NSCC expands programs

LYNN – North Shore Community College is rolling out four new programs for the fall semester that aim to introduce students and professionals to growing careers on the North Shore.The programs are either associate degrees or credit certificate programs, and focus on horticulture, small-business management, advanced-manufacturing technology and child and adolescent behavioral health.All four programs are a direct reflection of the community’s economy and what business leaders in each industry suggested the school teach, said Wayne Burton, the president of NSCC, in a statement to The Daily Item.”NSCC is constantly monitoring career and industry trends, and adjusts its curriculum accordingly to ensure that its graduates will be ready to fill emerging fields and needs,” the statement read.The Small Business Management Entrepreneurship credit certificate program was developed to provide a growing number of unemployed people with the skills needed to start their own business, said Mary Beth Nelson, the chairwoman of the Business Department at the school.”It seemed like there was a demand of people who wanted to go out on their own and start their own businesses rather than having another job and getting laid off again,” she said.An advisory board from people in the business community on the North Shore helped suggest a curriculum that includes finance, communications and technology, she said.The Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Certificate is a new program that stemmed from the school’s behavioral health program, which previously focused on adults, said Ellen O’Donnell, the dean of Human Services at the school.”Fifteen to 20 percent of adolescents have behavioral problems,” she said. “We decided that was a gap in our curriculum.”O’Donnell said students in that program can find work in social service agencies or community treatment teams, and do jobs such as scheduling and developing treatment plans to work with families and adolescents.She said she’s hoping for 20 students to join this fall, and many of them can get jobs that pay $14-$17 an hour after landing internships.Or, like many of the new programs rolling out this fall, they can continue their studies at the college.”This certificate folds right into our associate degree (to become a) human services practitioner,” she said.Not all courses are new. The Environmental Horticulture associate degree program is a new, revised program coming to the college’s Lynn campus from Danvers.The move provided the opportunity for officials in the Human Services department to speak with landscaping professionals on the North Shore about how to better improve their curriculum, O’Donnell said.”They think it’s very important for their employees to have good oral and communication skills and problem-solving skills, so that is incorporated into the program,” she said.Also incorporated into the program are sustainable and environmentally friendly practices.O’Donnell said she expects 15-20 students to enter that program as well for jobs that make between $21,000 and $31,000 a year, but some management jobs on golf courses pay as high as $80,000, she said.”We’re thinking this is a good industry, there are jobs available,” she said.One industry where jobs are certainly available is manufacturing, said Nancy Alberto, the dean of Math and Sciences.The department is rolling out an Advanced Manufacturing Technology credit certificate program, which Alberto said teaches basic manufacturing skills and math courses with the opportunity to learn on the job or go onto a degree program.She said manufacturing is a critical industry on the North Shore, with machinists, durable goods manufacturing and many smaller shops that are looking for employees.”We’re trying to respond to the need in the community for manufacturing employment,” she said.Most programs are open enrollment. For more information, contact the school’s admissions department at [email protected] or call 781-477-2107 or 978-762-4188.Amber Parc