Forsyth Tech at Innovation Quarter means business.
As the home of Forsyth Technical Community College’s Business & Industry Services department, the school’s 24,000-square-foot suite in the 525@vine building is the site of leadership training classes, workforce development programs, entrepreneurship seminars and numerous other activities designed to help local commerce grow and flourish in today’s ever-changing economic environment.
Forsyth Tech at Innovation Quarter, which opened last fall, features classroom, seminar and videoconferencing spaces, computer labs and a wet lab in addition to administrative offices.
“Our presence here is going to connect us even more deeply to business and industry,” said Jennifer Coulombe, dean of Business & Industry Services. “The collaborative spirit that exists in the Innovation Quarter has already helped us form new partnerships and expand relationships with existing clients.”
Meeting the workforce development needs of corporate and industrial entities large and small is a key element of Forsyth Tech’s efforts.
“North Carolina was one of the first states to recognize the connection between economic development and workforce development,” Coulombe said. “We foster this connection by offering a wide range of assessment tools and educational and industrial training programs designed to upskill workers and create high-performance corporate cultures.”
In addition to corporate and industrial training, Forsyth Tech at Innovation Quarter houses the Small Business Center, which offers a range of resources free of charge to both the owners and potential owners of small businesses. These include confidential one-on-one counseling sessions and seminars on such topics as market research, creating business plans, time management and administrative practices.
“Small businesses have just as much a chance to make a difference as big businesses,” said Allan Younger, director of Forsyth Tech’s Small Business Centers in Forsyth and Stokes counties. “No one offers more education, training and business counseling to small businesses than we do.”
While the activity level in Forsyth Tech’s quarters at 525@vine is already high, the school has eyes on developing even stronger connections with area businesses.
“There are so many opportunities for business and industry to collaborate with us in new ways,” said Alan Murdock, vice president for Forsyth Tech’s Economic & Workforce Development division. “I can’t even imagine what the Innovation Quarter and our role in it will look like in five years.”
For additional information, visit forsythtech.edu or call +1.336.734.7723.
