Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 16, 1995 TAG: 9507170012
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
CHRISTIANSBURG - In the wake of federal budget cuts, officials at the New River-Mount Rogers Private Industry Council - one of the area's biggest providers of job training and education - have had to reorganize.
But, those officials say, the PIC still is the place to go to gain the skills to get a job.
The cuts have meant the PIC has had to provide job services in-house, rather than subcontracting out to nonprofit, for-profit and community-based agencies, as it has since its inception in 1983. To provide those services, the PIC will open Workforce Development Centers throughout the New River Valley this month.
The PIC offers educational and vocational assessments, and interest inventories to clients, as well as on-the-job training, classroom training, internships and other programs for youths. The group helps hundreds of residents of Southwest Virginia each year.
Most programs are administered through the Job Training Partnership Act. The organizational restructuring, however, will not change eligibility requirements.
The PIC is planning an advertising campaign to let people know about the Workforce Development Centers, which will become its primary client service locations.
"One of the things that might hurt us is people not knowing we're there," said Ronnie Martin, area coordinator for the New River Valley.
"We're hoping the centers will be the one point residents will focus on, and if we can't help, we'll point you in a direction."
Workforce Development Centers will be in Christiansburg at 106-A S. Franklin St. 381-0838), in Pulaski at 141 E. Main St. (980-7725), in Pearisburg at 507 Mountain Lake Ave. (921-1980) and in Floyd at 102 S. Locust St., room 104 (745-5005).
Bank appointment
BLACKSBURG - Charles "Spike" Andrew has been named assistant vice president and managing officer of Blue Ridge Bank's Blacksburg branch.
Andrew, a graduate of Virginia Tech and native of Altavista, is a 14-year community banking veteran. He has been a member of the board of the Greater Blacksburg Chamber of Commerce and a past president of the Blacksburg Breakfast Lions Club.
He is married and has two children.
Chamber auction
BLACKSBURG - The Greater Blacksburg Chamber of Commerce announced that its 13th annual auction will be Sept. 29.
At auction will be vacation packages, gift certificates, art, radio and newspaper advertising and overnight lodging.
Also, two cruises - a three-day trip to the Bahamas and a four-day trip to Mexico, both in January - will be raffled. Chamber members have tickets for sale.
For more information, call 552-4061.
Sega on cable
RADFORD - American Cable Entertainment, which provides cable television service to homes in Radford and Christiansburg, has added the interactive Sega Channel to its line up.
For $12.95 a month, subscribers can select from up to 50 games, including popular hits and soon-to-be-released titles. They also will receive playing tips, news, contests and promotions. Programming will be updated monthly, and all 500 titles from Sega and its third-party publishers will be available.
Erv Strauss, general manager of American Cable Entertainment, said the response to the channel, available since May, has been enthusiastic.
He said the cable provider is considering offering other channels, including the Science Fiction, History and Home and Garden channels.
The Sega Channel includes a Password for Parents security feature, which allows parents to restrict their children's access to video games they deem inappropriate. It is interactive in the same way any computer gave is interactive, responding to input and decisions from the player.
Selecting which channels to add to a cable service is something which can have several variables, cable insiders say. Customer demand is a big consideration, but so are technical factors. And sometimes channels might reduce their licensing fees or include free marketing to make their offering more attractive to cable carriers.
Jim Corrin, general manager of Blacksburg Cable TV, said two subscribers have requested the Sega Channel this year. After a customer survey earlier this year, Blacksburg Cable added the History Channel.
by CNB