By Shavonne Walker

shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

EAST SPENCER — The N.C. Manufacturing Institute will offer two more discovery sessions in East Spencer for a program that will link people to jobs in Rowan and Cabarrus counties. The program is designed to fill the gap between industrial companies who have positions and regional job seekers.

East Spencer has held a few discovery sessions and will hold one Friday and Sept. 23, both beginning at 9 a.m. in town hall. The sessions are the last two scheduled in Rowan County before classes begin next month.

A participant must pass a test for career readiness certification, a drug test and complete an eight-week series of classes. The classes will meet for four hours. In order to participate in the classes, those interested must attend a discovery session.

“As long as there is interest, the town of East Spencer will keep providing a location,” said East Spencer Town Administrator David Jaynes.

The classes will include plant tours, resumé writing and help via mock interviews. There will also be a reverse job fair where employers will sit down to meet with potential employees.

The N.C. Manufacturing Institute initiative was created in 2014 during a meeting with Rowan and Cabarrus County leaders from the chamber of commerce, economic development authorities, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and Centralina Workforce Development Board.

There haven’t been a lot of people attending the discovery sessions. Jaynes said they’ve averaged six participants, which he understands is less than what was expected from the initiative’s organizers.

The classes for the certified production technician course will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 17 through Friday, Dec. 16.

To learn more about the discovery sessions and to see the schedule for classes in Kannapolis, East Spencer and Salisbury, visit www.ncmanufacturinginstitute.com .