The Career Connector at South Piedmont Community College is expanding its services after a highly successful first year. Designed to help students transform classroom learning into real-world career opportunities, the program has quickly become a hub of support for students and alumni.
Beginning this fall, the Career Connector will extend its reach with additional employer partnerships, expanded job postings, and more on-campus career events. Services will continue to be offered at South Piedmont’s campuses in Polkton and Monroe, with new initiatives to bring employers directly into classrooms and labs across multiple academic programs.
“This expansion reflects the incredible impact the Career Connector has already made in just one year,” said Director of Career Services Debbie Normandía-Berrios. “Our students are not only using the service, they’re returning month after month — proof that this program is filling an important need and building confidence in their career journeys.”
The Career Connector is powered by a dedicated team committed to guiding students at every step of the job search process. In addition to Normandía-Berrios, the team includes Career Services Coordinator Eric Skeen and Education Navigators Maggie Essenmacher and Meghan Richardson. Together, they help students explore careers, develop résumés, prepare for interviews, and connect with employers through personalized support.
In its first year alone, the Career Connector served 668 students and alumni, and facilitated 50 new and reactivated employer registrations and posted 136 job opportunities on College Central Network, a dedicated job portal for South Piedmont. Students and alumni also showed sustained engagement, with an average of 27 individuals returning each month for ongoing guidance. Partnerships with companies such as McKenney’s Inc. and Southern Fabricators are already giving South Piedmont students meaningful, real-world opportunities to step into the workforce.
“The Career Connector is more than a service — it’s a launchpad for economic mobility,” said Normandía-Berrios. “I am so proud of the progress we’ve made in one year, and I look forward to seeing how this program will continue to change lives for years to come.”
For more information about the Career Connector, visit spcc.edu/business-workforce-solutions/sp-career-connector.
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