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Shawn Smith of Philadelphia juggled caring for three children with a full-time job and part-time studies at Delaware County Community College, where he earned an Electrical Certificate in 2023.
His job sometimes took him to work sites as far as three hours away, yet he rarely missed a class and kept a 4.0 grade-point average.
“It was challenging, but I was determined to see it through,” says Smith, who is now employed as a full-time maintenance electrician. “I was able to apply what I was learning in the classroom to my day job. I learned everything, including how to wire solar systems.”
Ninety-four percent of DCCC career and technical graduates are projected to work in their related major, and it is estimated that 11,030 qualified workers will be trained at DCCC’s new Southeast Center at the site of the former Archbishop Prendergast High School, 401 N. Lansdowne Ave., Drexel Hill.
Scheduled to open in January, the new center near the Lansdowne Avenue SEPTA station will address the region’s economic and workforce gaps, creating a stronger regional economy and meeting employer demands.
The center’s new Kelleher Annex for Workforce Development will make training in the skilled trades — and landing well-paying jobs in the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry High Priority Occupations — even more accessible to Delaware County residents.
As they can at the college’s Marple Campus, students will be able to obtain certificates of competency and associate degrees in both skilled trades and advanced technology through the college’s Workforce and Economic Development Division.
Programs in automotive technology, carpentry, construction management and supervision, industrial production and mechanical technology, and certifications for electricians, HVAC specialists, plumbers and welders are all aligned with the workforce needs of employers in the region.
The college partners with many regional employers including Acero Precision, Penn Machine Works, Hanwa Phily Shipyard and Sunoco.
The college also has valuable partnerships with area organizations in STEM.
As a DCCC mathematics and natural science major, Sarah Alkurdi of Bryn Mawr had the opportunity to take part in advanced biomedical research last summer after being selected to participate in the highly competitive Wistar Institute Biomedical Technician Training Program.
“It was an unforgettable experience and opened my eyes to the world of medical research,” Alkurdi says of the paid internship, an opportunity she applied for through the college. She plans to pursue her bachelor’s at Drexel University.
This year, DCCC has held special industry forums with business and philanthropic community members interested in forging strategic partnerships with the college and with supporting the College’s Building Community Campaign, a $7.5 million initiative to provide greater access to education, promote social and economic mobility and share the future of workforce development in the region.
“Ultimately, our campaign is about three key priorities: enhancing the student experience, strengthening the local economy and elevating DCCC’s impact in the region,” said DCCC Vice President of Institutional Advancement Laura Chisholm, Ed.D., who also serves as executive director of the DCCC Educational Foundation.
To learn more about DCCC’s Building Community campaign, call 610-359-5131, email advance@dccc.edu or visit dccc.edu/campaign.
Courtesy of Delaware County Community College
