CVCC Celebrates Newest Graduates of Construction Academy Program
On Friday, August 4th, the CVCC Construction Academy held its graduation ceremony at the CVCC Corporate Development Center.
08/08/2023
On Friday, August 4th, the CVCC Construction Academy held its graduation ceremony at the CVCC Corporate Development Center.
The CVCC Construction Academy is one of the Construction Boot Camps which were offered among ten community colleges in the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS). The NCCCS partnered with each college and the Carolinas Association of General Contractors (CAGC) to provide funding and support for these programs.
Graduates included Carlos Andrade; Jacob Austin; Eric Binzha; Jonathan Boyd; Coy Bryant; David Bushatz; Leonel Callejas-Mendoza; Joshua Catterton; Kevin Chavez; Logan Cheatham; Joshua Cline; Zackory Evans; Edwin Godoy-Perez; Jose Ibarra; Benjamin Isserman; Noah Jamison; Evan Latchford; Fernando Lemus-Almanza; Nathan Maroulis; Jack Mikeal; Ryan Parham; Willie Parks; Jay Ramirez; Nathanel Richards; Daniel Russell; Matthew Schrader; and Seth Yang.
“We are very excited about the success of our 2023 Construction Academy,” says Gary Muller, Executive Dean of each of Economic Development and Corporate Education. “Each of our graduates will have the opportunity to continue their construction-related education by enrolling in classes in our CVCC School of Career and Technical Education.”
“The success of this year’s program was the result of the strong support of our business partners, as well as the Carolinas Association of General Contractors and the North Carolina Community College System.”
Chris Reese, Executive Director of CVCC’s K-64, was also present to celebrate the graduates. "We are very pleased with this year's Academy,” Reese says, “and excited that we were able to hold classes in both Taylorsville and Hickory so we could accommodate more students in our community. We are also looking forward to kicking off another Construction Academy in the upcoming months.”
A total of 80 people, including family, friends, and the college’s dedicated business partners, attended the ceremony.
Andrew Gardner, Associate VP of Workforce Strategies at the NCCCS, was primarily involved with connecting these North Carolina Community Colleges to the proper educational resources, so that each construction academy could provide high-quality education and a promising construction career.
“Today is a testament to the extraordinary outcomes that arise from collaborative efforts,” Gardner says of the CVCC Construction Academy ceremony. “The partnership between the North Carolina Community College System, Carolina AGC, and Catawba Valley Community College has yielded an exceptional Construction Bootcamp program.”
Through the CAGC Foundation, Inc.’s partnership with NCCCS and colleges such as CVCC, higher education institutions and the business world are constructing a gateway for students to earn professional credentials. They are also providing the opportunity for local industry to fill the gaps in their current workforce.
“We are striving for positive and successful outcomes to help close the gap and create a pipeline into the construction industry,” says Sequilla McLean, Apprenticeship Manager for the CAGC Foundation, Inc. “There’s never been a better time to begin a career in the trades. Wages are increasing and the high demand is creating incredible opportunities for individuals to launch a successful career in the construction industry.”
CVCC wishes the best to all graduates and encourage aspiring students to join our next cohort in the Fall 2023.
For more information about the CAGC Foundation, Inc., and the Construction Boot Camp, please visit https://www.cagc.org/Construction-Bootcamp/Home.aspx.
For more information about Catawba Valley Community College’s Construction program, please visit www.cvcc.edu or contact Gary Muller at gmuller@cvcc.edu or Chris Reese at creese147@cvcc.edu.
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