Congratulations to NC3’s April 2022 School on the Rise, Lawson State Community College! Located in Birmingham, Alabama, LSCC has shown an outstanding commitment to changing the lives of its students through Career and Technical Education. Since becoming an NC3 leadership school in 2015, LSCC has offered a variety of certifications such as Snap-on, Greenlee, Lincoln Electric, and Festo!

Nancy Wilson, LSCC’s Assistant Dean of CTE and NC3 Master Instructor, shares that Lawson State Community College seeks to offer students the credentials and confidence they need to enter Alabama’s workforce. She believes using NC3’s curriculum and certifications helps validate the CTE programs and provide confidence to her students at the beginning and end of their educational careers at LSCC.

“We allowed new students into our classes that didn’t have much experience in CTE programs. After completing the NC3 certifications we were seeing our students say ‘Wow, I can really do this!’, which motivated us to keep adding certifications. The students feel they’re accomplishing something.”

Lawson State shows its dedication to workforce development and student success. Dr. Joye Jones, Dean of CTE and Workforce Development Programs at LSCC, believes the reward a student gets from their education helps reinforce their confidence. The validity of their NC3 credentials makes entering the workforce an easier task. She says,

“NC3’s certifications show employers that studnets not only have a degree but an additional layer of knowledge.”

Tom Berryman is the Director of the Automotive Center for Excellence at LSCC. He’s beginning the journey of his well-deserved retirement later this year but has been an instructor since 1990. He said, “Once I started teaching and saw the lightbulb go off, I kept going. I love teaching.”

Students can face obstacles as they navigate their education. From financial barriers to time constraints, post-secondary students often run into challenges that prevent them from completing their education. The administration at LSCC is working hard to eliminate these barriers. Dr. Bruce Crawford, Director of Instructional Services at LSCC, said,

“We embed industry-recognized curriculum that is useful for their path along their way. So, if a student has to drop out, they still have some credentials and certifications to find a job and continue their education when they’re ready.”

Hoyt Sanders has been an Electrical Technology Instructor at LSCC for 10 years. After spending over 20 years training professionals throughout the industry, he now enjoys administering NC3 certifications to his students to prepare them for higher-level electrician licenses. He says, 

“NC3 certifications provide the initial steps and confidence to get started. Achieving high-level electrician licenses takes 8 years, which can sound like a daunting task. The certifications help give students an initial accomplishment and add additional certification achievements to stack and build along the way.”

DeWayne Harris, Machine Tools Instructor at LSCC, mentioned his experience with NC3’s Train-the-Trainer events. He said,

“Having recently gone through NC3’s Train-the-Trainer, I think NC3’s program is outstanding! It’s laid out in a manner that’s easy for the students to follow, and flexible for teachers to use. You can take different modules and adjust where they are in the curriculum to fit your class.”

So, what’s on the horizon for Lawson State? The administrative staff and instructors look forward to continuing to provide credentials to the citizens of Alabama. LSCC’s instructors are excited to expand their programs and continue to increase opportunities for their students each year.

Congratulations again to Lawson State Community College for becoming NC3’s April 2022 School on the Rise! We’re proud to recognize you and we look forward to being a part of your continued success. 

Stay tuned for our next School on the Rise recipient in May 2022!

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