As skilled trades employers continue to face issues finding qualified technicians to fill open positions, Centura College is answering the call for help.
Written by Jul DeGeus
Centura College’s Norfolk campus is now offering a Carpentry training program. This joins the campus’s existing programs offered, including Dental Assisting, Health Information Technology, Medical Assisting and Constriction Electrician.
The Carpentry program provides students with the technical skills to build, install and/or repair residential, commercial, and industrial structures such as floors, walls, roofing, windows, and doors as well as interior and exterior building structures. Students who graduate from this program will have learned how to construct, repair and install building framework and structures made from wood and other building materials.
Students will learn how to safely use the tools of the trade to assist with cutting and shaping wood, plastic, fiberglass or drywall. Hands-on, and troubleshooting applications in a classroom and lab setting are also presented to include various angle cuts, assembling and aligning walls, building roof systems, blueprint reading, and the safe usage of various hand and power tools needed for this trade.
Areas of study include construction drawings, framing, floor systems, roofing, ceilings, moisture protection, rigging practices, drywall, cabinetry, concrete forms, interior and exterior finishes, site preparation, and crew leadership. Additionally, students will learn mathematical calculations necessary to plan and build structures, and soft skills to include communication skills, team work and professionalism.
Students will have the opportunity to complete the Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10-hour safety certification including the National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER) Levels I, II, III and CPR/ Basic Life Support.
For more information regarding Centura College’s Carpentry program, contact the campus at (757) 853-2121.
About Centura College
Centura College has been part of an organization dedicated to helping men and women develop careers since 1969. By training working adults in healthcare, technology, business, and trades, they connect communities with some of the fastest growing career fields in today’s marketplace. The school offers professional facilities, knowledgeable instructors, day or evening classes, job placement assistance and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). To learn more, visit www.CenturaCollege.edu or like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/centura.edu.
Written by Olivia Jordan, Career Services Coordinator
Centura College’s Virginia Beach campus hosted its semi-annual Career Fair on Wednesday, June 5th, 2019. Before the event, Olivia Jordan, Career Services Coordinator, provided donuts and resume starter packets. The Career Services Department held a workshop prior to the Career Fair to help students learn the basics of resume building, cover letter writing, interview skills and how to dress for success.
In addition, during the student body meeting, students received instruction and information on preparing their 30 second elevator pitch while watching a role-play from Career Services and Student Services on ‘what to do’ and ‘what not to do’ during the Career Fair. To conclude the week, a speed interview workshop was held,and feedback was provided to the student on their interview skills.
Altogether, 20 businesses and over 30 students participated in the Career Fair, building connections and opportunities for employment. Some of the companies in attendance included: Jordan-Young Institute, Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation, Massage Luxe, Waffle House, Elite Women’s Care, Massage Envy, Liberty Tax, and Integrity Staffing Services. During the Career Fair, students were able to learn more about each company, network, receive feedback, and gain career tips within their field. Many employers found prospective students to fill positions within their company and have created partnerships with not only Centura College but also other companies in the area. Overall, the Career Fair was a huge success for our students; it allowed employers and company representatives to meet in one place and gain the advantage of meeting face to face with students of Centura College.
About Centura College
Centura College has been part of an organization dedicated to helping men and women develop careers since 1969. By training working adults in healthcare, technology, business, and skilled trades, they connect communities with some of the fastest growing career fields in today’s marketplace. The school offers professional facilities, knowledgeable instructors, day or evening classes, job placement assistance and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). To learn more, visit www.CenturaCollege.edu or like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/centura.edu.
In conjunction with Aviation Institute of Maintenance, Centura College, and Tidewater Tech, Calvary Revival Church announces a $1 million scholarship fund for students, to be awarded over the next ten years.
Earlier this year, Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) purchased Calvary Revival Church’s former Calvary Christian School campus on East Little Creek Road, where AIM will relocate its Southeast Virginia campus in 2020. Calvary Christian School was an accredited K-12th grade, faith-based, private school founded by Bishop B. Courtney McBath, dedicated to inspiring future educators, doctors, lawyers, and politicians that would eventually leave their homes in Norfolk and surrounding communities to go out and change the world. The two entities have now teamed up to create a scholarship fund for students in the local community.
