Lenoir County offers job opportunities and training amid sagging labor market
As Kinston and Lenoir County continue to see labor shortages in service industries, there are opportunities for education and training for students of all ages.
North Carolina’s unemployment rate is at 3.4% as of April, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Service industries in Kinston and Lenoir County such as restaurants appear to be hit the hardest in finding and retaining workers.
In other fields, residents have chosen entrepreneurship, working from home, or entering programs for specified job training, trades and technical work.
Lenoir Community College offers more than 60 programs for both short and long-term job training through their Workforce Development Program, according to Richy Huneycutt, director of marketing, recruiting and communications at the school.
Some of the more popular programs are heating, ventilation and air conditioning technician and training to enter various healthcare jobs, she said.
“A student can come in and in just a weeks’ time get a credential — a third-party credential that is recognized nationally and they can go to work (at) anything from welding to customized training,” she said of the short-term instruction.
She said students both traditional and non-traditional have been registering for the programs.
On Saturday, Lenoir Community College will be partnering with Neuse Regional Libraries and NC Works for Kinston’s annual Juneteenth Celebration. The college’s Better Skills, Better Jobs Fair 2022 will be held at the African American Music Trail Park , 500 S. Queen St., from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., according to a news release.
Representatives from the school will be on hand to help with admission applications, financial aid information, short- and long-term training opportunities and career assessments. Free haircuts and manicures will be provided by students of the Barber School and Manicurist program.
In addition, Huneycutt said new barber schools have been started at the Jones County Center of LCC in Trenton and at the Workforce Development Center in Snow Hill. The schools take about six to eight weeks to complete and cost $180. Job placement assistance is also available from LCC.
“We also offer truck driver training. I think it’s around eight weeks for that program,” she said.
Newer and different programs provided by LCC do not appear to be on the horizon for the next year., according to Dr. John Black, the school's vice president of instruction.
Black said LCC is working more now with the aviation industry services. A proposal for an Aviation Systems Technology curriculum is in the works.
“We submitted the application for that and it will take probably two more years to go,” Black said.
A graduate of that program would be able to sit for Federal Aviation Administration certification, he said. Aircraft mechanic jobs would be available and that certification is required. Kinston industries like the Global TransPark would be a career option for students who complete the program.
“You are really addressing a need we see currently, but we also see expanding. Think of it this way, because of close relationships with the Global TransPark with industries that are going there, if an educational institution doesn’t think two or three years out (they) would never have the capacity to be available to provide that training,” said Black.
He said there wasn’t a labor shortage in that industry, but said his program would support their growth.
According to Black, the time has never been better for graduates from LCC to find employment.
“I’ve never seen more opportunities for college graduates than I’ve seen now, and that’s across the board. That’s in every program here."
Crown Equipment Corporation in Kinston, which manufactures forklifts has apprenticeships available for qualified student applicants that began in 2019 and is aligned with both LCC and Lenoir County Public Schools. The student goes through a vetting process that includes being a rising senior, attendance and grades, according to Bill Edmundson, Crown Equipment Corporation human resources representative. Students are paid a wage and get school credit as well.
"It's getting young people introduced to our brand and getting them excited about manufacturing. Our primary focus is with the Youth Apprenticeship Program. We do welding, technology and machining, and industrial maintenance," Edmundson said.
Once a student has finished high school and gone through the Youth Apprenticeship Program, they are often offered jobs with Crown. Occasionally they may take a job with another company, said Edmundson.
Although Crown hasn't seen a labor shortage, Edmundson said, the training in evolving technological advances to develop skillsets for employees is a challenge.
This article originally appeared on Kinston/Jones Free Press: Lenoir County offers job opportunities and training amid sagging labor market
