Tom P. Haney Technical Center
BY MELISSA HAGAN PHOTOS BY ERIC MARCUS
Preparing Bay County Students for 21st Century Jobs and Supporting Tomorrow’s Workforce
What do you want to be when you grow up? Pose this question to a preteen and there is usually no hesitation with an answer.Pose the same question to a teenager and there might be considerable uncertainty, which does not combine well with a changing global market and its effects on the workforce in the United States.
Going straight into the workforce after high school is a reality for many new graduates and limited skills match up poorly with today’s competitive labor market.Career and technical programs at Haney Technical Center play an integral part in giving students who are unable to pursue a college education, or who choose not to, an opportunity to learn a skill, have a career, and provide an income.Many of these programs can be completed within a short time.In fact, Haney touts many of its programs as leading to “a career in a year.”
The question is no longer “What do you want to be?” but “What is your talent?”
Are you mechanically inclined? The Haney Aviation Academy may have the perfect career for you! The Academy is a FAR Part 147 Aviation Maintenance Technician School. The FAA Airframe and Powerplant (A & P) Certification is required to perform maintenance and repairs on small aircraft, as well as the largest jet airplanes. Academy programs prepare students to take the required certification examinations through the FAA and they combine practical “hands-on” training with a variety of theory and laboratory exercises leading to positions in airport operations from the flight line to maintenance and repair of aircraft.
Are you interested in the wellness sector? The Massage Therapy Program is designed to prepare students for employment as a Florida state licensed massage therapist (LMT). It combines the theory and practice of massage therapy as well as exposure to the sciences including human anatomy and physiology, kinesiology, and hydrotherapy.
If you have a flair for the creative, the licensure program in Cosmetology may be your calling.The program provides students with training and practice, including working on patrons in a fully-equipped salon setting. It is designed to follow Florida Department of Cosmetology and the Florida Department of Education framework and to equip students with the skills and knowledge for State Board preparation, graduation, and entry-level job skills.
Do you enjoy caring for people? Nursing is a healing profession and allows students to perform a broad range of duties in many diverse healthcare settings including caring for newborns, the elderly, home-bound, or mentally ill. The Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) program trains students to prepare patients for examinations, administer medications, check vital signs, and perform routine lab tests under the supervision of a physician or registered nurse.
In addition to the four licensure programs, Haney Technical Center also offers 12 additional programs that lead to career technical certifications ranging from accounting, automotive service technology, HVAC, applied welding, digital design, electrical, medical administration, and marine service technology among others. Each of these programs equips students with the knowledge and practical experience they need to go directly into the workforce.
According to recent market statistics provided by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the target is to get more people into the $50,000 – $80,000 income range.
As an integral part of Bay District Schools, Haney Technical Center represents an investment in infrastructure and equipment to meet our local economy’s demand for a trained workforce.
By securing a grant from the State of Florida and proceeds from the half-cent sales tax fund, a new state-of-the art welding facility was constructed at Haney that doubled the number of welding students by installing 50 welding booths. It prepares skilled welders for local jobs in manufacturing firms like Eastern Shipbuilding. Additionally, Haney’s Aviation Academy was awarded a retired F-15C jet from the US Air Force, increasing the opportunity for students to earn Airframe and Powerplant (A & P) certifications from the Federal Aviation Administration to prepare them to enter the aviation industry workforce.
A major factor affecting economic development in our region is the quantity and quality of our skilled workforce. Employers in the manufacturing and IT sectors are looking to fill high-paying positions, such as talented welders and heavy equipment technicians as well as computer programmers, network administrators, and security technicians.When we look at the skills workers need to be successful in today’s economy, technical education and training guarantee quality careers and vice versa, a skilled workforce makes Bay County attractive to new businesses.According to Becca Hardin, President of the Bay County Economic Development Alliance, “Workforce is critical in attracting new business projects to a community.We have to prove to potential employers and businesses considering expansion that we have the workforce to meet their needs.”
For more than 40 years, Haney Technical Center has been committed to providing students with the opportunity to choose from a diverse array of career and technical programs and training necessary to meet the needs of local manufacturers and small and mid-size businesses that are employing skilled workers. The programs are high-tech, high-demand, and address the current skills gap. Students are now earning post-secondary credentials leading to employment and high-paying jobs.Haney Technical Center currently offers four Licensure programs and 12 Career Technical Education programs, as well as Adult General Education classes, that are certain to lead the path to certification programs.
On the hiring end, business leaders have argued that there is a profound disconnect between what schools are teaching and what is actually required for a worker to succeed in the workplace. A recent poll of high school dropouts by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation found that 81% identified a need to increase “real-world” learning opportunities to keep students engaged.Recently, as a class project students in the Electrial program at Haney Technical Center constructed a Tesla Coil from raw materials to learn about the history of alternating current, as well as engineering and mechanics in the electrical process.
The Bay District School System is committed to the success of Haney Technical Center.In August 2014, the district created a new position specifically tasked with working directly with local and state business and industry partners. Alexandra Murphy, Assistant Director, was hired to facilitate receiving information from those partners. “We must work directly with business and industry to be sure we are offering the proper programs needed for our area,” Murphy said.“We also have active Program Advisory Boards to be sure our programs are evaluated by the employers that will potentially be hiring our graduates.”
Most recently Ann Leonard was named the new Director of Haney Technical Center and brings many years of Career Technical Education experience.According to Director Leonard, “Haney Technical Center has so much to offer. We are committed to seeing continued growth and improvements as we strive to fulfill our mission statement of providing educational opportunities for all students and the training necessary to meet the diverse needs of our workforce.”
Tom P. Haney Technical Center is a thriving component in our educational system – and with it, an engine that helps more Bay County students attain solid, high-paying jobs and the opportunity to work towards achieving their American Dream.
[author image=”https://www.panamacityliving.com/media/2014/10/PC-MAG-Photo-MHagan-full.png” ]Melissa Hagan is the President of Emerald Coast Interview Consulting since 2002. After locating to Panama City in 1998 as a military spouse, Melissa spent a large portion of her career at Gulf Coast State College as a Grant Manager, Project Director, and served as the Chief Development Officer. Melissa earned a Bachelors degree in Communications/Public Relations from Mississippi University for Women in 1989 and went on to complete a Masters Degree from the University of Oklahoma in Educational Leadership in 1999. Melissa is heavily involved in the local community and currently serves on several advisory boards for non-profit organizations. Recently, Melissa was appointed to the Florida Commission on the Status of Women where she will serve as an advocate and make recommendations to the legislature, governor, and cabinet on issues affecting women. [/author]