Central Louisiana Technical Community College

Please join us in congratulating September, 2021’s School on the Rise Award recipient, Central Louisiana Technical Community College, located in Alexandria, Louisiana! 

Since joining NC3 in 2016, CLTCC has demonstrated uncompromising dedication to their students and it certainly reflects in the success of their career and technical education training programs. Offering industry certifications from Festo, Lincoln Electric, Trane, and Snap-on, it’s no wonder why this Leadership School has excelled in providing unparalleled academic resources to their students and surrounding community. 

We had the opportunity to speak with Misty Slayter, Vice Chancellor of Workforce Solutions, and Aston “Nub” Parker, Director of Manufacturing at CLTCC, to learn more about their CTE programs and the success they’ve achieved through partnering with NC3. Misty started by explaining how CLTCC got started with NC3. She said,

“Originally, we worked with a private foundation here in Central Louisiana that had a keen interest in manufacturing. I worked with them on a $4 million grant to invest in manufacturing and a key interest of theirs was to find more nationally-recognized certifications, so, through research, I found out about NC3. We went up to Wisconsin for NC3’s Leadership Summit to explore NC3 and decided this partnership would work for us.”

Nub added to Misty’s statement by confessing, “At first, IBC’s (Industry Based Certifications) did not impress me all that much. I didn’t see the substance with them that I wanted to see, but after we went to NC3’s Leadership Summit and we were able to talk with NC3 in-person, it became apparent that this was something we needed to do and work towards.”

After their initial introduction to NC3, CLTCC moved forward with implementing NC3 Certifications into their CTE program straight away. Misty explained, “We started with the Festo Certifications and then expanded into Lincoln Electric, Trane, and Snap-on. We’ve found that NC3 is a great way to get certifications for short-term training to our community and that’s why we’ve persisted and grown our programs.”

With technical skills being in high demand in their state, CLTCC acknowledged that their students and employers both greatly benefit from NC3’s industry certifications. Nub said, 

“We have almost a 100% hiring rate with all of our graduates. NC3 Certifications have an obvious benefit to the industry in our area but more importantly, an even bigger benefit to the students. The employer recognizes the industry certifications that the students earn and they know that they are good accreditations. We have employers who have said they’re not even going to worry about training, they’re just going to wait for CLTCC graduates and hire them. That is the part where we’ve recognized our accomplishments.”

In addition to preparing students for employment, Nub has also seen what a difference NC3 certifications make to boosting his students’ confidence. He said, “The hands-on aspect of these certifications forces the student to actually do the work and I’ve seen students’ confidence grow as they do that. I just like the way NC3 works. It’s not just a test that students need to pass, NC3 is just as focused on the students knowing what they need to know as we are at CLTCC.” Misty added to Nub’s statement by commenting on why NC3 Certifications are the right fit for their students. She said, 

“The average age of our students is 27 so many of them are not just straight out of high school with no responsibilities. Odds are that they may be married with children. They can’t afford not to be working and not having an income. Short term training is the answer for them to bridge the advancement pathway to a career. That’s the value that NC3 brings. The certifications are very targeted and sequential so the pathway is very achievable towards earning a living wage.” 

With an ever growing CTE Department, CLTCC recognizes what a significant advantage is gained by their instructors attending NC3 Train-the-Trainer events. Nub explained,

“We have instructors here who have a heart to teach what they know and what we’ve seen through NC3 is that now they know how to accomplish the instructional aspect to teach what they know. That’s one of the most important parts of NC3 and the Train-the-Trainer process.”

Amongst all of the technical colleges in their state, Misty knows exactly what makes CLTCC stand out above the rest. She said,

“It’s our instructors and leadership that really set us apart. Not only have our instructors worked in the field but our leadership has as well and they hold the instructors to a high standard. They’re able to communicate with our industry partners and that’s how they’re able to identify what the students need. We’ve achieved a near 100% job placement rate because they know what needs to be taught. Our instructors put forth the same amount of effort. I would put our crew up against anyone in the state; we really have a gold mine here.” 

So, what’s next for CLTCC, you ask? Nub and Misty have some thoughts on what the future holds for them. Misty shared,

We have significant workforce gaps in our region so if we can expand our certifications in terms of capacity and numbers, it gives our employers an opportunity to identify and hire targeted skills. We want to engage more in apprenticeships and internships so that people in the workforce can earn the foundational skills that NC3 certifications are able to provide.

Nub shared his thoughts as well by adding, “I want to see where we can carry NC3 certifications for everything we teach and I want all of our instructors to be able to teach every certification that we offer. Right now we have instructors that teach different certifications but we want to broaden that so all of our instructors are equipped with everything we offer so we can grow.”

Thank you, Central Louisiana Technical Community College, for being an exemplary NC3 Leadership School! We’re proud to award you the designation of NC3’s September 2021 School on the Rise and we’re excited to see you grow even more!

Stay tuned for our next School on the Rise recipient in October 2021!

Questions about NC3’s School on the Rise? Please contact Erika Staackmann, Customer Success Coordinator, 847.533.6985, Erika.Staackmann@nc3.net