August 27, 2019
Tallahassee Community College offers a variety of hands-on workforce development courses for people in the Gadsden, Leon, Wakulla counties and surrounding areas. People who want to earn an industry recognized certificate in an in-demand area and enter the workforce immediately have a robust list of programs to select from. These programs include HVAC, Machining Technologies, Computer Numeric Control (CNC) Production Specialist and Industrial Machinery Maintenance. The salaries for those who work in these fields range from $35,000 to upwards of $50,000. The programs are conveniently situated throughout the region with classes being held at the College’s Gadsden Center, 223 Pat Thomas Pkwy, Quincy, FL 32351 or Kim B. Williams Advanced Manufacturing Training Center (AMTC), 3958 W Pensacola St Tallahassee, FL 32304.
“Our certification programs offer students a trade where they will always be employed at an upper-middle class wage within a fast-growing skilled industry,” said Dr. Catrenia McLendon, Director of Business & Workforce Development, TCC. “The demand for trained technicians in the areas of HVAC, machining, machinery maintenance, and computer numerical control – overall the advanced manufacturing sectors, far exceed the supply.
The College’s Air Conditioning, Refrigeration and Heating Technology prepares students to enter employment in the HVAC field or, for those already in the HVAC field, to continue their education. Students are trained to become HVAC helpers, mechanic assistants, mechanics or technicians and explore the many career options to determine what best fits their needs. This program meets Monday – Thursday evenings at the TCC Gadsden Center. Classes begin Monday, Sept. 23.
The Industrial Machinery Maintenance certificate program allows for enrolled students to be prepared for classification as an industrial machinery mechanic and gain further education and careers in the manufacturing career cluster. The program covers all parts of the industrial-machine maintenance technology industry and elements of the industry, such as planning, management, finance and technical and production skills. Classes are held Monday – Thursday evenings and start Monday, Sept. 16.
“People who complete our programs experience not only career success but also a feeling of financial security,” McLendon said. “The hands-on programs provide a great option for individuals who want a great salary and aren’t able to commit to long-term training.”
Students in the Machining Technologies program gain the necessary skills to become machinists. The content includes all aspects of the machining industry, such as planning, management, finance, technical and production skills. The course is scheduled for Monday – Thursday evenings. Classes begin Monday, Sept. 23 at the TCC AMTC.
Students can also explore career opportunities in the CNC machining industry with TCC’s CNC Production Specialist program. Students learn about workplace safety and organization, job-related mathematics, basic blueprint information, set up and operation of drill presses, CNC control panels and much more. This class is held Monday – Thursday evenings. Classes start Monday, Sept. 23 at the TCC AMTC.
All of these courses qualify for federal financial aid. For more information, contact the Workforce Development Division at (850) 201-8760 or workforce@tcc.fl.edu.