WCC students earn distinction
By Staff Reports
Published in News on January 30, 2017 9:51 AM
Wayne Community College has been ranked ninth in the nation for certifications earned by students last year.
The distinction is part of the NC3, or National Coalition of Certification Centers, a national ranking of educational institutions, officials said.
WCC has finished in the Top 10 every year since 2014, when NC3 began tracking certification numbers. The numbers have risen each year, starting with 373 certifications, going to 480 in 2015 and jumping to 641 for 2016.
The college currently offers 23 different NC3 certifications, in the areas or automotive, mechanical engineering, industrial systems, computer-integrated machining and heating, ventilation and air conditioning. The newest certification, launched in November, is advanced measuring instrument, part of a collaboration between WCC, other NC3 partner institutions and corporate partners Starrett and Snap-On.
"The NC3 certifications earned by our students give them a competitive edge in the job market," explained Craig Foucht, WCC transportation department chair. "These certifications attest to the programs' quality over a comparable program at other institutions by showing employers our students were trained on and can properly operate high-quality equipment from industry partners such as Snap-on and Starrett.
"Anything that gets our students hired over the competition is worth pursing, which is why we are a part of NC3."
WCC is one of five locations that host NC3 Train-the-Trainer national conferences. Foucht and Automotive Instructor Kevin Jordan are two of just 12 NC3 Train-the-Trainer instructors in the nation.
NC3 is a network of education providers and corporations that supports and advances new and emerging technology skills in the transportation, aviation and energy industry sectors.