In the News
HCCHE breaks ground for Industrial Process Control
Matthew Kisber, Commissioner of Economic and Community Development and member of the governorÕs cabinet, was the guest speaker as Humphreys County Center for Higher Education (HCCHE), the Waverly campus of the Nashville State Community College, located at 699 Holly Lane, held a ground-breaking ceremony Thursday, January 10 for a $1 million-plus addition.
Housed in the addition will be Industrial Process Control Technology classrooms and labs that offer courses that allow students to obtain a A.A.S. (Associate in Applied Science) degree.
Some 50 supporters of HCCHE, including County Commissioners, city administrators, business executives, teachers, students, and members of the 21st Educational Foundation heard comments from Jennie Stribling, HCCHE Director; John Hedge, Director, Humphreys County Economic Development Council; and Jaycee Rawlings, County Executive. Rawlings introduced Kisber.
"We're excited to be having our groundbreaking finally today," Stribling said. "We've been looking forward to this day for quite a while. Now we've actually already started our new construction on the building that's going to be 10,000 square feet."
Construction of the addition will take seven or eight months, Stribling said. She hopes to be in the new building in the fall.
"Nashville State submitted the application to the Tennessee Board of Regents which has approved Nashville State to offer this degree at the Waverly campus," Stribling said.
After the ceremony, Kisber said, "This is a great example of how a community does exactly what Gov. Bredesen talks about. Takes the initiative, starts it themselves. The best local economic development is community-based, and the partnership that the state can bring in to support it is what makes it such a strong and viable effort, and I just really want to commend the community for what they've done here."
At the end of his comments during the ceremony, Kisber presented Stribling with a gift box containing the flag of Tennessee.
"On behalf of Gov. Bredesen and those of us at Economic and Community Development, I want to present to you a Tennessee state flag," he said. "I hope this will be the first one that flies in or in front of the new addition when it is complete, and will serve as a token of the partnership that we enjoy between our two agencies."
"It's great to be in Humphreys County," Kisber said during his speech. "It's great to be among many, many friends. As I walked in this morning, I walked in with Mr. (Jerry) Schoonover. It's been many years since we saw each other, but I grew up with his son and used to play in his house and that's what I love about this job. You get to interact with people every day. You get to cross paths with people you haven't seen in 30 or 40 years."
Kisber said DuPont's recent announcement of a $30 million investment meant the company valued long-term prospects in this area.
He said the Governor had participated in more than 17 round table discussions at cities throughout the state. The message from industry leaders about making Tennessee more attractive was having skilled labor.
"If we don't have skilled and educated workers, we can't sustain the needs of industry," Kisber said. "I've always been a big believer that education and economic development are two sides of the same coin. The best incentive we can offer, the most effective incentive we can offer, is to have the best pool of skilled labor over any other community or any other state that is being considered."
"It's one of the greatest things that we have done in Humphreys County," said Hedge after the ceremony. "Not only for Humphreys County, but also the surrounding counties. It's a great thing for the existing industries. It's a great thing when I bring new clients in and we talk about what's available in the county."
Whose idea was this?
"It was a combination of two former plant managers in this county (DuPont and Inland Container Corporation)," Hedge said. "They told me that there really wasn't a lot that economic development could do for the existing industries here. I took that to heart - the wrong way - because I felt there was a lot we could do for existing industry. So we brought in all the industries in this room.
"Like I said, it's been over a thousand days since we started this process. In this case, we brought them together and said what we really need to do is find out what your needs are. Use the college to your advantage, and that's what we've done."
Supporters of the Humphreys County Center for Higher Education gather in front of the site of the new addition for a groundbreaking ceremony. L. to r., John Hedge, Director, Humphreys County Economic Development Council; Jaycee Rawlings, County Executive; Jennie Stribling, Director, Humphreys County Center for Higher Education; Matthew Kisber, Commissioner, Tennessee Economic and Community Development; Eileen Crane, Executive Assistant to the President, Nashville State Community College, Nashville Campus; Justin Maples, Industrial Process Control Laboratory Technician; and Joey Leonard, Industrial Process Control Coordinator.
HCCHE to build addition for Industrial Process Control Technology course
It's the only place in the state where you can take the course.
