Meridian contributes to vocational education scholarship fund

Charlotte, North Carolina-based Meridian Waste North Carolina LLC says it has made a second contribution, of $5,000, to the Wake Tech Foundation in support of Wake Tech Community College to fund vocational skills scholarships. Meridian calls it the second installment of a $15,000 pledge.

The contribution was made by the Meridian Waste Scholarship for Clean Communities, which was established last year to support students enrolled in Wake Tech’s Diesel and Heavy Equipment Technology program. Wake Tech has several campuses in and around Raleigh, North Carolina.

Meridian says the scholarship will help students undertake training in areas such as diesel mechanics and heavy equipment operation. The firm says four students have received scholarship funds and two more will be identified.

“Wake Tech is such an asset to Meridian Waste, Wake County, and the greater Triangle region as a whole,” says Patrick Messinger, Meridian Waste’s area president for North Carolina. “In particular, the college’s focus on vocational skills is vital to industries such as ours to help ensure a pool of qualified and ready-to-work individuals are available to keep our solid waste trucks and landfill heavy equipment in safe operating condition to support our overarching goal of maintaining clean communities.”

Wake Tech opened a campus last year near Meridian Waste’s Shotwell Environmental Park in Wendell, North Carolina, which the waste and recycling firm calls the impetus for its outreach to Wake Tech.

Students interested in applying for one of the $2,500 Meridian Waste Scholarship for Clean Communities scholarships can visit a section of the Wake Tech website.