Community College, used as an example by Sen. John Edwards

As old jobs dry up, some find new well
Area workers use federal training funds to develop other skills
HEATHER HOWARD
Staff Writer

HICKORY - When Sharon Rinck was laid off from her job at a fiber optics plant last year, she decided to turn loss into opportunity.

Although she'd been interested in health care in high school, Rinck went to work right after graduation making cable for CommScope. When she lost that job to a layoff, she used federal job training funds to start studying for a career in nursing -- a field she hopes will be less vulnerable to economic ups and downs.

"Since I can go back to school and get it paid for," said the 22-year-old Catawba Valley Community College student, "I wasn't going to let it go to waste."

Rinck is one of hundreds of Catawba Valley workers looking to move to new careers as jobs in manufacturing -- for decades the community's lifeblood -- dry up.

Amid an unemployment rate that has mostly stayed above 8 percent for months, many workers are taking advantage of federally funded programs that help displaced

More
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/states/north_carolina/counties/catawba/6978605.htm

Senator Edwards, last week, reccommended Community College,for training of the unemployed...the article posted above is a story on one of the Community Colleges, he gave as and example for others to follow.