Technical Programs at NCTC Lifelong Learning

The job market is ever-changing and growing, and NCTC Lifelong Learning changes curriculum to keep up with new ideas, standards, and demands. Our technical program reflect that!

Students in our Bookkeeping Program learn Quickbooks, Excel, Beginning Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, Payroll Accounting, Business and Personal Taxation, and Business Leadership. Tuition of $1,539 includes books and materials. This program is also eligible for WIA funding in Denton County for students who fit the criteria. Classes meet in Corinth.

Curriculum of our Dental Assisting Program has been updated significantly. We now offer online discussion forums; front office component; interactive labs over the web; and RDA  & Nitrous Oxide certification. The externship requirement has also been increased. Tuition of $3,000 includes books, materials, test fees and supplies (except scrubs), and the program is also eligible for WIA funding in Cooke and Montague Counties. Classes meet in Flower Mound.

The Legal Assistant Program consists of legal research and writing, an overview of Texas laws and statutes, and also an externship. Taught by a licensed attorney, this program is most suitable for those who have some office experience, a background in a legal area, and/or an Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree. Tuition of $1,599 includes books and materials. Classes meet in Corinth.

Contact us at 940-498-6270 if you need more information or would like to sign up!

 

Lifelong Learning’s Advanced Technology Grant’s Here!

The Department of Labor has awarded Lifelong Learning a large grant that will help “America Get Back to Work!” Called the H1B Grant (in reference to the immigrant visa program, which this grant is hoped to counteract), students who possess at minimum an Associate Degree and have been unemployed for over 27 weeks may qualify for full tuition scholarships in high demand technical fields.

Students may choose from four separate programs: CISCO CNA, Help Desk Technician, Server Technician (MCITP), or Network +. Programs last for two full semesters, except the one-semester long Network + program. What’s even better, the grant will also pay for the industry-standard exams at the end of the programs.

Students who go receive the grants will be enrolled as non-credit students through Lifelong Learning. Books are also included in the grant amount!

Prospective students will need to speak to the program’s coordinator to enroll. We are still in the process of working out the aptitude tests and pre-enrollment assessments, but all this should be good to go by the time registration begins on August 1st.

We are very excited about this grant, and hope to have many students take advantage of it!

Fall 2011 Technical Awards

Every semester, Lifelong Learning, the non-credit division of North Central Texas College, hosts two competitions: the Weld-Off, in which welding students compete against each other for making the best welds in eleven categories, and Top Tech, where HVAC students discover who’s the best in their chosen field.

All the top awards await students

Vocational competitions are booming all around the country. Recognizing that hard skills training has been taking a back seat to generic academics, colleges are making great efforts to reinvest in their non-credit programs as the demand for skilled workers increases. NCTC’s commitment to its occupational tracks was demonstrated loud and clear during the Wednesday, December 14th ceremony at the Little Theater on the main campus.

40 welding students and 22 HVAC students showed their prowess throughout weeks-long competitions that were held during class time. While the instructors graded their HVAC students, the welds were judged by three independent members of the community: Rodney Fuller of Forum Technologies, Derek Campbell of Schad & Pulte, and Cary Jenkins of Gainesville ISD.

The judges worked diligently on ranking welds.

Having to judge over 200 welds was quite a task, but the judges were up for it. They spent three hours on a rainy Monday morning inspecting aluminum, pipe, MIG, Arc, Oxy, and TIG welds and ranked the melded metals.

Many of the welding students attend high school. Most come from Gainesville High School, but there are also students from Lindsay and Muenster that take advantage of NCTC’s program of completing the Combination Welding Track along with their high school diploma.

The awards ceremony was attended by Dr. Eddie Hadlock, President of NCTC; Brent Wallace, Vice President of Instruction; and Dr. Jeffrey Brasher, Gainesville ISD Superintendent. Djuna Forrester, Dean of Lifelong Learning, conducted the ceremony.

Johnaton Saenz is Grand Champion Welder. Beside Johnaton is Kenny Smith, NCTC’s vocational coordinator.

Johnaton Saenz, a Gainesville high school senior, won the Grand Champion Welding prize. Gustavo Soto, also a Gainesville senior, was announced as the Reserve Champion. Johnaton also won trophies for Multiple Process and TIG welding. Dylan Jones received awards for ARC Welding and Blueprint Reading/Math. Baltazar Oyervidez received awards for pipe and aluminum welding. Charles Kirk won an award for Oxy welding, and Rodrigo Valaquez was handed a trophy for MIG welding.

Matt Meford won Top Tech – HVAC I (entry-level technology), and Steve Smith received the hard-won Top Tech -HVAC II (Contractor).

Students will have another chance to prove their metal in the Spring at the next Top Tech/Top Welder competition. Go, go, go!

