PHCC targets hot jobs and high pay

By AMY ELLIS

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 16, 2000

NEW PORT RICHEY -- Gayle Brooks does not ever want to hear the term "vocational" used to describe Pasco-Hernando Community College's various technical training programs.

The "V-word," as she calls it, makes people think of high school shop or auto mechanics, not the high-tech offerings that are quickly becoming the mainstay of community colleges today.

"That auto mechanic is working on a computer and wearing a lab coat now," said Brooks, dean of career technical programs at PHCC. "Our focus is much more on the high-skill, high-tech careers that are going to bring the best wages and brightest futures for our students."

From new programs in drafting and design, Microsoft and Novell computer systems and radiography to old standards such as nursing, firefighting and paramedic training, the college has more than two dozen technical programs.

In addition to the traditional two-year degrees, the college also offers a number of one-year certificate programs for students who want to improve their skills without a major commitment, Brooks said.

"They want intensive training, they want it to be short and they want to get back to work," she said. "That's what the technical certificate program is all about."

Recently, the college added certification programs for Microsoft and Novell software that train students for high-paying jobs designing and maintaining computer networks. Soon, the college plans to add Cisco to the list of its software training programs. It also recently debuted the "A+ national certification" for computer systems repair.

"With these kinds of high-tech programs, once they take the necessary certification tests, these students are highly marketable," Brooks said.

To make sure the college is up to date on the hottest jobs and latest hiring trends, an advisory group of more than 200 local business people meets several times a year to review curriculum and recommend changes.

All of the college's technical programs also must meet certain criteria set by the U.S. Department of Labor, including a minimum starting wage of $9 an hour and a new job forecast of at least 10 openings each year in the surrounding area.

At a time when the economy is booming and unemployment is at a 30-year low, people are not exactly lining up for PHCC's technical training programs.

Still, even with enrollment slightly down, the programs account for nearly half of the college's 5,000 degree-seeking students, she said.

Those students, with an average age of about 27, get a variety of assistance before and after they enroll, Brooks said.

A career center offers assessment testing to help students decide which program to apply for, and a placement center helps recent graduates find jobs.

"From beginning to end, we're there to help in any way we can," she said.

- For information on Pasco-Hernando Community College's career technical programs, call (727) 847-2727 in New Port Richey or (352) 567-6701 in Dade City.

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