FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

At the 8th Annual Leadership Summit, which was hosted virtually this year, the National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3) presented 18 awards. Each year at NC3’s Annual Leadership Summit, awards are presented to top-performing people and institutions in the NC3 Network for their leadership and innovation in career and technical education. This year’s Leadership Award Winners were announced to event attendees on July 15, 2021, the third day of the virtual conference.

Awards were presented to Dr. Perry Ward (Retired President of Lawson State Community College), Ben Schears (President of Northwest Kansas Technical College), WSU Tech, Gateway Technical College, Lakeshore Technical College, Metropolitan Community College, Wasilla High School, Cardinal Middle School, Orange Glen High School, Enterprise State Community College, Perry County High School, Richard J. Daley College, Hinds Community College, Hill College, Brunswick Community College, Volunteer High School, Northeast Community College, and Patrick & Henry Community College.

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The following list of award winners are leading the way for career and technical education.

Dr. Perry Ward, Retired President of Lawson State Community College in Birmingham, Alabama was presented the 2021 NC3 Founders Award. The NC3 Founders Award is presented to revolutionary individuals in the NC3 Network who not only helped NC3 build deep industry-educational partnerships, but who also helped develop, implement, and sustain NC3’s industry-recognized portable certifications, which are built on national skills standards. Dr. Perry Ward was an early adopter of NC3’s mission and he continues to advocate for it over a decade later.

Ben Schears, President of Northwest Kansas Technical College in Goodland, Kansas was presented the 2021 NC3 Leadership Award. The NC3 Leadership Award is presented to individuals who have helped NC3 build deep industry-educational partnerships, who have helped shape the trajectory of NC3, and who embody what it means to be an inspiring leader in CTE. Ben Schears is a true leader not only in the work he does at his college and in the state of Kansas, but also nationally. He is a driving force for career and technical education.

WSU Tech in Wichita, Kansas was presented the 2021 Enterprise Award for being the #1 top-performing school in the NC3 Network. During the 2020 calendar year, this institution issued 1,895 NC3 certifications! WSU Tech not only serves as an NC3 Center of Excellence institute for Aviation, Automotive, and Welding but also was the inaugural host of the 2020 National Signing Day Game Day event.

The 2021 Dennis Iudice Memorial Award was presented to Gateway Technical College, Lakeshore Technical College, and Metropolitan Community College for having issued the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th highest number of industry-recognized certifications among all schools in the NC3 Network during the 2020 calendar year.

Boasting 1,769, 1,003, and 849 issued certifications respectively, these institutions go above-and-beyond with their contribution to skills certification training and are true leaders in career and technical education.

Gateway Technical College in Kenosha, Wisconsin is NC3’s founding school and is consistently one of NC3’s top-performers. This institution hosts several NC3 Centers of Excellence across multiple programs, utilizes a wide variety of certifications, and is an innovator in CTE.

Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland, Wisconsin issues an array of NC3 certifications in partnership with Snap-on and 3M. They also partner with over 20 high schools to offer dual enrollment!

Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Nebraska has been an NC3 Leadership School since 2013 and currently offers its students the opportunity to earn 39 different Snap-on Certifications and/or Certificates of Knowledge!

The 2021 START Award was presented to Wasilla High School in recognition of advancements in secondary education that develop and implement industry partnerships to move ideas and people forward.

Wasilla High School in Wasilla, Alaska offers specialized career and technical training that is otherwise not provided at other high schools in the surrounding area, and they have big plans for growth! We’re proud of the work they currently do, and we’re looking forward to supporting their continued success in career and technical education.

The NC3 “School on the Rise” Awards are a monthly achievement granted to schools that have shown consistent growth in issued certifications as well as dedication to career and technical education since joining the NC3 Network.

