Thursday, February 22, 2024 | Making the Grade
Southwest Tech: Fast, affordable, and flexible career training in Southern Vermont BY ROB BAHNY Special Contributor
MARK RONDEAU — VERMONT NEWS & MEDIA
Brattleboro Reformer | Bennington Banner | Manchester Journal
Lisa Harrington, SW Tech staff member and owner of The Miller’s Toll Dinner Club and Lounge in Bennington, instructs students in mixology, specifically mixing flavored sodas.
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Southwest Tech in Bennington and the Windham Regional Career Center in Brattleboro are both well known for offering top notch career and technical education for high school students. What many don’t know is they also offer in-demand career and workforce training to adult students. There are many readily available jobs in Southern Vermont and beyond that don’t require a college degree, though they do require short-term training and/or an industry recognized credential. That’s where adult technical education steps in to help people get trained to fill these jobs. Across Vermont, thousands of adult students take advantage of these training programs at the 17 technical centers. Southwest Tech
and WRCC are no exception. Collectively enrolling over 200 adult students per year, they help contribute to expanding the trained and credentialed workforce in our region. Programs range from Licensed Nurse Assistant, Commercial Driver’s License, Welding, Dental Assisting, CNC Machining, Massage Therapy and computer skills. Classes are offered in-person, online, or hybrid format to suit the needs of all types of learners. All of these programs give people skills for entry-level work in high demand positions. Employers in these fields often have difficulty finding trained employees so for people who complete these programs employment prospects are very strong. Adult workforce and technical education training classes are a great investment in your future
