TCC Partners with Earl Industries
Tidewater Community College has been a partner with the shipbuilding industry since the 1970’s, training students to work in an industry with a global reach. A recent collaboration with Earl Industries, a prominent shipbuilding and repair company, illustrated that TCC’s relationships with local companies continue to influence not only the local community but the world beyond.
The collaboration began with a curriculum written by TCC’s Barbara Murray, program coordinator for apprenticeship-related instruction, for a series of marine pipefitter courses. When Ms. Murray presented her project at a Hampton Roads Maritime Task Force meeting, she caught the attention of a human resources director from Earl Industries. Because TCC already had a relationship with Earl Industries President and CEO Jerry Miller, who serves on TCC’s Educational Foundation Board, the director was able to work with the company and Ms. Murray to discuss the possibility of sharing TCC’s curriculum with a community college near Earl’s Jacksonville, FL facilities. They contacted the Workforce Development office at Florida Community College, Jacksonville and with the help of the Maritime and Transportation Consortium, of which both colleges are active members, the marine pipefitter curriculum was shared with Earl’s Jacksonville employees.
TCC’s Workforce Development office seeks to provide the education and customized training that many industries in our area need to meet the challenges of a competitive economy. When this work extends beyond our region, as the Marine Pipefitter curriculum demonstrates, we gain the opportunity to expose our students and our region to the global economy and to further promote TCC as a national leader among community colleges.
