As Fourth of July vacations wind down, McDowell Technical Community College is gearing up for a series of short-term Continuing Education and Workforce Development Classes to complement a wide range of curriculum classes which are scheduled to begin in mid-to-late August.
“Even though it’s summer, we are open for business and moving full-steam ahead,” said Stacy Buff, Associate Vice-President of Workforce Development at McDowell Tech. “We have scheduled a number of high-demand vocational classes for those who want to prepare for a new career, as well as other classes for those who want to focus on some type of personal development.”
While the largest number of skilled trades and manufacturing classes (e.g. HVAC/Refrigeration, Construction Trades, Graphics, Machining/CAD, Mechatronics, Nurse Aide I, Plumbing, Residential Electricity, Sports Medicine and others) will begin in mid-August, several important classes will begin within the next few days or weeks.
Thanks to grant funding from organizations like Golden Leaf Foundation and others, the college is able to offer a limited number of need-based scholarships in some of the career-focused programs, mostly in healthcare and public service areas. Those classes are:
- Basic Law Enforcement Training, Day Program, begins on August 7th. (An evening program will also begin on August 28th.) Due to required paperwork and agency sponsorship requirements, students are encouraged to begin the process immediately to avoid missing the deadline for applications.
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) classes begin on August 8th. There is a mandatory orientation for this program on July 11th. Students who miss this deadline may contact Eugene Edwards to request special permission to complete an individual orientation.
- Healthcare Billing and Coding, Class 1: Diagnosis Coding begins on July 10th.
- Paramedic, Evening Program, begins on August 8th. There is a mandatory orientation for this program on July 11th. Students who miss this deadline may contact Eugene Edwards to request special permission to complete an individual orientation.
Other workforce classes are shorter in nature and are not eligible for scholarship funding, but are reasonably priced, based on the number of contact hours for each program. Those include:
- American Heart Association CPR and Basic Life Saving for Healthcare Providers begins on July 19th and August 23rd (choose one only).
- Culinary Arts and Restaurant Career Training. Classes to be announced soon.
- Notary Public begins on July 15th.
Personal Development classes scheduled over the next several weeks include:
- Defensive Driving, which has multiple start dates throughout the summer and fall. For those who have received a traffic citation, completing this course may result in a reduction of charges and subsequent insurance points, but not all citations are eligible to participate in this program. Check the college’s website for those more information and class dates.
- Furniture Building and Repurposing begins on July 13th.
- Furniture Repair and Refinishing begins on July 11th.
- Motorcycle Safety Basic Rider Course begins on August 12th. (Other dates are available in the fall. Check the college’s website for additional dates.) Taking this course may eliminate the need to take the riding portion of the DMV motorcycle endorsement test.
“We are pleased to offer these workforce and personal development options designed to improve the lives and livelihood of our citizens,” said Dr. Brian S. Merritt, MTCC President. “Our workforce options in healthcare and public safety are some of our most sought-after courses. We encourage folks to register early in order to complete required paperwork for these programs.”
To register for any of these classes, visit www.mcdowelltechconed.com . Additional classes will begin in mid-August and are listed on this webpage.
