The Economic Investment Fund of Henderson County (EIF), an affiliate of the Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development, has been awarded a grant of $500 from the Horizon Heating & Air Community Fund and Hannah Flanagan’s Community Charitable Fund through the Community Foundation of Henderson County, Inc.
The grant will be utilized to enhance the Made in Henderson County program (MIHC), a coordinated effort between local manufacturing employers, Henderson County Public Schools, and Blue Ridge Community College to raise the visibility of manufacturing careers and connect students with high-wage career opportunities. Since it’s inception in 2012, Made in Henderson County has showcased manufacturing careers to over 7,000 students through annual industry tours, an Advanced Manufacturing Job Fair and Career Readiness Workshop for high school juniors and seniors, and an Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeship Program.
“We’ve been able to steadily grow the scope of work for Made in Henderson County over the past seven years, there are some fantastic opportunities available to students through this program. These contributions enable us to build and introduce new programs like the MIHC Apprenticeship, which helps match students with employers to continue their education, explore manufacturing careers and gain valuable work experience.”
Chip Gould, EIF Chair
EIF was founded in August 2016, with a primary focus on workforce development. The Made in Henderson County workforce program is focused on raising the visibility of manufacturing as a viable career path to ensure that Henderson County students have diverse employment opportunities in the community, and manufacturing businesses have access to skilled, local talent.
Hannah Flanagan’s and Horizon Heating & Air have joined together for a third year to streamline their philanthropic efforts and support local nonprofits through a donor advised fund held at the Community Foundation of Henderson County.
To learn more about the Horizon Heating & Air Community Fund and Hannah Flanagan’s Community Charitable Fund through the Community Foundation of Henderson County, Inc, visit www.CFHCforever.org, the Foundation’s Facebook page, or by calling (828) 697-6224.