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Cardinal Middle School in Middlefield, Ohio received the #1 School on the Rise Award for 2021 in recognition of their consistent growth as an NC3 Center of Excellence. This school is paving the way for innovation and technology within their community with the help of their PhabLab by Palmer Hamilton. With every student passing through this program, Cardinal Middle School has issued nearly 300 certifications in just two years! As one of NC3’s premier secondary institutions, Cardinal Middle School is ahead of the curve when it comes to preparing students for a career in the technical fields.

Other institutions awarded the NC3 “School on the Rise” designation were Orange Glen High School, Enterprise State Community College, Perry County High School, Richard J. Daley College, Hinds Community College, Hill College, Brunswick Community College, Volunteer High School, Northeast Community College, and Patrick & Henry Community College.

Orange Glen High School in Escondido, California has been an NC3 Certification Center since 2017 and in the last three years has increased its number of issued certifications by over 200%!

Enterprise State Community College in Enterprise, Alabama has displayed remarkably rapid growth by quickly expanding its program to become an NC3 Leadership School that implements 7 Snap-on certifications, 14 Festo certifications, 1 Dremel certification, 1 MRW Work Ethic certification, and 2 Greenlee certifications. In their first two years with NC3, they issued nearly 700 certifications in 23 areas of study!

Perry County High School in Linden, Tennessee has an average of 50-55% of its students receiving industry-recognized certifications each year. Through their dual enrollment program, they’ve also seen 100% job placement for students who graduate from their Industrial Maintenance Program!

Richard J. Daley College in Chicago, Illinois succeeded in growing its number of issued certifications by over 900% during the past year! The college was also able to add 10 new NC3 certifications to its repertoire in 2020.

Hinds Community College in Raymond, Mississippi has been an NC3 Leadership School since 2013 and is the pinnacle of Career and Technical Education in their state. This institution issues certifications from Festo, Snap-on, Greenlee, and Dremel, and ensures its students have a multitude of resources at their fingertips.

Hill College in Hillsboro, Texas was one of NC3’s first Leadership Schools and has become a leading force within the NC3 Network. This school offers a staggering 57 NC3 Certifications from Snap-on, Lincoln Electric, and Trane.

Brunswick Community College, in Bolivia, North Carolina, has become a regional hub for students who are seeking certifications from 3M, Certiport, Greenlee, Lincoln Electric, the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, Snap-On, Starrett, and Trane. Despite Covid-19, BCC awarded 355 credentials during 2020 and 693 total credentials since joining with NC3 twenty months ago. With 22 exam options, bilingual instruction, and wrap around services, BCC is certainly on the rise.

Volunteer High School in Church Hill, Tennessee issues Snap-on’s PMI and Festo’s Fundamentals of Electricity industry-recognized certifications to ensure its students continue on to promising careers in the technical trades.

Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Nebraska has been an NC3 Leadership School since 2014 and has established a leading role within their community by empowering their students with the knowledge and skills they need to enter thriving careers in the trades.

Patrick & Henry Community College in Martinsville, Virginia has been an NC3 Leadership School since 2018 and served as the first Festo Center of Excellence in the NC3 Network. This school offers an impressive 18 Festo Certifications and is leading the charge for education in advanced manufacturing in its region.

Congratulations again to these high-achieving institutions!

To learn more about the NC3 Membership Network, please visit NC3.net. Also, be sure to follow NC3 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube to further join us as we celebrate these high-achieving institutions!

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Find NC3 and This Year’s Award Winners Online:

NC3

Website: www.NC3.net
Facebook: @NC3skills
Twitter: @NC3partners
Instagram: @NC3skills
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/nc3—national-coalition-of-certification-centers
YouTube: www.youtube.com/NC3Marketing

Lawson State Community College

Website: www.lawsonstate.edu
Instagram: @lawsonstatecc
Twitter: @LawsonStateCC
Facebook: @LawsonStateCC

Northwest Kansas Technical College

Website: www.nwktc.edu
Instagram: @northwesttech
Twitter: @NWKTC
Facebook: @TechMavs

