FIBERCOM EMPLOYEE TAKING STEPS TO ENSURE HER FUTURE

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, January 24, 1993                   TAG: 9301260215
SECTION: ECONOMY                    PAGE: EC-19   EDITION: METRO  
SOURCE: GEORGE KEGLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
FIBERCOM EMPLOYEE TAKING STEPS TO ENSURE HER FUTURE
Tammy Black is 7 1/2 years into her work as an electronics assembler at Fibercom Inc., but she's taking an accounting class in case she needs to diversify her career.
She's also a veteran of cross-training, a common practice of learning a variety of skills at the Roanoke fiber optics company and any other firms who want to boost productivity.
Fibercom in October marked its 10th anniversary, a decade in which demand in the high-tech fiber optics industry has grown dramatically.
But, Black and her husband, Charles, a sales engineer for a smaller fiber optics company in Salem, have concentrated on saving money since he was temporarily laid off two years ago. They are proud of their Christmas spending - all cash. "Our goal is to get rid of our credit card bills. We're trying to be much smarter"
They're looking at saving for a college education for Bryan and Ryan, her twin 12-year-old stepsons.
"We tell them they'll get nowhere without college," she said. "Everybody is more aware of savings as a safety net behind you in case something happens."
Things were tighter when her husband was laid off. Christmas in 1991 was harder. But they started budgeting and shopping earlier for the holiday in 1992.
Black's accounting classes at Virginia Western Community College take more than four hours each Monday night. She does homework along with the twins other nights.
Black worked in a grocery store after high school until she found a high-tech job. She likes her work but sees accounting as a backup "because manufacturing is not like it used to be." She wants another skill if she needs a different job. Another goal is to get a college degree.
Fibercom supervisors asked about her plans for growth. Her reply: "I'll stick with them as long as they'll keep me."
Black, 29, voted for the first time in November. She didn't name her choice but she said she was excited about "doing everything I could to make a difference."
The economy is "definitely getting better . . . Christmas shopping proved that more people are out spending but everyone is still cautious."
Her family's confidence has been shaken. But they're working for financial security. "We're more cautious. We don't spend as readily as we did once and we plan for big-ticket items."

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB