Delaware County Community Colleges offers job retraining program

DELAWARE COUNTY, Pa. - Delaware County Community College is offering a retraining program for people looking to find jobs in an uncertain job market due to COVID1-9.

Delaware County Community College President Dr. Joy Gates-Black is preparing for the students’ return to campus, even though that’s not likely to happen for the summer sessions. The first summer session is set to start in just a few days.

"We are going to open three of our campuses. Two in Delco and one in Chester County," says Dr. Gates-Black.

It won’t be a full classroom full of participation in person. It will all be online and Dr. Gates-Black says summer classes are starting to full up with a lot of non-traditional students in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.

"It’s the students who come back after being laid off, coming here to retrain. An employee who is employed but still needs additional skills in order to be ready for that next level of promotion."

Dr. Gates-Black says they’re also reaching out now to the current university students and university-bound high schoolers who are thinking of sitting out this fall because they don’t want to do online classes and pay the big tuition for it.

"I’m encouraging them to take advantage and get a jump on their education, if in fact they are going to move on to a 4-year institution," she added.

Credit transfers are accepted through partnerships that Delaware County Community College has several local universities and because local community colleges work together with businesses,

Dr. Gates-Black says that financial aid is available especially for people out of work and seeking a job on Pennsylvania’s "High Priority Occupation List".

"Those are jobs in healthcare technology, manufacturing, commercial drivers, childcare. All of these areas we are already working in," says Dr. Gates-Black.

As for those who may feel it might be too late to back to school, Dr. Gates-Black says that there is a place here for everyone.

The college has frozen its tuition and fees for 2020-2021 and they are offering a 10 percent tuition discount for the Summer II term.

For more information, please click here.  A list of high priority jobs in Pennsylvania can be found, here.

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