DURHAM — Lost your job and want to try a different career? But you're in a hurry?
Durham Tech may have the answer.
The community college is launching its JobsNOW program, short-term training sessions that can be completed in six months or less. The idea of the program, which is being launched by community colleges across the state, is to prepare local residents to meet specific employment needs in their areas -- in this case, Durham and Orange counties.
"This is an initiative that provides short-term skills training in such high-demand areas as bio-manufacturing technology, automotive technology, nursing assistant and heating and air conditioning," said Wanda Maggart, senior vice president at Durham Tech.
The statewide initiative, created by Gov. Beverly Perdue, is a collaborative effort by the community colleges with the N.C. Department of Commerce. Funding for the program comes from stimulus money that the state has received from the federal government. The approximately $13.4 million in grants will be used to provide training in occupational areas that are in high demand, depending on the area.
"The program is just getting started, so we don't yet know how popular it's going to be," said Maggart.
The JobsNOW training programs also will include career readiness certification, workplace skills development, skills assessment, career exploration and college placement testing.
At Durham Tech, the program will offer courses designed to help students get jobs in a number of careers, including as a nursing assistant, green landscape designer, solar energy technician, medical coder, under-car care technician, pharmaceutical process technician and industrial maintenance technician, among others.
The nursing assistant class, for instance, will meet daily for seven or eight hours, for 15 weeks. Upon successful completion of part of the program, the student is eligible to apply for the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program Examination, which is necessary for listing on the North Carolina Nurse Aide I Registry.
For more information about any of the job training opportunities, visit www.durhamtech.edu/JobsNOW/index.htm or call Kelly King at 536-7222, ext. 4003.
