See NEW System Trainer In Action! Career Exploration Tonight at MCC-Business & Technology

See MCC-BTC's NEW Integrated Manufacturing Assembly (IMA) trainer in action at tonight's Career Exploration Night.   This simulated production line sorts component bases by size and weight and adds springs and a top to create a multi-component device.  Students who master these technologies can easily transition to building cars or working on automated sorting lines at the U.S. Postal Service.

Join us at MCC-Maple Woods for Nursing Night!

Thinking about a career in health science or nursing? Visit MCC-Maple Woods for Nursing Night from 6:30-8 p.m. Feb. 28 in the Campus Center Arbor Room. Nine area nursing programs will be available to answer questions about scholarships, transfer courses, financial aid and more.

MCC-BTC Enrollment Surpasses 1,000!

Although the Precision Machine lab staff assured us they could manufacture a cake pan in the shape of 1,000, we chose 100 cupcakes instead.
At BTC’s campus inservice from left: Ed McCarty, Cisco Academy Program Coordinator; Peeking from behind balloons, Karen Moore, Dean of Student Services; Dick Decker, HVAC Instructor; Jess Harding, HVAC Program Coordinator; and Mike Thorne, HVAC Instructor.

During the first week of 2011, a singular yet significant change happened at MCC-BTC. Our current headcount crossed the threshold from a three-digit number to four digits. MCC-BTC now has more than 1,000 students!

In the last three years, enrollment has grown by 40 percent from around 750 students in 2008 to nearly 1,060 today. During the same period, more than 2,000 credit hours have been added to the BTC schedule.

“We’ve become a full-service campus over the last couple of years – we’ve added a Learning Resource Center, a student lounge, and a full-time placement coordinator to name a few of our recent developments,” said Tom Wheeler, Dean of Instruction.

Careers Unlimited picks up sponsor, picks up speed

Students at last year's Careers Unlimited exploration and career fair saw hands-on careers through a whole new lens.

Next month, nearly 3,000 high school students will converge on the MCC-Business & Technology campus for the third annual Careers Unlimited exploration and career fair. And for the first time, the fair has a leading corporate sponsor: Cerner Corporation.

The event, which will be held on Wednesday, February 9, at the MCC Exhibit Hall, provides local high school youth an opportunity to explore various career fields in a tradeshow-like format. The event has been growing in popularity among students and employers since its inception in 2009.

"This is a chance for students to browse a lot of hands-on career options they may not have been aware of or to get more information about options they've already been considering," said Careers Unlimited coordinator Katie Cone. "In the last two years, we've found that it's also a good recruiting tool for MCC."
The students will be able to explore MCC's 80 career and technical degree and certificate programs which blend classroom instruction with hands-on skill development.

Precision Machining Career Exploration Dec. 14

A Precision Machining Career Exploration has been scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 14, at Metropolitan Community College-Business & Technology. This event begins at 6 p.m. and runs for about one and a half hours, beginning in Technology Center Room 101A.

MCC’s Precision Machining program features a state-of-the-art, 8,800 sq. ft. laboratory full of manual machining tools and computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines. MCC-BTC is a HAAS Technical Education Center, Mastercam software training facility, and a NIMS testing center.

Visitors will meet academic and financial aid advisors who can help them get started in college. They’ll also tour the lab with the program coordinator, learning how to prepare for a career in Precision Machining, and what the daily work is like.

Programs range from a one-semester job-ready CNC certificate to two-year Associate in Applied Science degree in Precision Machining, with a manual or CNC focus. Many Kansas City employers are looking for graduates with these skills. Learn more about this field at mcckc.edu/precisionmachining and at the local chapter of the National Tooling & Machining Association website, www.kcntma.org.

Individuals may register online at mcckc.edu/visitbtc, call 816.604.5200 or e-mail btc.admissions@mcckc.edu. Walk-ins are also welcome. MCC-BTC is located at 1775 Universal Ave. Kansas City, MO, and on the web at mcckc.edu/btc.

Got a job search strategy?

Susan Blaser, electric utility line tech program coordinator, asks a question of panelists.

A student job search strategy workshop at MCC-Business & Technology campus attracted 120 students and several instructors. Ian Jennings and Kristen Brumley organized the event.

Panelists were Stanley Gardner from KCP&L, Jennifer Kirby from the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Troy Teague from Cerner and John Vanderford from Vanderford Geothermal Heating & Cooling Installation.

