A new program at Rockland Community College in New York provides training courses for middle skills-level jobs that require a high school education but not necessarily a college degree.
Career Skills Academy, previously known as Middle Skills Academy, has launched four pilot classes: IT support professional, social media branding and marketing for entrepreneurs, CAD drafter or 3D modeler, and gas pipeline operations.
“We piloted, in January, a couple of courses in these sort of short-term credential of opportunities so that we could give people in the community a chance to learn, earn and sort of improve the communities in which they live,” said RCC president Dr. Michael Baston.
The programs last between two and 16 weeks and are taught by industry experts. By the end of the program, graduates gain workforce certifications that qualify them for industry jobs within the Rockland county area in New York. For those specific jobs, typical starting salaries range from $45,000-$55,000.
These courses were designed to help people who are restricted on time to complete a two-year degree program or who cannot afford to leave their current job but need to earn a more sustainable career in a faster time frame.
The programs began with a total of 40 students between the ages of 18 and 45, and nearly half of them have received job placements in their prospective fields, according to RCC.
The majority of students who graduated from the pilot courses were previously unemployed.
