By Josh Bergeron

josh.bergeron@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — A jobs program run by Rowan-Cabarrus Community College moved into the West End neighborhood recently but is having trouble recruiting participants.

The program goes by the name Better Jobs for Better Lives and started with a $100,000 donation from Rowan County government. It started in the east Rowan area and recently moved into Salisbury’s West End. However, anyone in Rowan County can participate in the program.

So far, 158 Rowan County residents have received services through the program, and 17 have received scholarships for job training programs, according to statistics provided by Rowan-Cabarrus Community College.

The program held informational meetings throughout June at various locations in Salisbury, including the West End. Craig Lamb, the college’s vice president of Corporate and Continuing Education, said the program’s move into Salisbury is “going well, but we just wish it were going better.”

“There’s so much untapped potential with people who are either underemployed now or are working one or two part-time jobs,” Lamb said. “Really who we are trying to talk to is folks who the community has overlooked or not invested in. Sometimes, when they hear about programs like this, they think we are talking to the person behind them.”

The jobs program provides scholarships to people for certificate programs and the N.C. Manufacturing Institute. Career specialists are also available.

Lamb said certificate programs take three months or less. For example, truck driver training lasts nine weeks.

Other examples of occupational training and certificate programs offered include the following: introduction to the medical field, certified production technician, truck driving, detention officer, phlebotomy, nurse aide, welding, notary, medical coding and billing and fork lift operator.

For more information about the scholarship program contact R3 Career Services at N.C. Works Rowan — 1094 South Main St. — by calling 704-216-7201. Hours of operation are 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

A career coach is also available at the Salisbury Rowan Community Action Agency through August from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The community action agency is located at 1300 West Bank St. in Salisbury.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.