Posted by Centura College on May 21, 2019 in Adult Education, Centura Chesapeake, Centura College, Community Connections, HVAC, Press Release, Skilled Trades, Skilled Trades Careers
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
Posted by Centura College on May 6, 2019 in Adult Education, Campus Connections, Career Change, Centura College, Centura Virginia Beach, Health, Lifestyle, Massage Therapy, Spotlight Feature
Written by Olivia Jordan, Career Services Coordinator
Rachel Handley is a graduate from the Massage Therapy program at Centura College’s Virginia Beach campus. Although Rachel faced an array of obstacles while completing her training, she was determined to persevere and finish, despite her circumstances.
Rachel expressed that during her time at Centura she learned the lesson of listening to her needs. “My time at Centura College taught me a lot,” Handley stated. “However, the most important lesson I learned was to simply slow down, listen, enjoy, and be patient. Slow down and listen to my body, listen to my mind, listen to my emotions, and listen to my spirit. Slow down and enjoy the moment, enjoy my family, and enjoy my food. Slow down and be patient for the right moment to come and let what I desire to be drawn to me.”
Rachel has now successfully completed her massage therapy program and launched her own business, Knots Untwisted. With her experiences at Centura College to guide her, she is now capable of withstanding the unexpected difficulties one can have in owning their own business. “I am living my dream right now and enjoying every second of it,” stated Handley.
We are so proud of Rachel’s success and wish her all the best in her massage therapy career!
Posted by Centura College on Mar 6, 2019 in Adult Education, Campus Connections, Centura Chesapeake, Centura College, Community Connections, Lifestyle
Written by: Zakkiyya Anderson
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
Posted by Centura College on Feb 1, 2019 in Adult Education, Centura College, Centura Richmond, Medical Assisting
It’s always fulfilling to see one of our Centura College students graduate and find employment in their chosen field of study. Today’s spotlight features just that: Centura Richmond graduate, Sten Harris.
Centura Richmond grad Sten Harris
Initially, Sten went to school in North Carolina with aspirations of becoming a veterinarian assistant. Eventually, he decided to switch gears, and wound up enrolling in the Medical Assistant program at the Centura College campus in Richmond.
During his time at Centura, Sten was a model student and demonstrated signs of being a leader. He arrived to school every day ready for class and prepared to help others through times of struggle.
Tragedy struck the Richmond campus during Sten’s time at Centura, with the passing of a fellow student (and classmate of Harris). At the commencement ceremony, Harris was one of the students that volunteered to speak to his fellow graduates about the impact the loss of his classmate had on him.
Following graduation, Harris returned to North Carolina, where he was hired as a medical assistant as a part of the Duke Early Phase Clinical Research Unit. Early Phase works with pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, government agencies, foundations, technology companies, investigators, and academic centers to conduct a broad range of studies in its 34-bed research unit. This state-of-the-art site enables Early Phase to execute high-intensity, continuous monitoring, and procedure-heavy studies.
A big congratulations goes out to Sten for fulfilling his career goals!
Posted by Centura College on Nov 28, 2018 in Adult Education, Career Change, Centura College, Centura Norfolk, Health Information Technology
Written by Simone Francis
Have you been contemplating following your dream of working in the medical field? However, your age, the cost of medical school, the years it will take to complete the degree, along with residency and training causes you to reconsider? Luckily, the healthcare industry is one that career changers can pursue easily. This is possible due to the wide range of careers within this industry.
Many people consider going back to school as a way to develop specific knowledge that they will use to pursue a new career. Others want to gain skills that will result in them making more money. According to the National Center for Education, “more and more adults are returning to school. It seems like once parents send their children off to school, they start investigating what going back to school may mean for them as well.”
One career taking the healthcare Industry by storm is Health Information Technology (HIT). Health Information Technicians are also knows as medical coders or medical billers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Employment of health information technicians is projected to grow 13 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations”.
Health Information Technology (HIT) is a great way for someone, at any point of their career, to enter the health care field because it typically does not require more than a two-year degree. As a Health Information Technician, you will work with computer software systems to analyze patient information to determine various ways of improving patient care or controlling costs for both the patient and facility.
Instructor Afyia Richards at Centura College Virginia Beach states, “This is the perfect career for all ages interested in working in the healthcare industry on the informational and technological side of the field.” Within this career, individuals will not work directly with patients in the way a doctor or nurse would do, but rather they play a vital role in keeping hospitals and clinics running. Ms. Richards states, “We play a great role in saving lives”.
Ms. Richards held a variety of positions in the healthcare field over the last 10 years, including auditor and medical coder. Working in this industry did not limit her to just working in hospital settings; she has worked in many organizations that use health information, such as insurance firms, pharmaceutical companies and law offices. Ms. Richards explained this is a great career opportunity for individuals looking to work from home. Health Information Technicians also have the ability to determine their own salary.
Centura College in Virginia Beach strives to assist individuals in starting careers instead of jobs. With the buzz around this career field, Centura College decided to offer the HIT program. Once students have completed this program, they will take the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) certification, which allows them to become more marketable in the field. Centura College is the only college in Hampton Roads that offers the certification included in the tuition, as well as AHIMA curriculum.
Mrs. Richards states, “I am definitely glad I made the decision to purse this career. The field has grown by leaps and bounds and it won’t be slowing down any time soon. This is my retirement plan.” So don’t let your dreams fade away, still thinking about going back to school, then Health information Technology may be right for you.
