Workforce and personal development at NCC

Northampton Community College is offering several opportunities for learning new skills or enhancing existing ones starting this February at the Fowler Family Southside, 511 E. Third St., Bethlehem.

The first is an Industrial Maintenance Training Program that is funded by a grant from the PA Department of Community and Economic Development and is free of charge for qualified candidates.

This accelerated, 10-week training program provides participants with the skills needed to fill high-demand positions for Lehigh Valley and Pocono businesses and embark on a new career with an average starting salary of $25 per hour. Participants will gain foundational skills in industrial maintenance including OSHA 10-Hour Safety Training, electrical and mechanical maintenance concepts, an introduction to Programmable Logic Controllers, sensors and more.

The program is ideal for individuals with strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills, and veterans and displaced workers are encouraged to participate. To information, sign up for a free in-person information session at 1 p.m. Feb. 21, or 11 a.m. March 2, go to www.northampton.edu/industrial-maintenance.htm. The program will be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays beginning April 3. For questions, call 610-332-6317 or email jmiers@northampton.edu.

Additionally, NCC’s Center for Business and Industry is offering a variety of workshops to help participants excel professionally. Included is a new workshop, “Creating a High Impact PowerPoint Presentation,” Feb. 15 and 16, which will show participants how to properly use PowerPoint software to enhance presentations. Other technology and leadership development workshops are also available and many offer continuing education credits. To see a full list of workshops and to register, go to www.northampton.edu/cbiworkshops. For questions, email cbi@northampton.edu.

For those seeking personal enrichment opportunities, NCC’s Fab Lab is equipped with a woodshop, electronics lab, audio booth, metal working lab, 3D printing and a guitar-building program. Classes in February include welding, relief carving, Arduino programming, and Bento Box ukulele and Parlor Guitar building. The NCC Fab Lab is located in the Fowler Family Southside Center. To view a picture of the class projects, get more information and register, go to www. fablabncc.net/. All classes are listed in chronological order. For questions, email fablab@ northampton.edu or call 610-332-8665.