A free, seven-day program for the unemployed, underemployed and those with a criminal record, Building Bridges is a job readiness boot camp that offers soft skills instruction alongside forklift training and OSHA-10 certification to make graduates job ready in a short time.

Carolina Handling donated a Raymond sit down four-wheel forklift, Raymond standup counterbalance forklift and Raymond orderpicker to the program to give students well-rounded training on a variety of lift trucks used in manufacturing and distribution center environments.

“This equipment was the deciding factor as to whether we could even stand this program up in Chatham County. It was the absolute deciding factor,” said Greg Singleton, Dean of Programs, Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Central Carolina Community College. “When I tell you that the college did not have the funds to even rent equipment, that’s how important this donation is.”

For Carolina Handling, the contribution of equipment not only supports education and workforce training in the local community, but it also introduces participants to the company and career opportunities in material handling.

“We’re competing for talent like many other companies across the Southeast,” said James Sanders, Director of Operations for Carolina Handling’s North Division. “We welcome opportunities to encourage careers in the material handling industry and to help develop prospective candidates. Building Bridges is a great ministry with a very passionate leader. I see this program making a difference in our community.”

To date, CCCC’s Building Bridges program has graduated 74 participants, with 85 percent of them obtaining jobs or job interviews with employers such as Wolfspeed, Vinfast, 3M and the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.

ABOUT CAROLINA HANDLING

Founded in 1966, Carolina Handling is one of the Southeast’s leading material handling solution providers and the exclusive Raymond Solutions and Support Center for North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Florida’s Central time zone territory. The company provides lift trucks and automation solutions for warehouses and distribution centers, as well as parts, racking, storage, lighting and dock and door equipment.

Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, Carolina Handling operates branch offices in Atlanta, GA, Birmingham, AL, Greensboro, NC, Raleigh, NC and Greenville SC, and an Equipment Distribution Center in Piedmont, SC. The company has more than 740 associates. For more information, visit carolinahandling.com.