Through a joint effort of the Upshur County Economic Development Corp. and Kilgore College, the college will begin offering computer classes at Gilmer High School by mid-February or no later than March.

That was the message brought to the Gilmer Rotary Club Tuesday by Ronnie Morrison, executive director of the UCED Corp., who introduced three Kilgore College staff members for a program on workforce development.

Morrison explained that his office has been trying to attract new jobs through education. A survey carried out with the Gilmer Industrial Foundation found that the thread running through the responses was a need to know more about computers.

He said Kilgore College was very supportive as part of what the speakers described as its aspirations to become a regional college.

PowerPoint presentations were made by Barker Hale, KC director of Administrative Services and Continuing Education; Ben Cammack, training coordinator of the KC Workforce Development Department; and Gem Meacham, that department’s assistant director.

Barker Hale said that Kilgore College now has a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) with programs to prepare all ages for success in life. He described the programs as being high quality with a community focus; he said the college would like for Gilmer to be able to access these opportunities.

Hale said that Kilgore College offers “great value,” and hopes to keep its costs low compared to other community colleges.

He listed the following as the “core values” of the SBDC:

•Easy access, an open-door policy with community focus.

•Continuing education for students to pursue or resume intellectual interests.

•Learn a particular skill, be it cake baking, woodworking or anything else.

•Increase job efficiency.

•Retrain for a new career.

•Develop hobbies.

•Improve self-image.

Hale said there are no formal admission requirements for continuing ed courses. The policy is “come as you are.”

The college offers certificates of completion in every course and free transcripts.

Of the continuing ed students, 33 percent are age 30 or below; 34 percent are between 30 and 50, and 33 percent are 50 or above. The oldest student, 93, took a computer course, Hale said.

Classes are offered year-round, he said, adding the motto: “If it is not illegal or immoral, we will teach it.”

Ben Cammack described the KC Workforce Development Dept. as untraditional, with some unique qualities. He gave as an example a Risk Management Institute funded three years ago by Texas Mutual Insurance.

Classes meet OSHA requirements, among others, and he would like to see them expand into the Gilmer area.

KC will work with an industry or business, come to their facility or elsewhere, and set up a class for as few as five or 10 people at a reasonable cost, he said.

Rotarians were given a brochure explaining the Texas Workforce Commission’s Skills Development Fund, which the state provides from unemployment tax money.

Gem Meacham explained how Kilgore College is using grants from the fund to train the area’s workforce and insure that workers stay here. This has been done in Kilgore and Longview and the college would like to expand these courses to Gilmer, Henderson and other area towns.

The result can be creation of new jobs or improving worker skills, she said, noting that such training is closely tied to economic development efforts.

Cammack said that his department is working with David Stephenson of Gilmer’s Custom Commodities to develop a commercial driving program.

Hale praised Gilmer School Supt. Rick Albritton for his helpfulness in providing a space to teach the new computer class.