Businesses Find Key Personnel, Programs at Area Colleges
cumberland county, education, fayetteville, fayetteville state university, fayetteville technical community college,
From opening their doors to realizing expansion plans, businesses in Cumberland County often find the answers back in school.
Specifically, they find personnel and programs for assistance at nearly every level of education on the campuses of Fayetteville Technical Community College and Fayetteville State University.
At FTCC, the Center for Business and Industry provides a range of training and educational programs of which local businesses can avail themselves, as well as a variety of specialized services that include: the Small Business Center, which lends assistance to small business start-ups; specialized seminars, which are custom-designed to cover topics from recordkeeping to management skills; a resource room that houses literature, computer programs and audiovisual aids from the Small Business Administration and other resource agencies; and the Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning, or R.E.A.L., a nonprofit organization that works with adults of all ages to help them become entrepreneurs; and the Business Services area, which works to customize continuing education and other training courses for local businesses, government agencies and medical organizations.
The support available at Fayetteville State University is just as comprehensive. There, UNC’s Small Business Technology Development Center works to train small- and medium-sized businesses on everything from strategic positioning to leadership development. New programs are constantly rolled out even as existing ones are adjusted to keep them relevant, says Greg Taylor, regional director.
“People around here are familiar with the ag extension service,” Taylor says. “We’re the business extension service of the university system. Part of what we do is regular evaluations and a needs analysis for the business community, and then we try to structure our programs to meet those needs.”
The SBTDC follows a five-year strategic plan, and through constant feedback from its clients, counselors and advisory-board members, adds offerings such as the SYMMETREE® Simulation, a two-day program that identifies change-management skills and provides hands-on training.
Then there’s NxLeveL™, a 12-week business plan development program conducted by SBTDC counselors and local business leaders.
The SBTDC also has a number of strategic partnerships with other organizations to help meet clients’ specific needs.
“A lot of the things that we offer aren’t solely through our office,” Taylor says.
He adds that the center’s primary service provided is one-on-one, confidential counseling.
“We pride ourselves on that,” he says. “To be a counselor here, you have to have a business-related degree and practical experience; just having a degree isn’t enough. That experience comes in handy, and it helps establish a rapport with the clients.”
Story by Joe Morris
