Northeast State Foundation provides students with training to produce and market hand-crafted products
Participants in a recently offered special course learned about manufacturing processes and equipment as well as some of the entrepreneurial techniques used to market artisan items in online marketplaces.
In December, a group of Northeast State Community College students took an intensive course in woodworking which included hands-on training as well as sales and marketing advice. The aim of the course was to aid students who have lost income due to COVID-19 by enabling them to become makers and artisans and sell their wares. Funding for the course came from a grant from Tennessee Community CARES which covered the costs of tuition, materials, and instruction.
The Northeast State Community College Foundation organized the class along with the Sync Space Entrepreneur Center. The class was called "Makers, Creators, and Online Retail: Thriving Post Pandemic" and provided students with the opportunity to make a hand-crafted wood bench and also taught them about various aspects of e-commerce, including sales and marketing techniques, financial information, and lessons on intellectual property. Participants had access to advanced manufacturing equipment to complete their project and gain knowledge of advanced manufacturing processes.
Participants will have completion of the course noted on their transcripts and are eligible for continuing education credits. Some of the students shared their reaction to the experience in a news release. Barrow Turner makes stringed instruments for a living and he experienced a downturn in business with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. He signed up for the course to learn how to diversify his product line and learn more about online sales and marketing of his goods. Turner said of the course, "The class has enriched my base knowledge tremendously, and so as we come out of COVID-19, I expect my offerings should be infinitely larger in terms of products to sell. The class was a lot of fun… and the constant exchange of ideas was terrifically beneficial." Another student, Mandy Graham, lost her job in March due to the pandemic and said, "I have loved it. Even though I don't have a personal business, I have learned a wealth of information, especially about marketing and engagement."