WSU Tech

Website: www.wsutech.edu
Instagram: @wsutech
Twitter: @wsutech
Facebook: @wsutech.official
Tiktok: @wsutech.official
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/WSUTech
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/wsutech

Gateway Technical College

Website: www.gtc.edu
Instagram: @gatewaytechcollege
Twitter: @gatewaytech
Facebook: @GatewayTechnicalCollege
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/GatewayTechCollege
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/school/gateway-technical-college

Lakeshore Technical College

Website: gotoltc.edu
Instagram: @lakeshoretech
Twitter: @lakeshoretech
Facebook: @lakeshoretechnicalcollege
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/lakeshoretechcollege
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/school/lakeshore-technical-college

Metropolitan Community College

Website: www.mccneb.edu
Instagram: @mccneb
Twitter: @mccneb
Facebook: @MCCnebraska
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/mccnebraska

Wasilla High School

Website: www.matsuk12.us/whs
Facebook: @WasillaHS
Instagram: @wasillawarriornation
Twitter: @MSBSD

Cardinal Middle School

Website: cardinalschools.org/cms
Facebook: Cardinal Local School District
Twitter: @CMS_Huskies and/or @CLSD_Huskies

Orange Glen High School

Website: www.orangeglenhigh.org
Instagram: @orangeglen
Twitter: @OrangeGlen
Facebook: @OGHSPatriots 

Enterprise State Community College

Website: www.escc.edu
Instagram: @enterprise_state
Twitter: @EnterpriseState
Facebook: @EnterpriseState
YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCGMZS8gt93glkwS-66qV5bw/videos

Perry County High School

Website: www.perrycountyschools.us
Facebook: @PerryCountySchools

Richard J. Daley College

Website: www.ccc.edu/colleges/daley
Twitter: @ChiCityColleges
Facebook: @DaleyCollege

Hinds Community College

Website: www.hindscc.edu
Instagram: @hindscc
Twitter: @HindsCC
Facebook: @HindsCC
YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC3CAMvEvuwE1sCqJNCjiuWQ

Hill College

Website: www.hillcollege.edu
Instagram: @hillcollege
Twitter: @HillCollege
Facebook: @hillcollege
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/HillCollegeRebels
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/school/hill-college

Brunswick Community College

Website: www.brunswickcc.edu
Twitter: @Brunswick_CC
Facebook: @BrunswickCommunityCollege
YouTube: https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCKWFQj1sLFMl3XvQeLfL6qQ

Volunteer High School

Website: volunteer.hck12.net
Twitter: @SchoolsHawkins
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Hawkins-County-School-District-868290343213943

Northeast Community College

Website: northeast.edu
Instagram: @northeastedu
Twitter: @northeastedu
Facebook: @northeastcc
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/school/northeast-community-college

Patrick & Henry Community College

Website: www.patrickhenry.edu
Instagram: @patrickhenrycc
Twitter: @PatrickHenryCC
Facebook: @PatrickHenryCC
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/PHCCedu


About NC3:

NC3 was established to help build a workforce prepared to meet the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s industries by connecting employers and educational institutions in synergistic partnerships that foster effective training, elevation of skilled careers, and employment opportunities. In fulfilling its mission, NC3 builds deep industry-educational partnerships and develops, implements and sustains industry-recognized portable certifications built on national skills standards. We envision an industrial labor market where all workers have the jobs they need to thrive and all companies have the well-trained employees they need to operate and grow. Learn more at www.nc3.net.

About the NC3 Annual Leadership Summit:

Each year leaders in education, NC3 Leadership Schools, and industry experts gather at NC3’s Annual Leadership Summit to celebrate achievements within the field of career and technical education. During this premier event, the NC3 Membership Network discusses new and innovative industry trends as well as best practices that will propel the network’s institutions, industry-recognized certification programs, and students forward. NC3’s Leadership Award winners are announced annually at this conference.