SANFORD - Central Carolina Community College has joined with Southern Industrial Constructors and 3M to begin the new Southern Industrial Apprenticeship Program.

A signing ceremony for the new program was held Jan. 30 at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic & Conference Center in Sanford.

Drew M. Goodson, CCCC Dean of Career and Technical Education, said he is extremely excited about the Apprenticeship Program CCCC and Southern Industrial Contractors have worked to create. "The student apprentices will take evening classes while continuing to work and receive on the job training, ultimately resulting in a Diploma in Industrial Systems and Industrial Maintenance Mechanic Journeyman's certification," said Goodson. "Both Southern Industrial and the 3M Plant in Pittsboro, where the apprentices will work, are outstanding industry partners and I'm so proud to work with them on the college's first adult apprenticeship. Companies are concerned about the skills gap in many industries and CCCC will continue to seek innovative solutions to help educate and train the next generation."

Chuck Jarrell, Plant Engineering Manager, 3M Pittsboro Industrial Mineral Products Division, noted: "Skilled labor across the country is steadily getting harder to find. Fulfilling industrial maintenance needs is definitely a challenge. Education and on-the-job training are difficult for workers to balance and afford. With the SIC Maintenance Apprenticeship Program partnering with CCCC, they are providing awesome opportunities to employees, developing a future leadership talent pool, while building a pipeline of valuable resources to help meet the maintenance needs of their customers, preparing all to meet the industrial maintenance challenges of the future."

Among those attending the signing ceremony were Dr. T. Eston Marchant, CCCC President, and Bob Portman, CEO of Southern Industrial Constructors.