SEED

Southeastern Education & Economic Development

The Advanced Manufacturing Summer Academy at Wilson Community College (WCC) consists of three classes and one day of visiting various industry partners each week. Courses will be college-level classes run through the Career and College Promise (CCP) program at each institution. These classes will transfer into the Applied Technologies programs at Wilson CC, which is part of the Apprenticeship program.

Our Goal

The Advanced Manufacturing Summer Academy aims to expose students in southeastern North Carolina to career opportunities in the maintenance, mechatronics, and engineering fields.

SEED 2025

SEED Program: Students standing in front of a Bridgestone backdrop during a company visit.

SEED Program: Students enjoying a tour of Bridgestone.

SEED Program: Students listening to a Bridgestone representative speak during tour.

SEED Program: Duna Long speaking to SEED students about career opportunities.

SEED Program: Wilson Community College students posing in front of the Stephenson Millwork building sign during their tour.

SEED Program: Group of students listening to a Stephenson Millwork representative during the tour.

SEED Program: Students observing equipment and processes during the Stephenson Millwork tour.

SEED Program: Wilson Community College students touring Barnes MetalCrafters and learning about metal fabrication.

SEED Program: Jimmy Pridgen from Waste Water addressing SEED students.

SEED Program: Two students and an instructor reviewing bridge plans together.

SEED Program: Two students looking at bridge design plans on a computer screen.

SEED Program: Close-up of a student working on their popsicle stick bridge from the class project.

SEED Program: Students and an instructor measuring a popsicle stick bridge in class.

SEED Program: Wilson Community College students posing in front of the Merck building during a tour.

Student Eligibility

Students must be in good academic standing to apply for an internship or pre-apprenticeship.
A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 is preferred, but the final decision about participation rests with the school recommendation.
Students must meet the eligibility requirements set forth by the Career and College Promise (CCP) program.

Student Requirements

The opportunity to participate in the Advanced Manufacturing Summer Academy is available to any high school student that who:
Have a career interest in the field of maintenance, mechatronics, and engineering.
Complete all required program forms and paperwork including parental approval, travel documentation, and verification of hours worked, among other forms and paperwork.
Perform satisfactory or higher on performance evaluations.

Professional Expectations

Maintaining confidentiality regarding information accessed in the classroom or on the jobsite.
Reporting to school on time.
Using appropriate written and oral expression in all interactions with college school personnel, managers, supervisors, employees, the public, and clients.
Participating in an orientation.
Observing all established safety and sanitation codes.
Engaging in positive, ethical, and legal behavior.
Accepting responsibility and accountability for decisions and actions taken while in school and on the jobsite.
Ensuring that all interactions with guests, employers, the public, and fellow classmates are conducted with dignity and respect toward every person.

Other Expectations

On-the-Job Responsibilities

Attending orientation provided by your college.
Complete and submit time records and any other required paperwork.
Represent yourself in a positive and professional manner.
Follow all college policies and procedures.
Establish a relationship with your instructors.

Appropriate Attire for Site Visits

When doing site visits students are required to wear closed toe shoes and socks. NO jewelry or watches will be allowed inside the facilities PLEASE LEAVE ALL VALUABLES HOME ON DAY OF SITE VISITS. Students will be provided with and expected to wear the proper protective equipment that is required by each facility (hair nets, aprons, protective eye wear, etc.). Students are expected to dress in a professional and appropriate manner when participating in site visits. Students are representatives of the college and the SEED program.

Social Media

Many students are excited to share their experiences, and one avenue to do this is blogs and social networking sites (e.g. Facebook, X [formally Twitter], Instagram, YouTube, and others). SEED program urges all students to carefully consider material they are publishing before posting content about their work-based learning experiences to the Web. You may not take or post any photos from within facilities visited without consent from management of the facility you are visiting. While you are a private citizen, you are now linked to a respected business/organization, and you are seen as a representative of that business/organization by the outside world. Some businesses/organizations have established official blogs and encourage interns and pre-apprentices to publish via those sanctioned sites. If you wish to share information about your site and experiences on social media, you should discuss the content with your supervisor first and ask for advice on what is permissible.

Stipends and Travel Expenses

The Community Colleges participating in SEED have obtained funding from the North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE), which has afforded students the opportunity to receive a wage for their pre-apprenticeship and associated travel expenses. Students can receive up to $1,890 in a stipend and up to $350 per semester for travel expenses, totaling $2,240 for the summer.

Stipends: Students will receive $15 per hour (up to 6 hours a day) for attending classes. Timesheets and any other required paperwork must be completed and turned in to receive the stipend. Stipends will be given out bi-weekly.