April President's Perspective by NWFSCstratcomm

State College

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

A P RI L 2 0 2 1

VO LUME 5, NO. 03

PUBLIC SAFETY EXCELS

how nwfsc is helping our students

Program

L J US

State Average %

Paramedic

EMT

Fire

96.5

Law Enforcement

Corrections

INA

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Northwest Florida State College is leading the charge when it comes to providing many different pathways to quality careers that provide family sustaining wages with high job satisfaction. We have stepped forward to develop some of the first state-recognized apprenticeship and internship programs in the region in response to Governor DeSantis’ charge to make Florida the leader in workforce development by 2030. In September 2020, the Florida Department of Education launched its workforce education initiative Get There Florida, aimed at raising the awareness of short-term career and technical education programs. Career Education is engaging, transformative, and leads to better academic and employment outcomes. A recent national survey conducted by the ECMC Group, polled high school students ages 14 to 18 and found only 53% of the participants were ‘likely to attend a four-year school,’ down from 71% prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Students are beginning to expand their horizons and think untraditionally about careers and connectivity to post-secondary education. When polled, • 61% of respondents believe a skill-based education (such as trade skills, nursing and STEM) makes sense. • 45% of respondents agree that a program they can complete in a shorter period of time (within two years) makes sense. • Nearly 25% of respondents are more likely to attend a CTE school due to their experience with the pandemic.

#GetThereFL

Certification Test Pass Rate %

IN G CEN

Our public safety programs have proven to be a force to be reckoned with, especially during the pandemic. First responders are not only in high-demand, but carried the weight of pandemic as essential workers. In the 2020 academic year, our public safety programs continued to meet in-person to provide hands-on learning for those called into the field. Our student’s certification passing rates reflected the exemplary work of our instructors in preparing them for the real-world.

GETTING INTO FRONTLINE CAREERS FASTER Cassie Freitas was tired of pushing off her dreams. So in August of 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, she decided it was time to finally go for it and get her Emergency Medical Technician certification. “I had psyched myself out of it, thought I wasn’t smart enough for it,” Freitas said of why she had put off the certification for so long. “I didn’t think I could do it after all of these years. When the shutdown happened I was just sitting at home and I thought, ‘I just need to go for it, no matter what age I am.’” After just four months, Freitas completed her EMT license and got a job with Okaloosa County Emergency Medical Services. Realizing a lifelong dream and coming to the aid of pandemic-weary first responders was her motivation and Freitas said that her time at Northwest Florida State College was invaluable to her success.

“Through my clinical training at the Fort Walton Beach Medical Center, Okaloosa County EMS, and Ocean City-Wright Fire Department, I was awarded the privilege to work alongside Paramedics, EMTs, fire fighters, nurses and doctors,” she said. “I witnessed, firsthand, their compassion, grit, tenacity, and skill and was inspired to

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At Northwest Florida State College, students can enroll in an in-demand workforce program, earn a credential quickly and affordably, and gain critical skills needed in Northwest Florida’s essential and emerging industries. In this edition, you will read about our new Commercial Driver’s License Program located on the Niceville campus, which offers a new driver training course, expedited test prep, and testing opportunities. We’re literally putting careers into high gear! As part of the new Aviation Program offered at the Aviation Center of Excellence in Crestview, we are offering Aviation Airframe Mechanics certificates which provide the skill set to test for an FAA Airframe Mechanics license. Want to turn your private pilot’s license into a career? You can enter NWFSC’s Professional Pilot Technology associate degree program. The sky’s the limit! We are focused on creating unobstructed pathways that lead to higher levels of success; delivering opportunities that enhance the quality of place in the region; and adding value to the lives of our students to strive for a higher level of service. Our mission has always been to Improve Lives, and we continue to practice what we preach!

#GetThereFL #CareersBeginHere Dr. Devin Stephenson, President #TheBestisOurStandard

GETTING INTO FRONTLINE CAREERS FASTER (continued from page 1)

seek a career path that would place me alongside them.” When asked what she would say to someone hesitant to pursue their degree, Freitas echoed the ageless proverb, “Where there is a will, there is a way.” “If there’s a barrier that you are facing, that barrier is going to be there,” she said. “You have to decide whether you are going to push past it and go for it. Put in the time, study, practice, and dedicate as much time as you can. Afterwards you will know you did everything you could to get there and you are going to crush it!” Freitas added that she plans to return to NWFSC to obtain her EMS license in the near future.

DR . DEIDRE PRICE NAMED VP OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Please join us in congratulating Dr. Deidre Price on being announced Northwest Florida State College’s Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA). Dr. Price has been at NWFSC for more than 15 years and has held roles as faculty member and director prior to becoming the interim VPAA. She was instrumental in spearheading the launch of NWF Online. Dr. Price has energized our great faculty, and we look forward to continued momentum under her leadership.

