Meeting High Demand
ANTHONY TWYMAN
JENNIFER SCHU
The College is turning out skilled graduates in Pennsylvania’s High Priority Occupations.
More than 91% of Delaware County Community College’s Class of 2023 Skilled Trades and Advanced Technology graduates are currently employed with regional companies, according to Karen Kozachyn, vice president of Workforce and Economic Development.
Companies like Cleveland-Cliffs, Comcast, Johnson Controls, Pennsylvania Machine Works, Philly Shipyard, Inc. and more are clamoring for DCCC graduates. A spring 2023 career fair on the Marple Campus drew the maximum of 70 employers—with a waiting list. The spring 2024 fair is already filled.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania establishes and identifies High Priority Occupations (HPOs) as one component of Pennsylvania’s industry-driven approach to workforce development. The purpose is to align workforce training and education investments with occupations that are in demand by employers, have higher skill needs and are most likely to provide family-sustaining wages. DCCC is ahead of the game in turning out skilled HPO graduates.
“Our grads are in high demand,” says Jennifer Orazi, DCCC’s director of Student Employment Services and Co-Op. “Our training programs are short-term, and graduates obtain a certification or associate degree. Skilled labor employers are looking to hire daily and provide high-paying jobs that lead to excellent career pathways that will always be needed.”
Advanced manufacturing—a regional high priority and high growth occupation
Take the College’s Advanced Manufacturing program. It is a pathway to careers in architecture, industrial systems, computer numeric controls, machine tool technology, process control technology, and computer-aided design & drafting.
“Careers in advanced manufacturing offer students and career changers a pathway that is considered a regional high priority and high growth occupation with good salaries, promotion opportunities and job security,” Kozachyn says. “One barrier to helping to close the employment gap being felt by manufacturing employers is to address the lack of public awareness of what a career in manufacturing means. Manufacturing careers are high tech with robotics, additive manufacturing such as 3-D printing, continually evolving composite materials, and systems that are both physical and virtual.”
Programs Offered
The College supports employers and students in Delaware, Chester and surrounding counties with programs aligned with the workforce needs of regional employers.
Skilled Trades
Certificates
- Automotive Technology I
- Automotive Technology II
- Carpentry (Residential)
- Electrical (Residential)
- Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration
- Plumbing Technology
- Welding Technology
Degrees
- Skilled Trades, Associate in Applied Science
Advanced Manufacturing
Certificates
- Computer-Aided Drafting
- Computer-Aided Machining Lathe, Mill and EDM
- Construction Supervision
- Electro-Mechanical Technologies
- Manufacturing CNC
- Process Control Technology
Degrees
- Skill Advanced Technology, Associate in Applied Science
- Machine Tool Technology, Associate in Applied Science
Power Tools and Pom-Poms:
Rachelle Dussault
A few years ago, Rachelle Dussault of Aston was not sure what career field she wanted to pursue, but she did know what she did not want—college debt.
After attending a four-year university for a year, she enrolled at DCCC. She discovered that the first-year general education courses required by the university were offered at DCCC for a lot less.
After observing a friend complete a home repair carpentry job, Dussault started thinking about carpentry as a career. The College’s Carpentry certificate program enabled her to learn at night while working at a local home remodeling company during the day, leaving time to pursue her interest in dance and cheerleading.
In 2023, she earned her Carpentry certificate—and is on track to earn her Associate in Applied Science degree in 2024. Her goal is to one day own a custom home building company. “My classes have been so useful, so helpful,” she says. While working for the home remodeling firm, she moonlights as a Philadelphia Flyers Ice Girls cheerleader, a step toward her goal of eventually joining the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleading squad.
She’s even talked to her younger brother about enrolling in one of DCCC’s high school dual enrollment programs for the skilled trades. “Perhaps someday he’ll come work for me!”
A Dussault hopes to inspire more women to enter the skilled trades. “My goal is to change the way people think of contractors and make the field more inviting to women.”
Wired for Work: Brandon Bailey
Brandon Bailey of Norristown, a U.S. Army veteran and president of the College’s Muslim Student Association, is on his way to eventually becoming a master electrician. “I took a Veterans Affairs assessment of my interests, and ‘electrician’ came up as one of my top two potential careers,” he says. He completed the College’s Residential Electrical certificate with High Honors in the spring 2023 semester and is now pursuing a certificate in HVAC.
The certificate has allowed him to take on some specific freelance projects as an electrician as he finishes his studies and searches for an apprenticeship. “DCCC is very active in connecting students with opportunities,” he says.
He adds, “The program was terrific. The instructors were good. They made sure I understood the material. I feel sure that when I find an apprenticeship with a master electrician I will have the confidence to do whatever is asked for me.”
Carpentry Certificate at No Cost: Ben Katze
Ben Katze of Havertown considered the traditional four-year college route after high school but decided to reduce his higher education costs by enrolling in the short-term Carpentry certificate program at the College. He took classes in the mornings at DCCC and worked for a local remodeling company in the afternoons. In his spare time, he joined a local hockey league.
Thanks to a tip from a hockey teammate’s mother, Katze applied for and received a Kelleher Connect Career Opportunity scholarship, which allowed him to earn an industry-recognized Carpentry certificate free of charge in about a year. Kelleher Connect was created at the College by wife and husband philanthropists Sharon and Andrew Kelleher to help offset the costs for students interested in workforce training and skilled trades careers.
Another major consideration that prompted Katze to pursue non-traditional, short-term training instead of a traditional four-year college education was return on investment. “I saw the demand and how well the trades pay,” he says. “I’m grateful to the Kellehers for the scholarship opportunity.”
Free tools and boots for all graduates
Just after Ben Katze successfully earned his Carpentry certificate, “I received an email that said, ‘All graduates, you are able to claim a free set of boots and tools.’ It was as simple as sending in my boot size. I just had to go and pick them up.”
The free tools and work boots were courtesy of Justamere, a foundation that also assists students at the College who are interested in careers in the skilled trades. Together, two of DCCC’s scholarship programs, Kelleher Connect and the Justamere Foundation help remove the impediment of cost so students can successfully train for and obtain family sustaining wages through careers in the skilled trades. “By working together, we make each other’s investment more successful,” says Justamere Foundation President Lori Cushman.
”Scholarships tend to provide funding for tuition and perhaps some other costs of getting a degree or certification. Unfortunately, most do not cover the actual costs necessary to obtain employment, particularly in the trades,” says Cushman. “Justamere Foundation is looking to fill that gap with our three-year ‘Tools for Success–Tools and Boots in Skilled Trades’ program. This will give these students what they really need to make this career leap and get employed in these high-paying careers.”