And when funding for the million-three grant ($1,100,000 plus matching funds) arrives at the county in a couple of months, the Humphreys County Center for Higher Education (HCCHE) is planning a new 10,000-square foot addition.
Groundbreaking is set for this summer and construction finished in August 2008.
Industrial Process Control Training, the course is called, and it leads to an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in General Technology after two years. The first graduating class will be this spring.
Program partners in the area include Dupont, Matheson Gas Products, Erachem Comilog, Chemetal Foote Corporation, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and Inland Container Corporation, according to a Humphreys County Center for Higher Education (HCCHE) brochure.
Among industries who benefit from the training are those specializing in chemicals, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, power generation, pulp and paper, refining, and wastewater treatment.
Teacher of the Process Control Training class, underway at the college since 2004 with 32 students, is Joey Leonard. A top student in the science himself and originally from Bristol, Leonard was hired in 2006. He's assisted by Laboratory Technician Justin Maples.
"This is to train plant operators and field technicians," Leonard said. "Usually, your plant operators and field technicians are the ones out there turning the valves and making sure all of the equipment is working properly. Your plant operators are the people who are behind the computer screens and they see the distributive control systems."
Leonard is already getting emails and telephone calls from industries in other counties and other states that want graduates as employees. He says the starting salary after the two-year degree is approximately $40,000 per year-plus overtime. Leonard said he is especially interested in attracting female students.
"A lot of times females will think it's dirty, it's nasty, I don't have the strength to turn the valves," Leonard said. "More and more things are becoming automated now. You press a button and it turns. It's really an awesome opportunity for females to get in to the workforce right now."
"We really have broken new ground, and industry here has really stepped out to see that happen," Jennie Stribling, Director of HCCHE, said. "They are competing globally, and they've got to have the trained personnel hitting the floor."
"Nashville State Community College took the lead in developing the program," Stribling continued. "That was from the Engineering and Technology Division at Nashville's campus as well as myself, and now Mr. Leonard.
"We all sat down with the industry," Stribling continued. "They came to meeting after meeting. We talked back and forth until we were able to build a curriculum that we felt like would meet their needs.
"We generated the curriculum, in a big part, around CAPT (Center for Advancement of Control Technology). CAPT has succeeded in the Texas southern region.
"They have been using it for so long that the industry almost uses it as a norm for what they have to have to be hired in to those industries," Stribling explained. "So we picked up their curriculum, and the industry here liked it."
The college obtained approval from the TBR (Tennessee Board of Regents) and through THEC (Tennessee Higher Education Commission). The Process Control Technology course was approved for a free-standing A.A.S. degree in December 2006.
"As economic developer, my first responsibility is to the existing industries," said John Hedge, Director, Economic Development Council for Humphreys County. "We have found that our existing industries are older industries because they have been here 50 years or longer. Attrition was taking a great number of their employees. So we had a meeting with the existing industries in this room (HCCHE's conference room) to talk about what their needs were.
"Out of that meeting came the need for qualified employees," Hedge continued, "that could be hired with enough experience in the chemical field-Process Control Technology."
Rawlings said an agreement for funding will be available "whenever they get the contract language like they want it to bring to us. The architect has already been hired. He should pretty much have the preliminary plans laid out."
"There's a lot of "in-kind" money went into this," Rawlings said. He estimated the amount at approximately 30%. "I think the strong part of this thing is attracting industry. John (Hedge) now has the tool. He's got these people here who are trained. It's hard. It's a very tough environment out there to get people. Everybody is wanting industry. This is another tool to attract them here."
Based on a news release printed in The News-Democrat March 16 issue, the grant was approved by Gov. Phil Bredesen and Community Development (ECD) Commissioner Matthew Kisber through the FastTrack Infrastructure Development Program (FIDP).
In addition to letters of support signed by Rawlings and four other county mayors at the time delivered to Kisber by the Humphreys County Economic Development Council, he also was given letters of support from industry partners including DuPont, Matheson Tri-Gas, Erachem Comilog, and Chemetall Foote.
