Skilled Trades courses offered at MGCC

Four courses focusing on professional trades and industry have been scheduled by the Mountain Gateway Community College Division of Workforce Solutions and Community Education this fall.
Drastically reduced tuition fees for all of the courses are available through the FastForward Program, which provides short-term training to eligible Virginians for in-demand jobs.
“If you’re looking for a new career or job opportunity, now is the time to register in a FastForward program at MGCC,” says FastForward Career Coach Robin Jennings. “With an abundance of financial assistance funding opportunities available, our FastForward programs have never been more affordable. It’s a wonderful opportunity to complete your training and obtain a new job in a high-demand occupation quickly.”
All of the courses prepare participants to sit for industry-recognized credentialing exams. The course offerings include:
• Intro to Skilled Trades: Introduction to Skilled Trades, or NCCER Core Curriculum, is a 12-week hybrid course that covers basic knowledge and requirements needed in the construction and industrial trades. NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research) awards nationally recognized credentials. Topics include safety, construction math, hand and power tools, construction drawings, rigging and materials handling, among others. Completion of this course will provide basic skills needed to continue on for certification in any NCCER craft and is a prerequisite for the first levels of Electrical, HVAC and Industrial Maintenance Mechanic. This course is being offered in three locations: at the new MGCC Workforce Center, located at 2045 Forest Ave in Buena Vista, Aug. 21 – Nov. 13; on the MGCC main campus in Clifton Forge, VA, Aug. 22 – Nov. 14; and the Greenfield Education and Training Center in Daleville, VA, Aug. 24 – Nov. 16. David Shofstahl, who serves as MGCC’s Apprenticeship Coordinator, is the instructor at all three locations.
• Electrical (Level 1): Electrical Level 1 is a 15-week hybrid course that covers safe working practices and basic electrical theory. Students must have completed or be enrolled in a NCCER Core Curriculum (see above) course. Class will meet at the new MGCC Workforce Center in Buena Vista, VA, Aug. 22 – Dec. 19, with MGCC electrical instructor Rick Colwill.
• Industrial Maintenance Mechanic (Level 1): Install, build, tear down, maintain and report manufacturing plant equipment and production line systems in businesses and factories. IMM (Level 1) is a 15-week hybrid course that will meet Aug. 24 – Dec. 14 on the MGCC main campus in Clifton Forge, VA, with Jay Hooper, who retired recently as Electrical and Instrumentation Program Head at MGCC as the instructor. Students should have completed or be enrolled in a NCCER Core Curriculum course.
• Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (Level 1): HVAC (Level 1) is a 20-week hybrid course that will meet on at the new MGCC Workforce Center in Buena Vista, VA, Aug. 23 – Dec. 16, with HVAC instructor Floyd Wood. Topics include trade math, basic electrical safety and fundamentals of heating and cooling systems. Students should have completed or be enrolled in a NCCER Core Curriculum course.
More details about all of the courses may be found on the MGCC web site at https://www.mgcc.edu/workforce.
To register for a preferred class and financial assistance funding, contact Jennings at 540-863-2899 or email rjennings@mgcc.edu.