NWACC’s building sciences sees high numbers

BENTONVILLE — Faculty in Northwest Arkansas Community College’s Building Sciences Department are having to use creativity to accommodate the increase in students, department officials said Monday.

Jerod Bradshaw, director of the construction management program and the career pathways case manager, has increased the number of area high schools he works with from 17 to 22, and more than 2,000 have had access to Occupational Safety and Health Administration licenses, Keith Peterson, dean of workforce education, told the college’s board at its meeting.

Bradshaw is the grant coordinator for the Regional Implementation Grant, which allows high school students to be incorporated into the construction technology degree program.

The goal of the grant is to prepare students to enter one of three paths: Enter the local construction workforce, transition into a degree program at the community college or pursue a bachelor of science in construction management at John Brown University, according to the grant application.

The college said its intention was to engage at least nine high schools and deliver at least 100 Occupational Safety and Health Administration licenses when it applied for the grant two years ago, Peterson said, explaining the numbers will be helpful when applying for grant reauthorization in June.

The department’s apprenticeship program reached 200 students for the first time, and a contractor came in with 15 more this week, Peterson said.

“And it’s only Monday.” Trustee Debra Hobbs asked if programs have reached capacity and if anyone has been turned away because of it.

Mike Dewberry, who oversees the apprenticeship program, said there’s 17 classes that cover the apprenticeship trades this semester, but that will be increased to 23 in the fall semester.

“That’s how much growth we’re seeing in classroom involvement,” he said. “Therefore, we are getting creative on campus with classrooms.”

Bob Beeler, director of associate of applied science in construction technology, said he’ll have eight classes in the fall and is teaching in several locations on campus.

“I want to applaud all of you gentlemen and the programs you’re running,” said Mike Shupe, trustee. “That’s just exactly what we need here.”

Trustees also went into executive session for the first of two meetings to discuss their annual evaluation of Evelyn Jorgenson, college president. No action was taken after the executive session. The second part of the evaluation will be at the April board meeting.