The following met at Kisber's office to discuss the grant: Jim Juetton, Lobbyist, DuPont; Kevin Underwood, Training Coordinator, DuPont; Debbie McKitten, Site Service Manager, DuPont; Paula Davis, Deputy Commissioner; Sara Harlan, Director, FastTrack Training Program, ECD; Don Lowe, Training Specialist for Middle Tennessee; Dr. Jim Johnson, Nashville State; Michael Benjamin, Erachem-Comilog; Rawlings, Hedge, and Stribling.
Rawlings made a grant request for $1,289,767 immediately following the meeting.
"It's good that kids can stay here," Rawlings continued. "Marry. Their mothers and fathers can come here and they get an education.
"
I'm proud of it. It makes you feel good. You can drive down the bypass and look over here at it."
"It makes my job a lot easier to let them know that these courses are being taught," Hedge said. "Most companies, manufacturing folks that want to locate here, seem to be more on the chemical side than any other side."
"We've visited high schools in all the surrounding counties and in Humphreys to allow juniors and seniors to start to work toward completing this program while they are still in school," Stribling said. "Dual credit, and they are able to get a FastTrack program started and get classes. Classes are offered on-ground as well as some web-based hybrid courses, which allow the students to do some online work and do the lab work here.
"The college has purchased quite a bit of expensive software and training technology already to this point,' Stribling added. "We expect more to come that will facilitate the on-ground lab training. We have purchased a program that is very interesting called Simtronics. It's a software package that the students actually do simulation training. It sells for $10,000 per seat. We anticipate having ten seats by the end of this year for training. That equipment purchase is part of our match for this thing."
The 21st Century Education Foundation, chaired by Enid Barber, has earmarked $5,000 for annual scholarship support, according to Stribling.
"We are very excited about the expansion at HCCHE," Kevin Klein, DuPont Plant Manger, said. "We are certain that expansion of the Process Technology Program will be instrumental in DuPont New Johnsonville to meet our demand for skilled operators and mechanics in upcoming years."
—News-Democrat March 30, 2007
Infrastructure Grant awarded to County
State's FastTrack Program Supports Job Growth
Governor Phil Bredesen and Economic and Community Development (ECD) Commissioner Matthew Kisber recently approved a $1,150,000 FastTrack Infrastructure Development Program (FIDP) grant for Humphreys County.
The grant will assist in infrastructure improvements for the Humphreys County Center for Higher Education, an education training facility.
"FastTrack grants fund infrastructure improvements that help communities recruit new industry and encourage existing businesses to expand," said Bredesen.
"Making an investment in Humphreys County helps our state maintain a positive business climate where companies can grow and succeed, and provide more Tennesseans with higher-paying, better-skilled jobs."
"This grant is critical to the economic development of our community," said Sen. Doug Jackson. "I want to commend Gov. Bredesen, Commissioner Kisber, and their team for recognizing the importance of this project."
The grant will be used to assist the Humphreys County Center for Higher Education with a building addition at their facility in Waverly.
The project will provide four new jobs for Humphreys County. Funding for $1,686,500 project will include $536,500 in local funds.
"We are very grateful that this grant has been approved. A lot of hard work has gone into this project and these needed infrastructure improvements will help bring new jobs to our area," said Rep. John C. Tidwell.
"I applaud the leaders of Humphreys County for taking advantage of FIDP grants to create an environment where businesses can grow and be profitable, and to encourage new job opportunities and prosperity for their community," Kisber said.
The grant was approved by the ECD Loan and Grant Committee following an application by Humphreys County, with the support of Humphreys County Mayor Jaycee Rawlings, Perry County Mayor John Carroll, Dickson County Mayor Robert Stone, Houston County Mayor George Clark, Benton County Mayor Jimmy Wiseman, Sen. Doug Jackson and Rep. John Tidwell.
The Tennessee General Assembly authorized FIDP in 1988 and appointed ECDÕs Program Management Division to administer the program.
FIDP funds are used for infrastructure improvements or for job-specific work force training for Tennessee industry.
