Students in Carpentry, Electrical Occupations, and Welding earn credits and a career jumpstart
Monaca, PA – Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) and the Beaver County Career and Technology Center (BCCTC) are excited to jointly offer CCBC’s Mascaro Construction Academy program to students attending BCCTC for Carpentry, Electrical Occupations, Greenhouse/Landscaping, HVAC-R, Masonry/Bricklaying, or Welding with a GPA of 2.5 or greater.
John S. Goberish, Dean of the School of Industrial Technology and Continuing Education stated, “This idea was developed as an offshoot of the PAsmart Apprenticeship Grant, which is a partnership with the Southwest Corner Workforce Development Board, Beaver County Building Trades, Beaver County CTC, and the CCBC.”
“The goal of this partnership and grant is to build career pathways for underserved populations by providing pre-apprentice, apprenticeship, and stackable college-level training credentials leading to sustainable industries focused on the building and construction trades.”
CCBC’s Mascaro CTC Construction Academy teaches technical skills applied to project planning, design, and construction. The curriculum includes hands-on experience in the classrooms and construction learning labs, along with lessons in real-world settings. The program prepares young people for one of the most high-demand job fields in our region and nationwide.
In addition to earning seven credits from CCBC’s Mascaro CTC Construction Academy, BCCTC students are awarded an additional 17 credits towards the college’s Building Trades Technology associate degree upon their graduation and with an advanced NOCTI Exam score.
“This partnership is another avenue for our students to increase their value in the construction industry. It serves additional career options to them once they are hired in the field,” stated Dave Liptak, Carpentry Instructor at BCCTC.
As the recipient of the Carnegie Science Award for Leadership in STEM Education, CCBC’s High School Academies enable students to graduate high school with up to half of their associate degree completed in high-demand careers like aviation, nursing, criminal justice, STEM (engineering, coding, and process technology tracks), construction, and education. Currently, the academies enroll 170 students from 40 school districts throughout the region.
The partnership between the Beaver County Career and Technology Center and the Community College of Beaver County Construction Academy is long overdue. I am amazed by the collaboration and work put forth by both entities to ensure that the students who are enrolled are getting a valuable education that will afford them opportunities that will not only enable them to advance in the construction trades while in high school but also, an opportunity to truly better prepare them to be both college and career ready,” BCCTC Assistant Director Laura DelVecchio.
