Our team at NC3 has some impressive employees in our ranks and this Staff Spotlight series aims to highlight the incredibly talented individuals who work with us. We’ll be featuring a new interview in our monthly newsletters, here on our website, and on our social media pages each month.

This month’s Staff Spotlight features Frank van den Berge. Frank is the NC3 Program Manager for NC3/Snap-on partnership, which means he acts as a liaison between schools in the NC3 Network, prospective schools, and our world-class industry partner, Snap-on. Frank is a self-proclaimed circus performer who does a FANTASTIC job keeping all the plates spinning at once.

As one of NC3’s most recent hires, Frank is excited about how much he’s been able to learn during his three short months with our organization. He also appreciates that he has been able to utilize the skills he’s gained throughout his career such as program, project, and business management as well as leadership to fulfill the role of Program Manager for NC3’s inaugural industry partner, Snap-on, Inc.

Before joining our team, Frank spent 25 years working for a Dutch engineering firm where he started as a Chemical Engineer and ended as a General/Regional Manager who was overseeing three companies in two U.S. states with 120 employees. In 2016, he decided to venture out on his own and started his own consulting business.

Check out our Q&A session below to learn more about how Frank first became interested in career and technical education, what he likes most about NC3, his ideal superpower, and more!

How did you become interested in career and technical education? 

Having managed manufacturing companies for many years and being responsible for recruiting, I was disappointed by how difficult it was to find people with hands-on technical skill-sets such as welding and manual machining. We often ended up training new hires ourselves, which was not something we wanted to do. Manufacturing companies are great at making things but not so good in education. Working with NC3 and its industry partners allows me to contribute towards developing a skilled and sustainable workforce for U.S. businesses and industries. Baby boomers such as me will be retiring at the rate of thousands per day over the next two decades, which is going to lead to millions of vacancies that require an associate’s degree or technical certifications. People that choose this career path will be best positioned to secure high-wage jobs over the next decade.

What do you enjoy about working with NC3?

I get to work with a great team of dedicated, hard-working, and helpful colleagues. I have also had the privilege of sitting in on some of NC3’s virtual Train-the-Trainer classes this summer on topics such as Mechanical & Electronic Torque and Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems. It was quite an educational experience!

Do you have a favorite quote? 

That’s a toughie as I have many favorite quotes. But one great saying is by Walt Disney: “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

Do you have a motto or personal mantra? 

If something needs to be done, do it immediately. Don’t put it off until later.

What is a superpower you wish you had? 

Not sure if it qualifies as a superpower, but I think it would be super cool if I could time travel. 

Want to learn more about NC3 and Snap-on’s certifications, or better yet, chat time-travel with Frank? Click here to contact him today.