Steven Holdridge, a Product Design & Development student at the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC), has combined beautiful design with sophisticated engineering to create an original wine bottle display that is sure to delight wine lovers everywhere. The display sits unsupported on any flat surface and provides a unique presentation for a standard bottle of wine. Currently, a sample of Holdridge’s work may be seen at Caffe Peroni (303 Main Street in Downtown South Boston).

Holdridge was inspired to create the wine bottle display after making a larger wine rack for a class project, “After the wine rack I thought of making something that would be simple yet interesting and captivating,” he stated. Anyone who sees his current work will agree Holdridge has achieved success as his seemingly straightforward design instantly grabs one’s attention and begs the question, “How did he do that?”

Give back to the community and make a difference in someone’s life by becoming a tutor with the Halifax County Volunteer Literacy Program. The Volunteer Literacy Program located at the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC) will hold free tutor training sessions on Tuesday, February 21 and Thursday, February 23 from 1pm-3pm, and on Monday February 27 and Wednesday, February 29 from 7pm-9pm. Individuals may attend either two day sessions or two evening sessions. Tutor training will be held at the SVHEC located at 820 Bruce Street, South Boston, VA, and will cover the basics of tutoring and the characteristics of adult learners. All training materials will be provided.

Volunteer Literacy Coordinator Judy Ward stated, “The need is great in our community to help with reading and writing skills. We also have an increasing number of foreign-born individuals moving into the area who need help with basic English.” Literacy tutors do not need prior experience or be able to speak a foreign language. “Anyone with the ability to read and write and the desire to help someone can become a tutor,” Ward continued.

The Southern Virginia Higher Education Center is proud to have another opportunity to host a student intern from its international partner institution, the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT)-Letterfrack. This year's intern is John McGuinness, a 3rd year Furniture and Wood Technology student. McGuinness will be living in South Boston through mid-May as he completes an internship with the SVHEC's Product Design & Development Program.

After completing his GMIT-Letterfrack studies, McGuinness hopes to become a teacher in the subjects of construction and technical graphics (computer-aided design). Throughout the semester he will be assisting with Product Design & Development classes to get a taste of life in the classroom. An accomplished student designer, McGuinness likes to think outside the box and push the boundaries of everything he makes. He will share his unique design perspective with students, and provide them with an opportunity to compare and contrast woodworking techniques.

Product Design & Development Program at the SVHEC is offered in partnership with Danville Community College. To learn more call 434-572-5558 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Workforce Readiness Initiative: Retention of Manufacturing in Southern Virginia (for Presto Products Company), at the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC) is off to a strong start. The first training classes for 200 entry-level employees were recently conducted by Frank Strickler, Senior Project Manager with the Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VDBA). Strickler provided 10 Communication Skills workshops on January 23 & 25, 2012 at Presto's South Boston facility (pictured above). Communication Skills training was determined to be a good starting point for the organization-wide training initiative, and will serve as the foundation for much of the workforce training that will follow in the coming months.

For more information on the Tobacco Commission funded Workforce Readiness Initiative: Retention of Manufacturing in Southern Virginia contact Workforce Services@SVHEC at 434-572-5488, toll-free 1-800-283-0098 ext 5488, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .