FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DANVILLE REGIONAL FOUNDATION AWARDS $1.8 MILLION GRANT 

TO ADDRESS GAPS IN ASSISTANCE TO TRADE ACT STUDENTS

DANVILLE, VA, March 31, 2008 – The Danville Regional Foundation has awarded $1,850,355 to Danville Community College and Piedmont Community College to address gaps in the assistance provided to students receiving benefits from the North America Free Trade Agreement (Trade Act). The grant will allow the community colleges to take the Trade Act to the next level with a custom approach to meet the individual needs of each student and therefore increase the student success rate. 

“As our community undergoes significant economic change, we can help working families gain the skills they need to succeed in this new economy.  We are investing in this effort because it helps those that were contributing members of the old economy play that role in the new economy,” said Karl N. Stauber, DRF President and CEO.

Called “Pathways for Success: a Cross-Border Collaboration,” the funds will be used to help Trade Act students complete a degree, diploma or certificate in their program of study and provide resources to assist them in seeking employment. More than 330 students - 260 at DCC and 70 at PCC - are projected to benefit from this two-year initiative.

“Workers in Danville and Pittsylvania County, Virginia and in Caswell County, North Carolina who have been displaced by Trade Act-eligible events, face severe hurdles in returning to the workplace,” said DCC President Dr. Carlyle Ramsey. “Trade Act students may need more time and assistance to complete their studies than the federal Trade Act currently provides. DCC and PCC will assist these displaced workers with training and services necessary for successful job placement.”

The specialized services the two colleges plan to provide include:

1. Supplemental unemployment needs-based payments - available to students who require extended benefits.

2. Health insurance assistance – Federal regulations currently require students to pay 35 percent of the premium, with Trade Act paying 65 percent. The Pathways For Success initiative will cover 25 percent of the total premium with students paying only 10 percent.

3. Educational costs – assist students who want to train in career fields not covered under Trade Act regulations, such as nurse assisting, medical technician, truck driver, rural entrepreneurship, advanced computer skills or business ownership.

4. Career Readiness Certification assistance – opportunity for skills assessment and to earn bronze, silver or gold certification.

5. Student transportation assistance – for students whose Trade Act benefits have been exhausted.

6. Case management /job placement support – will be provided at each college.

“This funded effort will allow us to be in the forefront of the initiatives of Governors Tim Kaine and Mike Easley to cross state borders to improve the economic future of the region,” said PCC President Dr. H. James Owen. “This will expand economic opportunities for Virginia and North Carolina residents and the economic development options for both states.

During the next three months, policies and procedures will be developed and personnel hired, including a full-time coordinator, two case managers, and two financial services assistants. The projected start date for the program is May 2008.

“With this initiative, DCC and PCC intend on being a model program in identifying the needs of Trade Act affected workers and in developing services to meet these needs,” Ramsey added. “We are grateful to the Danville Regional Foundation in making the funds available and continuing to invest in the region’s economic development.”

For more information about Pathways for Success, contact the colleges: DCC – 434.797.8460, PCC - 336.694-5707 or click here.