Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/568136
SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2015 UCW 19 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM CHARLENE CALLAHAN, FTCC Contact for Transition Tech, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly. com. 910.484.6200 DR. SHANESSA FENNER, WT Brown Elementary School Principal, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly.com. 910.484.6200. Fayetteville Technical Community College continuously seeks creative ways to assist military service members and veterans. Community colleges in general offer innovative ways to help service members obtain employment after completion of military obliga - tions and while preparing to enter the civilian workforce. The devel- opment of Transition Tech is one of the ways Fayetteville Technical Community College stepped up to support military service mem- bers and veterans. FTCC's Transition Tech program provides military service members with the tools to become gainfully employed as civil- ians. Transition Tech provides opportunities for service members to achieve training for industry and technical certifications at an accelerated pace. Service members can acquire these certifications prior to and after release from active duty. Industry certifications are particularly helpful to transitioning service members in that many companies in the employment field give preference to job candidates who have earned the specialized certifications. Through Transition Tech, service members acquire certifications to help them find employment, should a different career path be sought upon exiting the military. Transition Tech also assists service mem - bers who have interest in continuing their education. Phase One of Transition Tech provides necessary training to mili- tary service members to earn the certifications required for person- alized career tracks. An interesting discovery for many transitioning service members is that they often lack certifications to perform the same job in the civilian workforce that they performed while serving in the military. Phase Two of Transition Tech educates transitioning military service members about the differ - ences between civilian and military environments. The training received in Phase Two helps service members de-militarize résumés with a focus on industry-specific résumés. Phase Three helps service members learn how to successfully market themselves and how to interview in a competitive civilian workforce. Phase Three provides opportunities for job interview scenarios with potential employers from our community who seek individuals with industry-related training certifications. FTCC currently has three Transition Tech program tracks: (1) OSHA 30 certification and Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt training, (2) CompTia certifications, and (3) CATV (Communications/ Cabling) and Fiber Optics. FTCC has plans to add other pro - gram tracks to Transition Tech including Estimator certification through I-Car, EMT certification, and HVAC certification. With FTCC's involvement, Transition Tech provides transition- ing service members the opportunity to earn job marketing credentials from a highly ranked community college, learn from experts in the field of veteran employment, gain useful feedback from civilian employers, increase job marketability, and improve existing résumés. To date, FTCC has assisted 122 transitioning service members in obtaining certifications which will improve their marketability within the civilian workforce. Through the strength of a partnership with Workforce Development, FTCC is able to offer Transition Tech free of charge (or for a minimal fee) for transitioning military service members and for veterans. FTCC's Transition Tech program involves reputable companies from our community, such as Walmart, Clear Path Recycling, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Eaton Corporation, Champion Home Builders, Caterpillar, and CompTia. The end result of this collaborative effort is an effective outreach pro - gram for transitioning military service members and veterans to bridge the industry certifications gap with a twofold goal: (1) helping individuals receive training to successfully enter the civilian workforce well equipped and (2) helping area industry by equipping highly functioning job can - didates transitioning from the military with industry-related certification. Want to learn how FTCC can help you? Call 678-1050 or visit our campuses in Fayetteville, Spring Lake, or at Fort Bragg. Tour our website at www. faytechcc.edu. FTCC Offers Transition Tech for Transitioning Military Members By CHARLENE CALLAHAN FTCC's Transition Tech program provides military service mem- bers with the tools to become gainfully employed as civilians. Don't forget to vote in the Primary Election on October 6th and the Municipal Election on November 3rd. Director, NC Division of Veteran Aairs