Students encouraged to apply for Skill-UP assistance


Current and incoming Vance-Granville Community College students can now apply for extra help financing their education or training, thanks to a grant received by the college from the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission.

VGCC has been awarded a $20,000 Project Skill-UP grant from the Commission, as part of funding that is being shared by a number of community colleges across the state for workforce development initiatives. Project Skill-UP grants were developed by the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission in collaboration with the N.C. Community College System to help individuals and communities in rural counties of North Carolina that were adversely impacted by the decline in the tobacco industry. The objective is to assist students with training for new careers.

From the Skill-UP funds, $12,000 can be used to help students pay for tuition, books, fees, uniforms and other supplies. In the case of programs that have state licensure exams, the grant can help students pay for their testing fees. Students must meet certain eligibility requirements and must be residents of Vance, Granville, Franklin or Warren counties. A student can receive up to $500.

“Skill-UP funds are a wonderful resource to help students succeed and reach their goals, particularly when traditional scholarships and grants are not available for a particular training program,” said Kyle Burwell, VGCC’s Coordinator of Human Resources Development. “We target Skill-UP funds to short-term programs in which students can update the skills they have or gain new, marketable skills for growing career fields.”

Burwell noted that students may use Skill-UP funds for either continuing education or curriculum courses. Students receiving Skill-UP assistance not only work toward completing a job training program but also take a VGCC Human Resources Development (HRD) course and have the opportunity to complete a WorkKeys skills assessment to earn a Career Readiness Certificate.

For more information on receiving Skill-UP assistance and the opportunities available at VGCC, contact Kyle Burwell at (252) 738-3276 or Teresa Ellis at (252) 738-3443.

For more information on the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, visit www.tobaccotrustfund.org