Virginia Peninsula Community College Workforce Development has presented three information sessions this summer at the Grove Christian Outreach Center in Williamsburg.
The two most recent were Aug. 14, and provided information on the College's career training offerings. More than a dozen people showed up at the three events, and everyone became eligible to enroll in one of the classes.
“All are really excited. That’s the main thing,” said Eddie Swain, Workforce Development’s director of Business, IT, and Allied Health.
Coordinating the sessions was a joint effort by the College, the Grove Center, and the Greater Williamsburg Movement.
Katie Patrick has been the executive director at the Grove Center for almost four years. It didn’t take long for her to learn how difficult it is for the residents the center serves to access VPCC’s Historic Triangle campus.
She began conversations with Tracy Ashley, director of development at VPCC, to change that. As a result of those conversations, the College had an information session at the center in spring 2022, explaining federal student loan opportunities.
Then this year, Patrick connected with Swain and Charlie Williams of the Greater Williamsburg Movement, a nonprofit that partners with churches and business and community leaders to help those less fortunate.
At an information session July 17 at the Grove Center, the focus was on the College’s CMA (clinical medical assistant) programs.
Monday’s sessions, one at noon and one at 5 p.m., emphasized the skills trade and Allied Health opportunities VPCC affords. On hand were Swain, two representatives from the College’s financial aid office, Williams, and Susan Grochowski of PREP (Peninsula Regional Education Program).
“We’re trying to do as much as we can in their neighborhood,” Swain said, adding two advisers from the College will be at the Grove Center on Aug. 28 to help potential students with their financial aid applications.
Patrick is glad to have the sessions at the Grove Center.
“It is very difficult for people that live in Grove to get to the (HT) campus,” she said.
The sessions, or something similar, have been on Patrick’s mind for a few years. Unfortunately, the pandemic put all plans on hold until last year. She has no specific number of residents she wants to see at each event. Instead, she takes a long-range approach.
“My interest is to contribute to the overall health of the community, and that means a lot of things,” she said. “It’s not just what the doctor tells you at your visit. It’s about education opportunities, employment opportunities, economic advantages. Working to get people to attend an information session was very important to us.”
Residents of the Grove, she said, generally are aware of VPCC, but aren’t necessarily aware of all it offers, especially in skilled trades. Her role, and that of the Grove Center, is to make sure those interested can get to the sessions.
“To reduce the barriers so that they have the opportunity to attend the information sessions, and find out what it takes to get enrolled,” she said.
Another goal for Patrick is making the public aware of funding and scholarships. Among the latter is one by Dominion Energy for Grove residents.
People often equate college with long-term debt and long-term commitments, but that doesn’t have to be the case, she said. Some programs can be free to those eligible, and some career studies certificates can be earned in a few months.
“It’s not a very long investment,” Patrick said. “And they won’t be taking on a lot of student loans.”
Williams has been with the Greater Williamsburg Movement since 2016. He is a retired businessman with a background in the trades. He sees his mission now as helping younger generations. He said there was a demand for skilled trades 40 years ago, and it’s the same now.
“We, as a society, gave the wrong impression to our young people (that) skilled trades were an afterthought,” he said.
The trades need not be just an option after not getting into college. He pointed out there are more than a dozen aspects of home-building, and many ways to be involved in the profession.
“You don’t necessarily have to be a laborer. You can go into inside, outside, marketing, sales,” he said. “So many ways that young people don’t know, parents don’t know.”
He views it as his responsibility to make Grove residents aware of their options.
Patrick is willing to host as many information sessions at their building at 8800 Pocahontas Trail as the College wants.
“We’re fortunate that we’re strategically placed right here in the middle of the community,” she said. “We can become an information hub as well as providing direct services, and that’s what we do. We provide direct services, food, clothing, and financial assistance.”
Swain wants this to be the start of the longtime relationship with residents on that part of the Peninsula.
“We’re hoping to be able to do this in other communities in the Williamsburg area,” he said.
For more information on the College, visit vpcc.edu. Learn more about Grove Christian Outreach Center at groveoutreach.com. For the Greater Williamsburg Movement, go to forgwm.org.