 |
| From left, SCC Civil Engineering Technology program coordinator Jeanette White, P.E., and student Nicole Miler of Cashiers observe as Jonah Winchester of Bryson City awaits the data point to be collected while James 'Derek' Scruggs of Franklin and Robert 'Rob' Reed of Sylva discuss a surveying field requirement in Sylva. |
 |
| Hillary Tait (front left), a full-time employee of Shaw Industries in Bryson City, demonstrates programming skills she learned over the summer semester through SCC’s Mechatronics Engineering Technology program. Pictured with Tait are, from left: Swain High students Cameron Kuhn and Cody Cloer; ConMet employee Clayton Jenkins of Bryson City; Cody Epps, a recently graduated high school intern now working at ConMet in Bryson City; and Jim Falbo, SCC’s Mechatronics Engineering Technology program coordinator. |
 |
| Melissa Allison Brooks (left), Medical Assisting program coordinator at SCC, works with Serena Shampine, a student from Franklin. |
The distinct fields of Civil Engineering Technology, Medical Assisting and Mechatronics Engineering Technology would not seem to have a lot in common.
One involves sustainable land development, the second is all about helping folks with healthcare needs and the third gets you up close to robots and their role in the future of advanced manufacturing.
What they all have in common, though, is the certainty of employment for students who complete these respective programs at Southwestern Community College.
“Employers are regularly calling our faculty members in each of these programs asking if we have graduates, or students who will graduate soon, because they have positions they need to fill,” said Dr. Thom Brooks, executive vice president for instruction and student services at SCC. “These are great jobs, many of which will allow you to stay, live and work right here in our service area.”
Dr. Mitch Fischer, SCC’s dean of health sciences, believes his Medical Assisting program is more likely to attract more students – and fill those jobs – if the general public has a better understanding of what the program is all about.
“The medical assistant of today is basically a medical ‘jack of all trades,’” Fischer said. “They work in physician offices and hospitals doing front end work like scheduling appointments and insurance verification but they also work in patient care such as drawing blood and performing patient testing and even arranging appointments with specialists. They are like care coordinators for the patient.”
Civil Engineering Technology also affords students a career overflowing with variety and possibilities.
Jeanette White, who oversees SCC’s Civil Engineering and Geomatics Technologies programs, prepares her students to do everything from surveying land and examining soil samples to understanding the principles of erosion control using best management practices and responsible land development.
“I want my students to not only have technical knowledge and experience in Civil Engineering Technology and Geomatics (Surveying) but to also be able to market themselves to employers,” White said. “I want them to graduate on Friday and to start a job on Monday, or – if they choose - continue their education at a four-year institution.”
Meanwhile, Mechatronics Engineering Technology is one of Southwestern’s newest programs.
Established last year through support from the Golden LEAF Foundation, Mechatronics teaches students how to use basic engineering principles while working with robotics. Students who complete the program will fill the manufacturing jobs of today and tomorrow, according to program coordinator Jim Falbo.
“I can confidently say that this program has 100-percent job placement,” Falbo said. “Where is pretty much up to the student, but they can go anywhere and get a job. … And for high school students, there are several advantages to enrolling in the program: our classes are free, and the books are free.”
For more information about any of these programs, visitwww.southwesterncc.edu or call 828.339.4000.
