Learn a new career or update skills at Nashoba
Anyone looking to update their skills and knowledge in their profession, or seeking to transition into a new career, should keep an eye on the courses being offered through Nashoba Valley Technical High School’s Nashoba at Night adulteducation program.
During the ongoing pandemic, Nashoba at Night is focusing on providing courses for those who are looking to learn new skills or change careers at a time when career opportunities in some trades are exploding.
“We’re focusing on career-enhancing and licensure training programs right now,” said Jobee O’sullivan, Nashoba Tech’s director of Postsecondary & Community Education. “There is a big demand for all of these programs. More people are retiring now than there are workers to fill their spots.”
O’sullivan noted that Nashoba at Night is currently providing a course on Journeyman Electrical Code twice a week on a hybrid basis, with half the students coming into the school for inperson learning to maintain social-distancing requirements, and the remaining students following along on Google Meets, with the two groups trading places the second night.
A Digital Photography for Beginners class is currently being taught completely virtually, with a virtual Digital Photography 2 class, for more adept photographers, starting Oct. 7.
Also coming this fall is a virtual Automotive Basics program.
“I had an eight-week in-person class slated to go last March but had to cancel it due to the pandemic,” O’sullivan said. “So the instructor said to me, ‘Let’s offer classes that give people basic how-to information using what they have access to at home.’”
That will be followed up — hopefully, this winter or spring — with an in-person course on auto repair.
Another aspect of Nashoba Tech’s evening offerings, which all fall under the Nashoba Career Technical Institute umbrella, is the Post-secondary Education program.
The state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has approved Nashoba Tech’s Chapter 74 programs in Carpentry and Electrical, with approvals pending for Dental Assisting, Early Childhood Education, Advanced Manufacturing and Practical Nursing.
In fact, O’sullivan was part of the state’s first-ever virtual safety audit of a post-secondary program when DESE officials virtually toured Nashoba Tech’s newly renovated Dental Assisting and Health Assisting facilities.
“Barring any unexpected delays, we anticipate having Dental Assisting and Early Childhood program approvals by the end of 2020,” she said. “The hope is to have those programs approved and start to accept and process applications in the winter for enrollment in fall 2021.”
As O’sullivan noted, the state’s workforce is seeing high demand for careers that require industryapproved technical training like that provided by the Post-secondary Education program at Nashoba Tech.
“Also, through our ed2go program, we offer online fundamental skills classes, self-paced or instructor-led, at affordable prices,” O’sullivan said. “With over 300 courses to choose — like Medical Terminology, SQL series, Microsoft Excel 2019 series and Speed Spanish — there is something for everyone.”
Browse ed2go.com/nashoba for more information and registration.
For more information on the Nashoba Career Technical Institute, visit nashobatech.net, click on “Menu” and then go to “Community ED/NCTI,” or call O’sullivan at 978- 692-4711, ext. 11157.