Submitted by EBCI Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO)
Cherokee students and their families, along with Tribal officials and SCC leadership, gathered on Monday, Aug. 19 to celebrate their completion of the Facilities Maintenance program. Southwestern Community College (SCC) and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) partnered in January 2024 to provide training to students in various aspects of building trades. The 8-month program was made possible with funding from ARPA and hosted by the Tribal Employment Rights Office at the TERO Technical Training Institute’s training center.
Cherokee students and their families, along with Tribal officials and SCC leadership, gathered on Monday, Aug. 19 to celebrate their completion of the Facilities Maintenance program. They are shown, left to right, front row – Richard “Buster: Arch, student; Taylor Davis, instructor; Gerri Grady, TERO training coordinator; Crystal Greenarch, student; Terri Henry, EBCI TERO director; Dr. Don Tomas, SCC president; back row – David Wolfe, Dinilawigi vice chairman; Ian Crowe, student; Dr. Thom Brooks, SCC executive vice president for instruction; Mike Parker, Dinilawigi chairman; and Scott Sutton, SCC Dean of Workforce Continuing Education. Not pictured: Frank “Pete” Taylor, student. (Photo by Sarah Spann/SCC Public Relations)
Students in the program received safety and flagger training by an authorized instructor for OSHA, CPR training by a certified instructor from SCC, and forklift operator certification also through SCC. General instruction in basic construction math, blueprint/building plan basics, carpentry, plumbing, electrical, drywall installation, flooring/roofing, hand and power tools, and materials management was taught by Taylor Davis, an EBCI member. The program began with eleven students and graduated four.
Student Richard Arch said, “We learned some hard stuff in this course, and it was great to absorb it. Not many people get this opportunity.”
John Crowe stated, “Life’s a garden, you gotta dig and grow – I grew.”
These students, along with Crystal Greenarch and Frank “Pete” Taylor, received a certification of completion from SCC.
Dinilawigi (Tribal Council) Chairman Mike Parker addressed the graduates and their families saying, “Don’t ever stop learning, you can always learn something new and put it to use for yourself and your community.”
SCC President Don Tomas stated, “I want to congratulate the Tribal Employment Rights Office for spearheading such a groundbreaking collaboration with Southwestern Community College! The 400 hours of training represent a substantial investment in your community’s future by laying a solid foundation for career growth and development, equipping individuals with valuable skills and enhancing job opportunities.”
The current class was divided into groups and had to design and build an 8 X 8 shed. The next full class will begin in January 2025 and will be open to anyone in the community. Students will be assigned a project that will be more detail and incorporate more finish work. Interested individuals will be able to learn more in the coming months by visiting its Facebook page at Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO) Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
