MCC Offers FREE, Grant-Funded Career Training Opportunities

Rachel Furman, of MetroWest Boston, came to Middlesex Community College to jumpstart a new career in Information Technology (IT). As she was unemployed at the time, she was eligible to receive grant funding through the college that paid for the cost of her course.

“After revising my resume to showcase the Google IT certificate and CompTIA A+ training, I landed several IT interviews, ultimately resulting in a job offer working on an IT project for a Mass. state agency,” Furman said. “The skills acquired during the Google IT course played a pivotal role in opening doors for me.”

MCC’s Community Education and Training (CET) division works with industry partners to design their professional development programs. Students gain the knowledge and skills they need to successfully sit for certification exams and directly enter the workforce.

“MCC received $735,000 with supplemental funding that brought it over a million from the ETF Program run by the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges and Executive Office of Education,” said Audrey Nahabedian, MCC’s Dean of Workforce Development. “Our noncredit course offerings are focused on information technology (IT) and healthcare because those are the industries that are in high-demand by the local workforce. Our certifications better prepare individuals to enter these industries and set themselves up for long-lasting success.”

Furman attributes her success to the instructor of the course Nate Bowen, who is an IT expert. Although she started in the class with limited knowledge of the material, Bowen kept her motivated to continue when she struggled. Through a combination of drills, videos and lectures, she was able to pass her exam and is planning to take the second one this fall.

“I wanted to learn IT skills to improve my career potential and boost my attractiveness to potential employers,” Furman said. “I liked the class schedule and central location. I had no idea I would end up in Nate’s class. I owe my career change and success to him!”

MCC’s noncredit IT and cybersecurity programs offer a combination of in-class instruction, self-paced study, hands-on labs, and testimonials from working professionals. Options include Google IT Professional Support Certificate/Comp TIA A+ Prep, Cloud Associates/AWS/Azure, and Comp TIA A+ IT Fundamentals.

“We accompany our instruction with resume and interview training and development of 21st century skills, helping with job placement as well as mentorship that continues outside of the classroom,” Bowen said. “We provide a tailored approach to student learning, meeting the students where they are in life with real-world guidance and education to help them succeed within weeks of starting our program.”

MCC’s other qualifying grant-funded programs include Nurse Assistant, Addiction Recovery Coach, Pharmacy Technician, and Technical Writing. All programs include hands-on experiences and relevant practice in a real-world work environment.

For more information on eligibility, contact career_training@middlesex.mass.edu