Many BTC students gain additional job search skills in INTE 124, Employment Strategies, a class required for several of of the campus's A.A.S. degrees.

A Good Crowd at MCC-BTC Career Exploration

More than 60 people attended Tuesday & Thursday evening Career Exploration events at MCC-BTC this week. Program coordinators led lab tours after the opening session. Pamela Yeager is pictured presenting financial aid and enrollment information. Alex Grigsby coordinated the events.

Career Exploration at MCC-BTC, Oct. 26 & 28

Career Exploration Nights have been scheduled on Oct. 26 & 28 at MCC-Business & Technology. Each runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and begins in Campus Center, room 248.

Visitors will meet academic and financial aid advisors who can help them get started in college. They’ll also attend lab and classroom discussions with instructors, learn how to prepare for a specific technical career and what the daily work is like.

On Tuesday, Oct. 26, the focus will be:

• environmental health & safety;
• electronics engineering technology;
• precision machining;
• welding, with a new associate’s degree in welding technology & management; and
• engineering & technology teacher education, a partnership program with the University of Central Missouri.

ThThursday, Oct. 28, Career Night will feature:

• electric utility line technician program, now accepting applications for the June 2011 class;
• Cisco computer networking;
• heating, cooling & refrigeration;
• industrial technology careers such as industrial electrician, stationary engineer and the new multi-craft technician;
• drafting (CAD) and engineering technology—architectural, civil, and mechanical/manufacturing emphasis.

Register online at mcckc.edu/visitbtc, call 816.604.5200 or email btc.admissions@mcckc.edu. Walk-ins are also welcome. MCC-BTC is located at 1775 Universal Ave. Kansas City, MO, and on the web at www.mcckc.edu/btc.

Fall 2010 produces bumper crop of students at MCC-Business & Technology

Above: Program Coordinator Jess Harding explains to his class how to calculate air-flow and the geometry they must master to be successful in the HVAC program at MCC-Business & Technology Campus.

To see more pictures of the first day of class at MCC-BTC click here.

Enrollment is up over 15 percent at MCC-BTC for fall 2010 semester. "We are on the verge of crossing the milestone of 1,000 students at BTC this semester," said associate dean of students, Karen Moore.

With additional enrollment expected for the second set of eight week classes, the current enrollment of 968 students could easily rise to quadruple figures.

New outreach coordinator at MCC-BTC

Alex Grigsby is the new Outreach Coordinator at MCC-Business & Technology campus. He will work with other MCC admissions coordinators to recruit new students and promote the college.
Grigsby has worked as a lab tech and marketing/outreach assistant at BTC for the past year. He holds a degree from MU in multimedia journalism and has been a professional photographer for several years.

MCC-Business & Technology welding technology coordinator earns PhD

Congratulations to Dr. Tim Gill who has completed his Ph.D in Curriculum and Instruction, majoring in Practical Arts and Vocational Technical Education at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Gill's dissertation, titled “Teacher Induction Programs and Their Effectiveness on the Retention of Secondary Trade and Industrial Teachers in Missouri,” certainly connects with programming at MCC-Business & Technology.

Gill coordinates the welding program at BTC and has been the architect behind its new American Welding Society-based curriculum. In addition to his Ph.D, Tim also holds AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) and Certified Welding Educator (CWE) certifications.

Choose Your Career Path

80 programs - 5 campuses - 1 college

visit http://www.chooseyourcareerpath.com/.

On March 3 and 4, 2010, MCC will host the second annual Careers Unlimited exploration and career fair at the MCC-Business & Technology exhibit hall.

On the first day, March 3, the event will feature our 80 career and technical degree and certificate programs which blend classroom instruction with hands-on skill development. Nearly 3,000 area high school students are expected to be in attendance. Students will be able to see our programs in action and explore six career paths: arts and communication; business management and technology; health services; human services; industrial and engineering technology; and natural resources and agriculture.

On March 4, MCC will host a job fair in partnership with Job News, a well-respected source for job seekers and employers. MCC’s own continuing professional education programs will also be present to provide job seekers with information on programs that will develop their skills. MCC’s goal in hosting this job fair is to share information about in-demand careers and the education and training necessary to get started in those fields.

During the event, attendees on both days will have the opportunity to interact with MCC industry-experienced instructors and talk to admissions staff.

MCC is dedicated to serving our community, and this event, in part, was our response to the economic downturn. MCC is a resource for community members as they look to build their skills and acquire new ones through career education and training.