When the Obama Administration’s secretaries for education and agriculture step onto the campus of Richmond Community College Monday afternoon, the county will have their undivided attention, officials say.
“We welcome the opportunity to meet with these cabinet members and let them know what we are going through,” County Manager Rick Sago said. “Maybe they’ll have some insights and some ideas about where we are going and where we need to be.”
The event is scheduled to begin at 1:15 p.m. in the banquet rooms of Cole Auditorium. The public is welcome to attend, there is no charge for admission and doors open at 12:30. It is scheduled to last an hour and a half.
In addition to cabinet members Arne Duncan of the Department of Education and Tom Vilsack of the Department of Agriculture, at least two national representatives will be in attendance.
U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell is hosting the event. He told the Daily Journal this week he has three subjects he hopes to focus on in the discussion.
“Jobs, jobs and jobs,” Kissell listed. “Our people need the opportunity to have workforce development opportunities, and that will be the emphasis of this meeting.”
In addition to Kissell, U.S. Sen. Richard Burr’s staff has confirmed he will attend the event.
“I look forward to Monday’s meeting with Secretary of Education Duncan and Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack,” Burr said in an e-mail. “I am hopeful Monday’s discussion will allow Secretary Duncan to hear firsthand the importance of community colleges such as Richmond Community College to supporting the 21st century workforce and educational needs of North Carolina’s residents.”
In addition to this discussion, Burr said he would like to bring North Carolina’s high school “dropout crisis” to light.
“Over 30 percent of North Carolina’s public school students do not graduate from high school,” he said. “This is unacceptable. Without a high school diploma, students cannot benefit from higher education and have greatly limited opportunities to participate in and benefit from the 21st century economy.”
Richmond County School Board Chairman Ken Goodman said that while the visit may not result in a short-term benefit like a grant, the long-term effects can only be good.
“I can’t think of a greater opportunity for a school system than to speak directly with the cabinet member that is responsible for education in the United States,” Goodman said Friday.
He said one way the school system can benefit is in understanding the nuances of seeking grant funding to teach STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) disciplines, as well as Career Technical Education.
“There’s a lot of grant money out there for specific types of projects like these,” Goodman said. “They will be able to give us a better idea of how to apply for these and to what’s out there.”
Sago said that any time you get an opportunity for face time with the higher-ups on the federal level, it is bound to be beneficial.
“Absolutely, it’s a plus,” he said.
Sago said he hopes the officials take away a more accurate perception of just what is happening in Richmond County and other rural areas.
“It’s an excellent opportunity to have them here to listen to what we are facing,” he said. “We’re hurting just like other rural areas. We’ve suffered from the loss of traditional industries and the jobs that go along with them, and we’ve been talking for years about workforce development.”
He said it’s critical “not only to educate our citizens, but to actually show them what the 21st Century workplace is going to look like.”
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