Alamance Community College (ACC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreement with Alamance Foods, the second new NCEdge Customized Training Project partner in the College’s Corporate Education and Economic Development division this year.
Under the agreement, ACC will provide 174 hours of customized training for 29 classes at no cost to Alamance Foods. Funding for the NCEdge Customized Training Project is provided by the NC General Assembly and the NC Community College System, with Alamance Community College administering the training support funds and arranging classes and instructors for each project.
ACC will train Alamance Foods employees in courses as wide-ranging as Workplace Spanish and English, Forklift Train-the-Trainer, Leadership, Work-Life Balance, Microsoft skills, Six Sigma Green Belt, and Project Management. The agreement runs from September 2024 to August 2027.
“Alamance Foods is one of the largest employers in Alamance County. They have been continuously growing, and we are excited to support their growth by providing training for their workforce,” said Bettina Akukwe, Associate Vice President of ACC’s Corporate Education/Business & Industry Training division.
(Pictured above) Standing in front of one of Alamance Foods’ most popular products are (from left) Bettina Akukwe, ACC’s Associate Vice President of Corporate Education and Economic Development; Tyshea Lewis, Coordinator of ACC Corporate Education; Alamance Foods personnel Wendy Williams, John Acebu (Senior Manager of Distribution, Warehouse and Transportation), Christian Moore, Michael Jimenez, and Jessica Boggs.
Alamance Foods, with headquarters in Burlington, was founded more than a century ago when R.W. Scott began selling the extra cream and butter that he churned primarily from his family. In 1927 his son, Ralph H. Scott, expanded the business and established Melville Dairy, which in 1959 became one of the first producers in the U.S. for aerosol whipped cream. The company later expanded its product line to include flavored drinks, freeze pops, and bottled water. Last year it announced it would expand its operations in Alamance County, adding approximately 135 jobs.
Alamance Community College has a rich history of working with companies to provide relevant training while increasing the capacity of North Carolina’s workforce. ACC’s Customized Training Program is already partnered with five other local business and industry companies. The latest company prior to the Alamance Food agreement was with Wilson Sock Company in Haw River last May.
Under the direction of Associate Vice President Bettina Akukwe, ACC’s Corporate Education/Business & Industry Training division specializes in the development, planning, and delivery of quality educational and technical programs, services and training to Alamance County business and industry. The Customized Training Program provides Alamance County with New, Expanding and Existing Business and Industry funding resources and services for job growth, productivity enhancement, and technology investment.