The $1 Million Overcomers Scholarship Fund will be administered by Calvary Revival Church (CRC) over ten years to help the Norfolk community and the Hampton Roads community at-large pursue career-focused college education and workforce development. Recipients of the scholarship will pursue training at the AIM, Centura College, and Tidewater Tech campuses and will be supported with job placement services after graduation.
“This scholarship is representative of our church’s heart for Norfolk and people throughout the 757 that are looking for opportunities to improve their quality of life,” said Courtney McBath, Senior Founding Pastor at Calvary Revival Church—an eclectic, family-oriented ministry dedicated to creating Overcomers out of the broken and empowering its community. In July 2020, CRC plans to celebrate 30 years of ministry and service. It offers services on Saturdays at 6:00 PM and Sundays at 8:30 and 11:00 AM at 5833 Poplar Hall Drive in Norfolk, where you can almost always count on being greeted with a “Hey Fam!” and hugs that feel like HOME. Calvary Revival Church, in conjunction with the Foodbank of Eastern Virginia, also serves thousands of Norfolk residents every Friday from their Healthy Foods Pantry located at the church’s 5833 Poplar Hall Drive campus. Our goal since our inception in 1990 has been to expose our community to opportunities for advancement and to remind them of their God-given value and purpose, says McBath, and alumnus of M.I.T.
Over the next decade, hundreds of Norfolk citizens will benefit from the Overcomers Scholarship Fund, and they will go to work at hospitals, airlines, shipyards, and businesses throughout the region. Dr. Joel English, Vice President of Operations for the colleges, stated that “this is the first time in our institutional history that we have donated to such a significant scholarship program.” “The Overcomer Scholarship will reduce or eliminate college debt for the recipients,” said English, “and it will supply skilled tradespeople for open positions throughout Hampton Roads.”
About Calvary Revival Church
For more information about Calvary Revival Church, please find them at @CRCNorfolk on all social media platforms or join us online at www.crcglobal.org to learn about ways that you can give back to Hampton Roads through service and scholarship!
About Aviation Institute of Maintenance
Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) is a network of aviation maintenance schools with campuses coast-to-coast across the United States and headquarters located in Virginia Beach, Va. AIM students are trained to meet the increasing global demands of commercial, cargo, corporate and private aviation employers. AIM graduates are eligible to take the FAA exams necessary to obtain their mechanic’s certificate with ratings in both Airframe and Powerplant. AIM’s campuses are located in the following major metro areas: Atlanta, Philadelphia, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., Kansas City, Mo., Fremont, Calif., Orlando, Fla., and Norfolk, Va. Learn more at: www.AviationMaintenance.edu.
About Centura College
Centura College has been part of an organization dedicated to helping men and women develop careers since 1969. By training working adults in healthcare, technology, business, and skilled trades, they connect communities with some of the fastest growing career fields in today’s marketplace. The school offers professional facilities, knowledgeable instructors, day or evening classes, job placement assistance and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). To learn more, visit www.CenturaCollege.edu or like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/centura.edu.
About Tidewater Tech
Tidewater Tech is a career training school that specializes in trade vocations including Auto Technician, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), Building Maintenance and Repair and Welding. The school offers professional facilities, knowledgeable instructors, day or evening classes, and job placement assistance. Learn more at www.tidewatertechtrades.edu.
After months of renovation, the community and prospective students are invited to the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Program Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.
Centura College’s Chesapeake campus, located at 932 Ventures Way, Chesapeake, VA 23320, invites all members of the Hampton Roads community for the launch of their new Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Program. The celebration is on Wednesday, June 5th, 2019, and starts at 12:00 p.m. The ribbon cutting ceremony will be followed by refreshments, campus tours and demonstrations.
“The new HVAC Program will help fill an employment need in the community. The need for HVAC technicians is expected to grow more than 15 percent by 2026, so it’s a trade that needs skilled workers to keep up with the demand. We’re happy to have the space, equipment, and training available to fill the need,” says Ashley Oden, Campus Executive Director at Centura College’s Chesapeake campus.
More than 2,500 square feet has been renovated to include new classrooms for the new Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Program. The training lab features a variety of equipment, tools and specialized training aids to help students gain the knowledge and hands-on experience they need to enter the HVAC industry. This 12-month program is designed to train students in air conditioning fundamentals, electrical theory, refrigerants, heat pumps, heating systems, icemakers and ice cream machines, refrigeration equipment, specialty tools, commercial water-cooled air condition systems, brazing and soldering techniques, and psychometrics. Students will also complete the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10-Hour Safety Certification and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Section 608 Refrigerant Transition Certification.