Congratulations to all of our students!

New Programs for Spring 2012

NCTC strives to meet the needs of our service areas – Bowie, Cooke, and Denton Counties – and stay up-to-date on the current job market trends. That’s why we’re offering brand new programs for Spring 2012!

Dental Assistants are in high demand.

We offer a Dental Assisting course in Flower Mound that begins January 28th. The class is taught by a dentist at her office on Saturdays, 8 am to 5 pm. Program cost is $3,000 (we offer a payment plan to help out). To enroll, you’ll need a HS Diploma/GED, pass a basic math and reading assessment, and submit to a criminal background check. Enrollment is limited to 20 students, so hurry up to register! Registration begins January 3rd.

Help the world become an even faster place!

Another addition to our expanding training opportunities is the Telecommunication Installer. Lifelong Learning partnered with Suddenlink to train students on how to install telephone, cable, and Internet services, mainly in Cooke County. To enroll, you’ll need a HS Diploma/GED, pass a basic math and reading assessment, and submit to a criminal background check.The GEDC scholarship may be able to pay part of the $1,250 tuition! Registration begins January 3rd and classes start Feburary 7th.

Take some great pictures!

A third exciting program is Professional Photography. These series of classes focus on the nuances of Digital Photography and how to create studio, nature, and other portraits. Sign up for one or take all courses, which are offered in Corinth. Registration begins January 3rd.

Keep checking our website for continous class updates and new information!

Lifelong Learning receives Award

Workforce Solutions of Texoma recognized NCTC
Lifelong Learning for its “outstanding training programs” in October.
Over the years, our department has really made an impact in the community
through our incumben worker training programs and our in-demand occupational
courses. Thanks to Workforce Solutions Texoma for their committment to our labor
force!

Student Profile: Steven Day

Mr. Day stands next to a large unit that his class uses to gain hands-on technical skills.

Students who pursue occupational training at Lifelong Learning tend to be self-starters. They are motivated by a drive to succeed, and often attend classes as a prelude to start their own businesses. Steven Day of Gainesville is one such individual.

Mr. Day completed the HVAC Technician I course and is now enrolled in the HVAC II- Contractor program. Currently, he enjoys working for a bank as the facility manager, but
he’d eventually like to partner with his wife to open an air conditioning
contractor business. “There are a lot of opportunities in North Texas for HVAC
Techs,” he said, “especially for honest people. Kenny Smith, the HVAC
instructor, stresses the need to be honest and ethical. Kenny also insists on
teaching us by doing, not just by lecture.” Mr. Day and his wife are very
involved in their community. They donated A/C units to Lifelong Learning to be
refurbished, and then distributed to homes that need them.

Mr. Day proves once again that the programs at Lifelong Learning can help achieve dreams and goals. We are very proud of Mr. Day and all of our students!

TWC aids Customized Workforce Development at NCTC

Dennis “Hoot” Beane is our lead welding instructor with several decades of experience in the industry.

One of the main goals of Lifelong Learning is to improve the quality of the workforce in our service area, which includes Cooke, Denton, and Montague counties. To reach this goal, we partner with area employers to train their employees on specific tasks that will enhance their work output. We offer specialized training in welding, Microsoft computer applications, and continuing education for medical support personnel. What’s really great about our Workforce Development Program is that we can come to the workplace- our instructors can train at an employer’s site! Of course, we can also train employees inside our classrooms, too.

The benefits of workforce development training are immense. Employees who bring new skills to their jobs will help increase your bottom line, either through efficiency or by adding another component to your company’s services. Continued training is also good for morale. Employers who invest in their human resources help to create a sense that their employees are valued, which increases longevity and overall worker well-being.

Last but not least, Texas Workforce Commission offers training grants to employers who invest in their workforce. The Skills Development Fund is a grant that can help employers create a training program. The Self-Sufficiency Fund grant assists companies in collaborating with colleges to design a workforce training program that targets families on AFDC and Food Stamps.

If you would like to learn more about our customized training programs, please contact our Workforce Development Specialist, Gloria Roberts, at 940-498-6272 (groberts@nctc.edu) or our Dean, Djuna Forrester, at 940-668-4272 ext. 4405 (dforrester@nctc.edu). They can also give you information about TWC’s programs.

We can help employesrs to develop the workforce that our region needs!

Milton Builds a House

Milton Knauf, lead instructor in the  Electrician Training Program, outdid even himself. He built an actual framework for a house that will enable students to run conduit and electrical lines throughout! HVAC students will be able to use the house, too, so that they can practice installing heating and air conditioning units.

This house proves another reason why North Central Texas Lifelong Learning is such an innovative place. All of our students learn by doing, not by lecturing, and our incredible instructors help to continue this tradition!