Cheri Anderson-Hucks
Thursday, October 27, 2011
SCC students, Timothy Uber and Seth Pyle, were recently awarded a $2,000 scholarship through the Grainger Tools for Tomorrow program.
Spartanburg Community College (SCC) students and military veterans, Timothy Uber of Chesnee and Seth Pyle of Blacksburg, S.C., were recently awarded a $2,000 scholarship by Grainger, a distributor of facilities maintenance supplies supporting local communities for more than 55 years.
Uber and Pyle are two of 200 students in the U.S. awarded the Grainger Tools for Tomorrow® scholarship this year. This program is designed to help students in the industrial skilled trades curriculum who have demonstrated drive, commitment and leadership realize their educational and career goals. Students at 100 selected American Association of Community Colleges across the country will receive this scholarship and, upon graduation, a customized Westward® tool bag for their trade. For the 2011 – 2012 academic year, half of the Grainger Tools for Tomorrow® scholarships have been specifically targeted to veterans in recognition of their service to our country.
Uber is an Automated Manufacturing Technology (AMT) student who served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years. “I’m very grateful to Grainger and SCC for this award and for the education I’m receiving in the AMT program. Once I complete my degree, I plan to find a job locally,” said Uber.
“Today’s Spartanburg Community College students will become tomorrow’s industrial skilled trades leaders, dedicated to keeping the Upstate community working and growing,” said Jeff Range, manager of Grainger’s distribution center in Greenville. “Grainger is honored to contribute to the education of individuals like Timothy and Seth who have shown their determination and will become our future tradesmen and women.”
“We congratulate these gentlemen on their accomplishments, and we’re grateful to Grainger for supporting our students and our industrial programs here at SCC,” said Dr. Para M. Jones, SCC president. “Our College mission is to provide a skilled workforce for our local industry and it’s through partnerships with companies like Grainger that help us achieve this and ensures that the training we’re providing prepares students to succeed in the workplace.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2009 there were 22 million veterans over the age of 18 and a significant number are likely to enter occupations in installation, maintenance, repair, production and material moving industries. Yet, there is a growing gap between industry’s workforce needs and the skills of job seekers. Grainger, in conjunction with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), launched the Grainger Tools for Tomorrow® scholarship program in 2006 to help bridge this gap along with partners like SCC, which has made G.I. Jobs magazine’s list of “Military Friendly Schools” for the past two years.
For more information on SCC scholarships, please contact Laura Moore in the SCC Financial Aid office at (864) 592-4834.