The event is free and open to the public. No HVAC experience is required to attend. For more information regarding the event, contact Centura College’s Chesapeake campus at (757) 549-2121.
About Centura College
Centura College has been part of an organization dedicated to helping men and women develop careers since 1969. By training working adults in healthcare, technology, business, and trades, they connect communities with some of the fastest growing career fields in today’s marketplace. The school offers professional facilities, knowledgeable instructors, day or evening classes, job placement assistance and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). To learn more, visit www.CenturaCollege.edu or like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/centura.edu
A fitting event for March 4th, the Centura College Chesapeake campus welcomed guests to their March Into Your Vision, Vision Board Workshop for an evening of networking, goal setting and fun!
The workshop started off with visitors grabbing snacks and getting to know their neighbors before the fun started. Then, the night kicked off with a Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament that got everyone energized and ready.
The event brought out a diverse group of individuals from, entrepreneurs to career coaches to realtors. While working on their vision boards, guests were guided through ten steps to success that included tips and tricks on how to effectively network, proper interviewing techniques, and how to master your career search. Guests even learned a quick way to always be prepared for the often dreaded, elevator speech.
As the night went on the guests shared their goals for 2019 and beyond, but took it a step further by talking about how they were going to achieve those goals. Stories were shared about how some of the guests had to overcome obstacles on their path to success, and everyone in the room encouraged them to keep pushing!
Everyone who came left with more than just a poster board full of cutouts; they all took away useful tools to push them further toward their goals — and even a few new friends!
About Centura College
Centura College has been part of an organization dedicated to helping men and women develop careers since 1969. By training working adults in healthcare, technology, business, and trades, they connect communities with some of the fastest growing career fields in today’s marketplace. The school offers professional facilities, knowledgeable instructors, day or evening classes, job placement assistance and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). To learn more, visit www.CenturaCollege.edu or like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/centura.edu
A small team of local filmmakers have completed work on a documentary of an Army veteran, Toby Yarbrough, and his service dogs Duke and Sasha. The film gets its origin from the novel The Quiet Healing, which was authored by Yarbrough and published in 2017. The film premiered at a special screening at Regent University on Saturday, January 19th.
Toby Yarbrough (second from right) and his service dog Sasha pose for a photo with the filmmakers of The Quiet Healing at the premier event held at Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA.
A Story of Perseverance and Healing
The film tells the story of Yarbrough, the traumatic injury
he suffered during his time in the Army, his struggles with PTSD upon the end
of his service, and how his service dogs saved his life in more ways than
one.
“The most important thing people should take away from this
film is that this is just one man’s story, but so many others suffer from
similar situations that Toby does,” says Andrew Lauto, director of the film.
“It’s a story about struggles, hurt, pain, perseverance, love, and
companionship. If you like dogs, support the military, or just want to listen
to a feel-good story, this film is for you.”
From the Classroom to the Big Screen
The Quiet Healing project was partially funded by a collaboration of a trio of local educational institutions, Centura College, Aviation Institute of Maintenance, and Tidewater Tech. Yarbrough is a graduate of Centura College’s Chesapeake campus.
“We are so proud to be able to support a student who has
given so much to serve his country. Toby was a tremendous student and a true
inspiration to everyone around our campus,” says Ashley Oden, Campus Executive
Director at Centura College Chesapeake. “When he told us he was writing a book
and that it was going to be made into a film, we knew we wanted to be a part of
helping him tell his story.”
Proceeds from ticket sales to the premiere, totaling $5,400, were donated to Heal The Warriors.
All proceeds from ticket sales for the premiere were to be donated to Heal the Warriors and prior to the showing, a check for $5,400 was presented to Heal the Warriors. Heal the Warriors provides access to much-needed services to our veterans and first responders who suffer from traumatic service-related brain injuries.
Also as part of the premiere ceremony, Dr. Joel English, Vice President of Centura College, announced the creation of a scholarship program called the Yarbrough Scholarship for Disabled Veterans. This scholarship will be awarded to one disabled veteran each year.
