Tuesday, July 30, 2002
Vocational-technical conference Friday at PRCC

     POPLARVILLE - Pearl River Community College is sponsoring its second annual
district-wide Vocational-Technical Division Conference Friday in the Olivia Bender Cafeteria on the Poplarville campus.
     Secondary vocational-technical instructors, administrators, counselors, faculty and staff will attend this special event.
     "We are expecting some 250 people," said Don Welsh, Vocational-Technical Director at PRCC. "We were approached by the local secondary instructors and directors two years ago and asked if we could host a conference just for our six-county district. We have been planning this event since last year."
     Following opening remarks by PRCC President William Lewis at 9 a.m. in Olivia Bender Cafeteria, Dr. Jim Payne, psychology professor from the University of Mississippi will be the keynote speaker. The subject of his motivational talk will focus on the beginning of another school year.
     James Sardin, associate state superintendent of education, vocational-technical division, will also provide an update on current issues as they pertain to vocational-technical education programs in Mississippi.
     Following lunch, from 12:30-3 p.m., conferees will go to their respective areas where they will get some hands-on information, as well as receive updates on new and emerging equipment.               
     "The whole session is really an in-service type of program to provide the conferees with updated skills," said Welsh. "We bring in outside people from business and industry and some guest speakers to address certain issues. There will be demonstrations on new equipment and software, as well as the latest trends in the building industry."
     Allied Health conferees will hear a report from Harold Plunkett, respiratory care
technology instructor from Itawamba Community College. Plunkett will present a career assessment and evaluation talk in the Nursing Building.
     "There will also be some state department of education people here conducting some breakout sessions in the afternoon," said Welsh.   
     Several local industries will have representatives at the conference. They include
Mississippi Power Company, Dub Herring Ford of Picayune, Sodexho Marriott of Poplarville, Mississippi Professional Development Initiate, Gulf States Air Gas, Miller Electric, and South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station.
     For more information, call (601) 403-1241.