Spherion Staffing & Recruiting of Asheville presented its Community Give Back Donation to A-B Tech's RAMP Scholarship, which supports students enrolled in the Engineering and Applied Technology programs.
This $1,000 scholarship is provided to students who have a 3.0 GPA or above, are a resident of Buncombe or Madison counties, and a recent high school graduate, within a year. Students must also be actively participating and registered in a RAMP pathway and registered with NC Works.
Spherion Asheville franchise owner, Molly Gaffney-Keebler selected A-B Tech’s RAMP Scholarship as this year’s donation recipient due to the commitment the program has to helping students develop a successful manufacturing career path. The local Spherion office is the very first staffing company to give the RAMP scholarship.
The RAMP or Raising Awareness of Manufacturing Possibilities initiative launched three years ago with A-B Tech, the Mountain Area Workforce Development Board, and area public schools to develop an improved pipeline of talent to fill positions in the area’s advanced manufacturing firms, which was identified as a key need by area employers.
“We are deeply grateful for the work of the A-B Tech team and the opportunity to give to the RAMP program,” said Molly Gaffney-Keebler franchise owner, of Spherion Asheville. “A-B Tech and the RAMP program make a tremendous impact on our community and more specifically provide industry-specific learning and training in manufacturing. Our office looks forward to future opportunities to support and work with A-B Tech and the RAMP program. We are honored to help students looking to find a bright, long-lasting position in manufacturing.”
“A-B Tech is committed to working with local employers, education partners, and the workforce development board to develop and implement strategies to meet this need,” said Debbie Cromwell, A-B Tech Workplace Learning Coordinator. “It is crucial we help students realize the career possibilities that are available in high-tech, high-paying advanced manufacturing fields. The funded scholarship by Spherion will give a student the opportunity to achieve this career.”
Spherion is committed to making a difference in the Asheville community and enabling Spherion team members to volunteer time and resources to local partners is an important tenet of our business. The Community Give Back contribution marks the first year of partnership with A-B Tech and the RAMP Program.
Programs at A-B Tech that prepare students for a career in advanced manufacturing include Industrial Systems Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Computer-Integrated Machining Technology, Electronics Engineering Technology, Computer Engineering Technology, Electrical Systems Technology, and Computer-Aided Drafting Technology.
Cutlines – from left, Sara Laws, Spherion Account Development Manager; Molly Gaffney-Keebler, Spherion Owner/Vice President of Operations; Vernon Daugherty, A-B Tech Dean of Engineering and Applied Technology; Joe Keebler, Spherion Vice President of Sales; Abigail Hickman, Mountain Area Workforce Development Board Work-Based Learning Coordinator; and Debbie Cromwell, A-B Tech Workplace Learning Coordinator