Last spring, as layoffs threatened teaching jobs in Wake County, Curtis, 67, left Garner High School, where she taught science. Figuring her teaching prospects would be no better this fall, she decided to take a new path.

Now Curtis, who lives near Clayton, is enrolled in the Biowork class at the Johnston County Workforce Development Center, a branch of Johnston Community College. She has an advanced degree in botany, but in the Biowork class, Curtis is learning how to operate equipment, a skill she hopes will land her a job at a local pharmaceutical company.

"I just felt like I wanted to look for something in a related field," Curtis said.

The Workforce Development Center, which is off of U.S. 70 Business near Clayton, is celebrating its five-year anniversary. Since 2005, the center has served more than 14,600 students in continuing-education classes like Biowork. Also, it has served more than 2,000 students working toward associate's degrees at JCC.

Since it opened, the center has been popular among residents hoping to land jobs at Talecris, Novo Nordisk and other local pharmaceutical companies. The recession drove even more people to the center, said its director, Joy Callahan.

"We've seen a huge increase in the number of people who have come into the center to inquire about programs," she said.

If they score high enough on a placement test, about 100 students each semester can take the Biowork classes. Students who need to hone their skills can take a prep course.

Marilyn Davenport, who teaches Biowork classes, said she has taught students with varied education backgrounds - from those with doctoral degrees to recent high school graduates.

During a class last week, Davenport gave her students a lesson in working a machine similar to what they might find at a local company.

Last year, about 37 percent of students who completed the Biowork class found a job in the biotechnology industry, said Joyce Pittman, a career counselor at the development center. "They know that [biotechnology companies] pay well, and they're looking for job stability," Pittman said of students. "They're hoping to get a job that won't move overseas."

While the Biowork path is popular, it's not the only option for students at the center.

Computer classes draw a high enrollment too, said Letitia Rawlinson, director of human-resource development at the center. Many companies require potential workers to apply for jobs online, so people are eager to gain computer skills, she said.

"If you can't do that, you can't apply," Rawlinson said.

Rawlinson also helps students put together their résumés, and she helps them maximize their job search.

Mostly, she said, people want to know how to find a job. "We have people from all backgrounds, all career fields, coming into the class now," Rawlinson said.

Madelene Stevens, 44, of Smithfield has attended some business seminars at the center. She lost her job at a nonprofit in Raleigh, and she's toyed with the idea of starting her own business.

The good thing about the seminars, Stevens said, is the price: they're free.

"I wanted to get some insight on where to go or what to do next," Stevens said.

Curtis, the former teacher, is looking ahead too. She said the development center offers people like her a new opportunity. "It provides training for stable, decent-paying jobs," Curtis said.

For more information about the center, call 209-2591.