By Stephen Smoot
For almost a generation, Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College has worked in the region to connect students with opportunities while training the workforce in key skills. Last Friday, they held an open house to highlight some of their programs to incoming students and their families.
Welcoming students at the front door stood personalities from area radio station WQZK inviting visitors to come and spin the prize wheel, giving away T shirts as prizes. Inside, a number of current and incoming students, as well as parents and others, came in to learn more about offerings at Eastern.
After refueling on hot dogs, drinks, and snacks at the Eagle’s Nest, visitors could take in the different tables that focused on a number of educational programs.
Nathan Van Vranken stood amongst a solid selection of fossils. Creatures and other lifeforms that died many tens of millions of years ago in different areas of North America sat on a table for anyone to examine more closely.
“If you like dinosaurs,” he said, “I’m the guy to talk to.”
Van Vranken represented the sciences at Eastern, including physics, astronomy, earth systems, “and good ol’ biology,” he said. He also described how they organized students and community members into a “bioblitz” group to post local wildlife photographs on a site called I Naturalist.com
Since Dec 2024, Isaac Winfree has helmed the Cyber Intelligence Program at Eastern and he manned a table at the open house to discuss opportunities in the field. He explained that cybersecurity “is such a pressing issue now,” emphasizing that its importance represents one of the few areas of agreement in US politics.
“There’s not enough people with experience in the workforce,” even though “cybersecurity has been a priority over the years,” Winfree shared, adding that both West Virginia University and Marshall University have expanded their programs. He added that cybersecurity skills in more residents helps to diversify both the workforce and the economy.
Thomas Porcella welcomed students seeking training in trades fields, such as HVAC, welding, CDL preparation, and more. “Commercial driving is a big thing around here,” he shared, noting that firms such as Pilgrims, Hinkle, M and M, Hartman, and a number of other companies constantly search for drivers.
He added that Eastern will soon add a program to train aspiring electricians in basic residential work, such as household wiring and fixture replacement.
