New Programs Focus on Job Skills
From left, Francine Long and Patti Copeland prepare cookie dough in a recent baking class at Edgecombe Community College. A new certificate program in Baking and Pastry Arts is underway in ECC’s Division of Continuing Education. A course in Beginning Artisan and Specialty Bread Making begins in August.
Students are heating up the kitchen in a new program in Baking and Pastry Arts at Edgecombe Community College.
The new Continuing Education certificate program began this summer with courses in Food Service Sanitation and Safety and Food Service Management. Both classes are meeting in the evening for the convenience of students who work.
A course in Beginning Artisan and Specialty Bread Making begins in August. This 36-hour class also meets in the evenings and runs through mid-November.
Master baker Franca Gilbert, co-owner of Alimentaire Wholesome Breads in Tarboro, will instruct the class and provide a study in the art and craft of bread-making.
Plated Desserts is the fourth and final course required for the certificate, and it is planned for spring 2020.
“Students are getting ServSafe certification, which is required by many restaurants and other food service-related industries,” explains Kathy Webb, director of Lifelong Learning at ECC. “We currently have seven students in the program, and our limit is eight, so we are very pleased with the interest we’ve received. We have a full house!”
Members of the community who are interested in taking Beginning Artisan and Specialty Bread Making are welcome to take the course if space permits. The class is limited to eight students.
The Division of Continuing Education has been developing other unique programs this summer, many of which are short-term training courses that lead to jobs.
Forklift Training is a six-hour class that is taking place monthly through December. Classes are scheduled for July 17, August 22, September 24, October 24, November 21, and December 17. Classes meet from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Construction Academy begins August 27 and ends November 26. Students will learn the basics of construction safety, measurement and layout, and hand/power tool use. Classes meet Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Residential HVAC Service and Repair starts August 22 and runs until mid-December. EPA Refrigerant certification is included in the class, which meets Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Two Welding classes also meet this fall. An evening class begins September 3 and meets on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. A daytime weekend class starts September 7 and meets on Saturdays.
Students will learn welding skills in Arc Welding, Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (TIG), Gas Metal Arc Welding (MIG), Pipe Welding, and Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW or Stick). Both Welding classes meet through mid-November.
To learn more or to register for any of these classes, please contact 618-6608 or continuinged@edgecombe.edu.
An additional short-term training course for educators will be offered this fall. EDU 119 – Early Childhood Education Credential – is an eight-week class that is available as a face-to-face or online class. This certification is required by the state for individuals who want to work in child care centers. To learn more, please contact 618-6582 or stocksm@edgecombe.edu.