plane. My desire is to put in my headphones and simply enjoy some down time, but on this particular flight, I was too slow in pulling out my headphones. The woman sitting next to me started talking the instant I sat down, and I was trapped. As part of the natural progression in this type of conversation, she asked me what I did for a living, and I explained that "I get kids out of their parents' basements." This response, although accurate, naturally led to further conversation. As we continued to talk, I realized that this was just one part of what we do in the Transportation Services Technologies department at FTCC. Yes, we get kids out of their parents' basements, but we also help soldiers transition from military service to their next career, we help high school graduates find their paths and passions early in life, we help displaced workers find a new place to be productive and provide for their families, we help an existing workforce stay relevant in the workplace and we help great companies find great employees. How many careers are there where you can wake up every morning and set out to change the world positively in this way? The CollisionU Program, started in August of 2014, was created through a partnership between FTCC and the collision-repair industry. Nationwide Insurance, PPG Coatings and Gerber Collision and Glass were instrumental in working with FTCC President Dr. Larry Keen and Senior Vice President Dr. David Brand to create the program, with primary focus to produce employable graduates. In March, FTCC partnered with Ford and started the Maintenance and Light Repair program in automotive services, which will supply Ford dealers with qualified techs both in the local market and across the country. Currently, both programs have full enrollment with waiting lists of students who wish to study in these fields. I am proud of the accomplishments of the staff and students in Transportation Services Technology. We have created partnerships with more than 100 companies in the automotive industry including Ford Motor Company, American Honda, PPG, Penske and Berkshire Hathaway, just to name a few. We have grown 10 times in two years, and we have 100 percent job placement for our students before graduation. But Transportation Services is only part of a bigger plan for the trades at FTCC, and we are proud to be a part of that bigger plan. Plan a visit soon to FTCC to learn more about all the great opportunities available to students. Make the smart choice for your education — Fayetteville Technical Community College. FTCC Helps Succesful Students Find Great Careers by PAUL GAGE PAUL GAGE, FTCC Transportation Services Technology Program Coordinator,. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly. com. 910.484.6200 The CollisionU Program, started in August of 2014, was created through a partnership bet ween FTCC and the collision repair industr y.