Northwest Florida State women’s basketball claimed its third consecutive Panhandle Conference title, This championship marks the seventh in program history.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT NEW PROGRAMS COMING TO NWFSC

AVIATION AIRFRAME MECHANICS

COMMERCIAL DRIVING LICENSE

The Aviation Airframe Mechanics certificate program provides the training leading to eligibility to test for the exams required to obtain the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airframe Mechanics license. This program provides instruction in the theoretical knowledge and practical laboratory training to develop the skills necessary to fulfill the FAA eligibility requirement for testing. This is a clock hour program which is approximately 15 months in length and is designed to meet the FAA standards. Subjects will include inspect, service, repair and overhaul of various airframe systems and components to include aircraft structures, hydraulics, electrical and electronics, flight controls, landing gear and brakes and aircraft instruments and cabin environmental systems. Successful completion of the program and acquiring the FAA Airframe license will provide career opportunities within General Aviation, airlines, repair stations, airframe manufacturing facilities as well as maintenance support of military aircraft.

Our New Driver Training Program consists of a 5-Week program to help new drivers looking to become a holder of a Class A license. The goal is to help individuals enter the trucking industry whether that be for local, regional or Overthe-Road (OTR). Our training prepares individuals to complete a full bumper-to-bumper inspection of tractor and trailer combination vehicles, practice controlled skills maneuvers and drive the vehicles on the road. In addition, we will have class time to review Logs, Hours of Service, Pre-Plans and more. Students will practice on a state-of-theart driving simulator where they will experience potential conditions and scenarios faced by truck driving professionals.

NATIONAL WELDING MONTH Welders at NWFSC are gaining jobs at record rates. Ninety-six percent of our students are offered jobs within three months of completing our program. We have gained sponsor employers such as Brown & Root and The System Group, who routinely donate welding gear and sponsor safety training for our students. In the past two years we have seen numerous students employed by prestigious companies such as Performance Contractors and Space-X.

#CAREERSBEGINHERE

NWF STATE COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Lori Kelley, Chair Shane Abbott, Vice Chair Craig Barker Charlotte Flynt Graham Fountain

Reynolds Henderson Maj. Gen. Don Litke, USAF Ret. Maj. Gen. Thomas “Rudy” Wright, USAF Ret. Dr. Devin Stephenson, President

State College

100 College Boulevard, East Niceville, FL 32578

FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE J.D. Peacock, Chair Ken Wampler, Vice Chair Bo Arnold, Treasurer C. Jeffrey McInnis, Past Chair

Cristie Kedroski, Secretary Maj. Gen. Don Litke, USAF Ret., Trustee Liaison Dr. Devin Stephenson, President

FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Eric Aden Marek Bakun Wayne Campbell Destin Cobb Cindy Frakes Todd Grisoff Chad Hamilton Walter Hooks Tyler Jarvis

Dave Jefferson Bernard Johnson Heather Kilbey Gordon King Michelle McGee Freeman Jonathan Ochs Dennis Peters Steve Rhodes

Donnie Richardson Ashley Rogers Hu Ross Rhonda Skipper Cecil Williams Steve Wills Steve Wolfrom Alan Wood

FOUNDATION DOTTIE BLACKER CONTRIBUTES $40,000 TO SUPPORT NWFSC’S AVIATION CENTER OF EXCELLENCE

A champion for Northwest Florida State College, Dottie Blacker has provided nearly $800,000 in support for various programs at the College. From visual arts, to science development, to first responder training, Dottie’s generosity is evident throughout NWFSC. The impetus for her most recent gift of $40,000 to the Aviation Center of Excellence, located in Crestview, stems back to a passion she had in early adulthood. Having completed two-and-a-half years of college in Enid, Oklahoma, she excelled as a legal secretary but was tired of working hard to pay expenses on a seventy-five cent hourly wage. She discovered that American Airlines was hiring stewardess applicants and sought out an interview. She was hired at 20 years-old on the spot. Stationed in Tulsa, she flew in DC-6s and DC-7s round trip to New York and Los Angeles. There were usually 50 passengers on board who enjoyed big seats, plenty of legroom and ample space for luggage. Two stewardesses served free cocktails and full meals, complete with a pack of cigarettes. Dottie’s husband enlisted in the Air Force and that, as she puts it, was the start of their great and unusual adventures. They both joined the Lackland AFB Aero Club and signed up for flying lessons. Dottie passed the written and flying FAA exams on her first try, earning her license in record time. When the Aero Club celebrated its first female pilot, a San Antonio news affiliate sent a photographer to film her taking her husband for a ride. Dottie’s generous gift of $40,000 to the Aviation Center of Excellence is a way of celebrating her treasured memories and impacting the aerospace industry at the same time.