NC Tech Paths helps people retool | News

Several attended an event Friday in North Wilkesboro celebrating their completion of 12 weeks of intensive training in information technology support.

It’s one of multiple technology learning paths available through NC Tech Paths in partnership with Wilkes Community College, Per Scholas, employers and financial supporters.

Per Scholas and Wilkes County-based NC Tech Paths are both non-profits striving to prepare people for tech sector careers. Per Scholas has a nationwide presence, while NC Tech Paths is focused on northwestern North Carolina and has the additional objective of fostering entrepreneurship.

Graduates of the program at Friday’s event included a 39-year-old woman who formerly worked in fast food restaurant management; a 32-year-old man who closed his earth grading business due to high fuel prices; a 61-year-old man who was tired of an hour-long commute to an industrial maintenance job in Winston-Salem; a 32-year-old woman who said she was tired of low clinical social worker pay; and a 42-year-old man who made about $60,000 a year setting up retail displays but said he was tired of having to travel all over the country and be away from his family.

Several of the participants said they had very little prior computer experience.

The event Friday was at The Masthead on Main Street, North Wilkesboro, a building recently acquired and given its new name by NC Tech Paths in recognition of the fact that it formerly was fully occupied by the Wilkes Journal-Patriot. The newspaper’s offices now are in part of the building.

The building is being remodeled to become the nonprofit’s first “Rural Tech Outpost,” with multiple types and sizes of office and other work and meeting spaces available for lease and for various time frames. NC Tech Paths plans to house more than 80 technology workers, entrepreneurs and other professionals there, starting with about 20-30 by the end of this year. It is scheduled to open this fall.

A significant portion of those occupying the building are expected to be graduates of technology education programs sponsored by NC Tech Paths, including people working remotely at home but benefiting from resources offered at The Masthead and relationships with others working there.

The Masthead will provide facilities for teleconferences, meetings, indoor/outdoor event space, podcast recording, personal wellness; areas to display art and professional photography and more. It will be equipped to prevent sound from carrying from one area of the building to others and will have a full kitchen with espresso machine.

Doren Tripp, NC Tech Paths’ community manager for The Masthead, led tours of the facility on Friday. After touring the facility, one North Wilkesboro commissioner said it was the best thing he could remember happening for North Wilkesboro because of the influx of people it should bring to downtown.

One of about 10 graduates of the second and most recent 12-week information technology training program offered through NC Tech Paths plans to move from Alleghany County to Wilkes to be closer to The Masthead. NC Tech Paths staff helped him find rental housing in Wilkes.

About 10 people graduated from the first IT training program earlier this year. The next 12-week IT support training session will start soon with 24 people.

Craig DeLucia, president and CFO of NC Tech Paths, said he expects about 100 people to complete the training programs each year. With a goal of helping companies find competent employees, there is an application process and not everyone is accepted.

Although the focus is on the WCC service area counties of Wilkes, Ashe and Alleghany, applicants from elsewhere — especially initially — are being accepted to help achieve this goal.

Training in the 12-week programs is provided online five days a week, but it includes time each day for participants to meet together online for collaborative learning. The training includes sessions with representatives of Lowe’s Companies for discussion of employment interviews, soft skills, employer expectations and more.

Lowe’s interviewed most of the graduates and already has hired many, mostly for jobs allowing people to work remotely at home.

An NC Tech Paths spokesman said involvement of other interested employers is welcome.

Information sessions on NC Tech Path training programs are scheduled at 7:30 a.m. Aug. 24 and at 5 p.m. Aug. 31 at Anchor Coffee in North Wilkesboro; at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 26 at WCC’s Poe Hall in West Jefferson; and at 5 p.m., Sept. 3 at the Wilkes Communications Pavilion in Wilkesboro.

Online information session are planned at noon Aug. 19, 6 p.m. Aug. 22, noon Aug. 26, 6 p.m. Aug. 29 and 7 p.m. Aug. 31.