10-15-2023 EDU - Flipbook - Page 3
The Baltimore Sun | Sunday, October 15, 2023
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
Harford Community College certifications
impact careers and economy
Philip E. and Carol R. Ratcliffe Foundation provides scholarships and
equipment for career and workforce training classes
By Lisa Baldino, Contributing Writer
Relationships. Trust. Generosity.
These are the building blocks for successful
programs that are bringing hope to many people in need of employment. Harford’s Leading
Edge Training Center Powered by the Ratcliffe
Foundation is the place where the impact
begins. Offering workforce training programs
funded by the Philip E. and Carol R. Ratcliffe
Foundation scholarships, it is bringing these
programs closer to those individuals who could
most benefit from them. A recent celebration
hosted 83 students who completed courses and
earned certifications in high-demand job markets, like construction training, heavy equipment and forklift operation, warehousing, and
supply chain and logistics management.
“We’re making a difference and changing
lives,” says Sherry Massoni, associate vice president for Workforce and Community Education
at Harford Community College. “Success is in
the stories we hear from students. We’ve forged
relationships, gained people’s trust and benefitted from the generosity of donors.”
Massoni says most students are employable in six to 12 months, so when they get jobs,
family members are so proud. For example,
one mother attending the recent celebration
explained that despite a learning disability, her
daughter applied for funding, submitted the
required documentation and finished the program. The best part, says Mom, she has already
gotten a job!
Another mother tells the story of her son
who took a forklift training class. Not long after
completion, he landed a 40-hour a week job and
was eligible to earn overtime pay.
“Entire families have returned to take these
classes. They’ve been offered positions and
had opportunities that could not have happened without the programs and the Ratcliffe
Foundation scholarships,” Massoni explains.
“We are having an impact on families in the
community, and this, in turn, will have an
impact on the local economy.”
Harford Leading Edge Training Center
Powered by the Ratcliffe Foundation became a
reality in Edgewood two years ago using space
at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Harford and
Cecil Counties. “Almost half of our students are
economically disadvantaged, so right away we
are making a difference,” Massoni states. “Our
biggest challenge now is accommodating the
increasing number of students registering for
these programs!”
The Ratcliffe Foundation provides grants
to primarily cover student scholarships, the
purchase of specialized equipment and the cost
of career navigators who are “case managers”
helping students get the most out of the program. Potential workforce students for Harford’s
Leading Edge Training Center are high schoolers, second careers, military and those returning
to the work force.
Noting that people are more likely to successfully complete this type of program if it’s not
a financial burden, Carlene Cassidy, chief executive officer at Philip E. and Carol R. Ratcliffe
Foundation says, “Students are able to focus
more on learning and practicing their trade
without the distraction of having to pay their
tuition and fees.”
“We’re trying to shift the paradigm about
college,” says Dr. Austin Hill, director of Strategic
Partnerships at Harford Community College.
“College IS for everyone. We just need to get
people ready for it.” And, Hill says, with the
right choices, students see themselves change
because of the training.
Like Harford, colleges that offer workforce
and career training open the door for opportunities for these students. Certification offers
choices that can lead to good salaries and
overtime pay, and certifications can be a “family
equalizer,” Hill notes.
Locating the Center in Edgewood within
the Boys and Girls Clubs space was intentional,
Hill says. Not only did it bring training to an
underserved portion of our community, it also
helped expand the audience and give families
the opportunity to be trained. “It’s important to
be intentional,” says Hill. “There is value in these
workforce programs.”
Hill says success is when someone approaches him at graduation to relate their story. It’s
often about how the program got them up on
their feet and into a new career. Case in point:
Ratcliffe
Foundation scholarship recipient Anita
Mowrer. A retiree student who lost her job as a
chef due to medical issues, Mowrer approached
Harford Community College at an event and
learned about programs that were available at
Harford’s Leading Edge Training Center. She
enrolled in the warehousing, supply chain and
logistics courses, graduated, and is now able to
continue working in a whole new career.
Harford Community College also has its
finger on the pulse of the workforce community.
As skills requirements in the workforce change,
the workforce development curriculum can be
changed to meet those needs. Hill says, “That’s
the beauty of these courses. It’s a quick response
because we can customize the programming to
meet the needs of the individuals.”
It’s no surprise that the partnership between
Harford Community College and the Ratcliffe
Foundation was successful from its inception.
“The Ratcliffe Foundation is impressed with the
outcomes. It’s the skills match,” says Cassidy.
“We have people who need and want jobs and
businesses that need certain skill sets, but they
don’t align. This program helps both parties to
achieve their goals. It’s a win-win all around.”
Hill is optimistic about the continued success of the Center. “We’re changing lives and that
has an impact on Harford County and its overall
economic picture.”
Thinking about
what’s next?
We’ve
got you
covered.
At Harford Community College you’ll
gain confidence, determine your
path, and learn what you’re really
made of. You’ll prove that a solid
career path means providing a better
life for you and your family. You’ll do
what ever it takes —and so will we,
by providing you with the academic,
financial, and sometimes even
personal, supports you need to get
you where you want to go.
Invest in
yourself.
go.harford.edu/workforce
24.0067
Contact a Career Navigator to start and to learn more about the
Philip E. & Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation Scholarships.
LeadingEdge@harford.edu | 443.322.7542
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