Beaver County Business Leader C.J. Betters Donates $100,000 to CCBC

Monaca, PA –Chuck “C.J.” Betters, CEO of C.J. Betters Enterprises, Inc., recently demonstrated his strong support for Community College of Beaver County’s efforts to train the workforce for current and emerging jobs in our region. Betters made a $100,000 gift to the CCBC Foundation for the College’s Process Technology program to help purchase state-of-the-art training equipment that will be vital to employing Beaver Countians in jobs that are expected to be created during the next five years and beyond.

“We thank Mr. Betters for his gift to help future employees in our region receive the training they need to benefit in our emerging local and regional job market. This generous support will help CCBC educate a local workforce for incoming jobs associated with the ethane cracker plant,” said CCBC President Dr. Chris Reber. “Creating programs to support workforce and economic development is priority number one at CCBC.”

The Beaver County Partnership for Community and Economic Development, led by Chairman Charles “Skip” Homan of Larson Design Group, recently brought a group of community and labor leaders together to discuss the need for and challenge of recruiting and training the estimated 6,000 construction workers that will be needed during the cracker plant’s construction phase and additional full- and part-time employees that will be hired within the manufacturing community and beyond in future years.  The group discussed the immediate need for education and training programs that will prepare Beaver County residents for short- and long-term employment opportunities associated with the cracker plant.

During the meeting, CCBC President Reber and Dean of Workforce and Continuing Education John Goberish reviewed the College’s industry-approved process technology program and its need to scale-up classrooms and labs in order to serve more students and address the workforce needs of the cracker plant and other new industries.

Mr. Betters was listening.

“After learning more about the educational opportunities available at CCBC, I knew it was imperative to show my support for the College’s effort to provide the training necessary for Beaver County workers to qualify for the jobs emerging in our region,” said Mr. Betters. “I am committed to helping our local workforce obtain the majority of the jobs associated with the cracker plant and through this partnership with CCBC, we are on the right path to achieving that goal.”

The gift from Betters will fund state-of-the-art process technology equipment such as pilot plants, simulation software, and bench top trainers in order to allow additional students to enroll in the program and to ensure that these students are learning the same technology and mechanics encountered on the job.

“In order to build a workforce that is prepared for the incoming job opportunities, we must work together with industry leaders to promote our training programs and build partnerships within our community,” said Reber. “We thank Chuck not only for his generous support of our program, but also for his trust in CCBC and his vision for Beaver County’s future.”

As an extension of this new partnership, and in order to bring potential workers together with industry and training leaders, CCBC will host Cracker Plant: Building/Construction Trades and Manufacturing Career Expo on Thursday, November 17 at 6 p.m. in the Dome. The event will feature construction and trade unions as well as manufacturing, business and educational leaders sharing information and tips that will allow Beaver County residents to prepare for future employment opportunities and training requirements.

“This new partnership is an important step forward in building a long-term relationship that will be mutually beneficial to Mr. Betters’ organizations, CCBC, and the region,” said Dr. Reber.

To learn more about the Career Expo, call 724-480-3443.

Scholarships for the process technology program are available for those who qualify. Students can register now through January 6 to start classes in January. To learn more about the program, visit ccbc.edu/processtech or call 724-480-2222.