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Photo: Career Exploration Summer Academy participants, along with Stacie Chitwood (far left, Tri-Parish Works) and Chris Montgomery (far right, NTCC), visit Ampirical Solutions, LLC in Covington on July 12, 2021
Lacombe, LA.— NORTHSHORE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND TRI-PARISH WORKS PRESENT “CAREER EXPLORATION SUMMER ACADEMY”
Northshore Technical Community College (NTCC), in partnership with Tri-Parish Works, provided a “Career Exploration Summer Academy” in June and July for 17 to 21-year-old youth. Participants attended career readiness workshops and fundamentals of industry training at the college, and took field trips to visit local employers.
“The mission of Northshore Technical Community College is centered on talent development,” said Dr. William S. Wainwright, NTCC Chancellor. “The future is bright for these students and our communities as they eagerly engaged in essential 21st Century Work skills to be competitive in today’s rapidly changing economy. Excited to see the places they will go as they continue their higher education journey!”
Over the course of the 6-week program, participants learned about careers including HVAC, electrical, health sciences, automotive, maritime technology, and information technology. Area businesses provided meals for a number of "Lunch & Learn" sessions where guest speakers provided information about their field and answered the participants’ questions about employment prospects, salaries, and the real-world experience of working in the various careers.
“The best part of this experience was showing our youth the way we deal with challenges can determine our success,” said Stacie Chitwood, Youth Services Coordinator for Tri-Parish Works. “All of our clients face barriers that, if they let them, can deter them from self-sufficiency. By providing them the opportunity to get hands-on experience with multiple career opportunities, their minds opened to the possibilities of future careers they never considered to be possible.”
Program participants included Lionell Allen, Jazarria Allen, Jeramii Allen, Bryant Cyprian, Alex Fruge, and Christian Lewis, all from Covington, as well as Ian Borden, Benjamin Brown, Rondel Ducre, David Johnston, Jeremy Kinsey, Mason McGuire, Devon Read, Jacob Ritter, Ian Seymour, and Christopher Williams of Slidell, and Alexandre Richier of Pearl River.
Career Exploration Summer Academy Lunch & Learn sponsors and guest speakers included representatives from National Electrical Contractors Association / South Louisiana Chapter, Ampirical Solutions, LLC, Professional Heating & Air, Iron Horse Financial Services, Ochsner Health System, North Oaks Health System, Banner Ford, Textron, and Corporate Internship Leadership Institute.
NTCC serves over 9,700 students annually with 25 credit-bearing programs of study. Enrollment is open now for the Fall 2021 semester, which starts August 16, 2021. Northshore Technical Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate degrees, technical diplomas, and certificates. For more information, visit www.northshorecollege.edu.
