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SBDC Moving To SFCC

Jesse Osbourne/Highlands Today

From left: U.B.C. I. building official R.L. Geiger and Eric Reitler, Superintendent of Cougar Demolition, chat about the current renovations going on at South Florida Community College Wednesday afternoon.

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By Bill Rogers | Highlands Today

Published: October 21, 2007

SEBRING – As he was lugging a projector, flip-chart easel and books from a class for entrepreneurs at South Florida Community College to his car, Bill McKown was lamenting how it would be nice to have the classroom close by.

McKown, a certified business analyst with the Small Business Development Center of the Heartland, said he was thinking about the convenience of being able to stay in one location and "not have to lug stuff around."

"The logistics would be so much simpler," he said.

McKown is lamenting no more, as he and Bob Raymond, who is also a certified business analyst at the center, will be moving their business counseling operation from the Heartland Workforce One-Stop Career Center in Sebring to the college's Avon Park campus next month.

The SBDC will initially be moving to a temporary location on the campus while a refurbishing project is
under way on the building it will eventually be housed in.

Beginning Nov. 5, Raymond and McKown will be working in Building L, where the office of corporate and continuing education is located. Their hours will be 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

They will be there until the end of January when their new location is expected to be ready, according to Kevin Brown, dean of applied sciences and technologies, at the college.

Brown said the college's training has increased exponentially in recent years for – among others – law enforcement officers, emergency medical service people, teachers, child care workers to keep their license or certification. He added that SFCC has received more requests to do training.

"What we decided to is to take the T Building and make that it into our continuing workforce education center," Brown said. "That might not be the correct title when it is all said and done, but basically that building's primary purpose will be for continuing workforce education."

There will be three classrooms of various sizes. The largest will be able to accommodate perhaps 40 people and will have a full kitchen. The restrooms will be enlarged.

It will be equipped with wireless access and there will be a couple of computer kiosks there.

There will a reception area and office space.

Raymond said being at SFCC will be helpful from a visibility standpoint and will allow students easier access to the center.

The business center has occupied space at the One-Stop Center for 2 1/2 years.

"The support (from Heartland Workforce) has been phenomenal," McKown said.

SFCC's arrangement with the SBDC is a partnership – one of many the college has established, according to Brown. Although their office will be on the campus, Raymond and McKown work for University of South Florida.

"They do training sessions for independent business people and even groups, and all of that training will be run through the college so that we can market and recruit to help them as well, " Brown said.

At the same time, Brown said the college wants Raymond and McKown to educate their clients about SFCC's programs and courses.

"When a student comes in, they'd be able to go online and look at our schedule and say 'you know we are going to help you in ways that you need to develop your business plan, but it might behoove you to take this accounting course next semester and that will help you in your business.' " Brown said.

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