THEC Approves New Nashville State Community College Program
Nashville State Community College has received approval from THEC for an AAS degree in Industrial Process Control Technology (PTEC), to be offered at its Humphreys County Center in Waverly. The program was developed in cooperation with area chemical processing companies in Humphreys County to meet their need for skilled Process Technicians. Graduates will be qualified to become integral members of the teams that plan, analyze, and control production and instrumentation. The Waverly campus is the only location in Tennessee with a PTEC degree. The first PTEC program completers will receive their AAS degrees in April. For more information contact: Joey.Leonard@nscc.edu
—News Democrat February 7, 2007
Humphreys County Center for Higher Education
New Programs Providing Sills Needed for Local Industry Jobs
An Associates of Applied Science Degree (A.A.S.) In General Technology with an emphasis in Industrial Process Control Technology will be offered beginning this Fall by Nashville State Community College at the Humphreys County Center for Higher Education. Bob Hardie, Plant Manager of DuPont Johnsonville explains, "This curriculum will help prepare prospective employees for chemical plant operator jobs at our plant. It will also be a great foundation for more specific process training they will receive as DuPont employees." DuPont expects the need to fill several jobs in the upcoming years vacated by retirement age employees. An advisory committee consisting of representatives from Nashville State Community College, DuPont, TVA, Matheson Tri-Gas, Chemetall Foote, ERACHEM-COMILOG and Temple-Inland provided input into the development of this program.
The need for a highly trained employee pool for present and future local industry has been the drive behind the development of an new program of study for industry. "We believe this program will benefit the industrial base in Humphreys County by providing future employees that are trained and qualified in process control technology," states Joe Barnett, VP Safety Engineering and Jim Lapenta, Senior Branch Manager of Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc. Providing local training and a local workforce that would benefit existing industry and make Humphreys County's Economic Development hopes to see achieved with this and other programs.
"The curriculum is base on a national program from the Center for Advanced Process Technology (CAPTech.org)," explains Jennie Stribling, Director of the Humphreys County Center for Higher Education. "Training will take place in classrooms, laboratories and also on site at the local partner industries so that students gain real life experience in plant operations." Trained Process Technicians:
Set Controls and Operate Machinery
Check Instruments and Equipment for Correct Operation
Prepare and Measure Raw Material
Feed Raw Material and Processing Agents into Plant Machinery
Take samples for Testing and Record Process Data
Applications are being accepted now. For more information, you may call the College at (931)-296-1739 or come by the Humphreys County Center for Higher Education, 695 Holly Lane, Waverly, TN during office hours: Monday-Thursday 8:00a.m. until 5:00p.m.
—News Democrat December 29, 2006
Nashville State Community College offers course at HCCHE
Waverly TN- Nashville State Community College (NSCC) has been partnering with the local business community in Nashville as a tradition for many years, and the partnership in Waverly will be no different.
In an effort to begin providing contract workforce training for industry in Houston and Humphreys County, NSCC is offering more courses at the Humphreys County Center for Higher Education, 695 Holly Lane, Waverly, TN 37185.
“Business and Industry were a big reason the Humphreys County Center for Higher Education was constructed,” said Jennie Stribling, Director of Extended Programs. “The Center places high priority on meeting their training and employee development needs.”
The Center is offering a 14-hour short-term Microsoft Word 2002 (XP) First Course from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on January 20, 21, 27, and 28.
The cost for the course is $245 per person (groups of 6 or more from same organization qualify for a discount). “Word 2002 first course covers the skill levels from beginners to intermediate users. It is a useful tool for anyone who wants to learn how to use Word and for those who would like to enhance the skills they already possess,” said Kimber Carroll, Contract Training Specialist. “There is a certification test available for anyone interested in becoming a Microsoft Office Specialist (Word 2002 Core Level).”
Topics covered will include, but are not limited to creating and editing documents, copying and moving text, formatting a document, working with tables, merging documents, and headers, footers, and columns. Advance registration is required.
To register for this course, future courses, or if you want to discuss contract training for your organization, contact the WorkForce Training Center at (800) 272-7363 ext. 3456, www.nscc.edu/workforce, or email kimber.carroll@nscc.edu.
The Center will also offer classes in Excel and Access during the month of February and PowerPoint and Outlook during the month of March.
— Waverly News Democrat, 1/9/04
— Camden Chronicle, 1/8/04, Nashville State Community College To Offer Course
— Dickson Herald, 1/7/04, Nashville State Community College offers short-term Microsoft Word 2002 First Course in Waverly
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