The New Castle Career Center recently made enhancements to its EMT and Public Safety Program. Students enrolled in this program will be focusing on earning their state and national certifications for Emergency Medical Technician. They now also have the potential to earn their state certification in phlebotomy. 

In addition to the certifications which students can earn, the Career Center now offers an actual ambulance for training scenarios. This real-world simulation experience prepares EMT students for their careers as first responders. 

Bill Hufford has been teaching for more than three decades, including for the last eight years at the Career Center. He is excited about the recent changes and is looking forward to helping his students achieve their goals. 

“I have two wonderful classes of high school seniors this year,” Hufford noted. “I am excited to watch them learn and grow and earn their EMT and Phlebotomy Certifications.”

The Career Center also offers adult EMT and Advanced EMT courses and will be offering an adult Phlebotomy program during the summer of 2023. 

For more information regarding the New Castle Career Center, and the programs they offer, follow the New Castle Career Center on Facebook, visit their website at nccareercenter.org or call them at (765) 593-6680. 

The New Castle Career Center recently launched a new Criminal Justice Program for the 2022-2023 school year. 

There are 13 students enrolled for this inaugural year of the program. During their enrollment, students will be learning about criminology, law enforcement, and police operations. They will also have the opportunity to job shadow, take educational field trips, and listen to guest speakers. The second-year students for the 2023-24 school year will participate in work-based learning.  

Program instructor Don Showalter is a graduate of New Castle High School and Vincennes University. He has an extensive background in criminal justice, working with the Henry County Sheriff’s Department, Mooreland & Knightstown Police Departments, Indiana Department of Corrections, and Emergency Management, and acting as Guard Chief and Training Chief of a Marine Corps security forces overseas. While in the Marine Corps, he also worked in counter-terrorism operations.

Mr. Showalter is eager to teach and guide his students in this career path. 

“Most people have the misconception that law enforcement officers are what they see on television. My goal is for the students to realize that most crimes are not solved in an hour.” 

He also wants to introduce them to the different professions in the Criminal Justice Field; stating, “most people only think about the local police officers and sheriff’s deputies. There are a vast amount of career opportunities in Criminal Justice.”

Upon completion of this course, students will graduate with 6 college credits from Vincennes University. The students will also have the following certificates this year:  CPR, Stop-the-Bleed, Incident Command 100 and 200 (Federal FEMA courses required of all first responders), and Introduction to Radiological/Nuclear Weapons of Mass Destruction for Law Enforcement (Federal Course offered by Counter Terrorism Operation Support in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security). 

For more information regarding the New Castle Career Center, and the programs they offer, follow the New Castle Career Center on Facebook, visit their website at nccareercenter.org, or call them at (765) 593-6680. 

For the New Castle Career Center Education and Health Services programs, this summer was about more than time off and relaxation. Students along with their respective instructors spent time at conferences dedicated to professional development and honing the skills of their specific programs. 

Education career students spent a week in San Diego, California, attending the FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America) National Leadership Conference. During the conference students, Rheanne Cary and Cayla Claar presented their “Student Body” project and received 11th in the nation earning a gold medal. During the opening session, Rheanne was featured on the jumbo screen explaining why FCCLA is important to her. The students also attended state and national meetings while there and traded pins with other FCCLA state members while getting to know students from all over the United States.

The conference was a great learning experience for the students according to Education Instructor, Leesa Meyers: “This trip helped the students prepare to give professional presentations. They were involved in state and national conference meetings. The skills they learned at this conference will be instrumental as they enter college and will help them be successful in their education careers.” 

Health Science Education students also dedicated time during the summer to learning and growing as they attended the HOSA International Leadership Conference held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort. Nine students attended the conference along with instructor Angie Talbott. These students had previously qualified for international competition by placing in the top three of their respective events at the HOSA State Leadership Conference held in Indianapolis in April. 

Nolan Brown, Erica Glunt, Ally Madden, Brooke Connover, Clayton Conway, Allison Wissler, Hannah Tracy, Addison Alfrey, and Jordan Flynn all attended the conference. The students had the opportunity to compete in a myriad of events including Nursing Assisting, Public Service Announcement: Be the Match, Job Seeking Skills, Prepared Speaking, and Researched Persuasive Speaking. Clayton Conway competed and placed 2nd in Prepared Speaking with the topic of “Shatter Your Expectations” at the International Leadership Conference and Erica Glunt placed in the top 10 in the nation in Nursing Assisting.  

For more information regarding the New Castle Career Center, follow the New Castle Career Center on Facebook, visit their website at nccareercenter.org or call them at (765) 593-6680.

The New Castle Career Center welcomes several team members into new roles including program instructors Kendra Gentry and Erica Robinson. Gentry joins the Health Science Education program team and Robinson will lead the Cosmetology program. 

Gentry’s students will benefit from her experience in trauma that she gained working in Ball Hospital’s Emergency Department along with her experience in training others gained at a nursing home. She previously served as a health assistant for New Castle Schools and also as a CMA for Henry Community Health. 

She did not see herself as a teacher early in her career but developed a desire for sharing knowledge with others. 

“It has reignited my passion for healthcare,” Gentry shared. “Seeing the knowledge click for them is exciting, and I love to see the students’ shining faces, and their eagerness to help.”

Gentry appreciates the way the Career Center prepares students for the workforce by treating them the way an employer would treat them. She noted that the Health Science program is centered around the PRIDE acronym, which stands for persistence, respectfulness, initiative, dependability, and efficiency. 

In the Cosmetology Program, students will experience a similar approach to preparing for a professional career. The program is now under the leadership of Erica Robinson, who has been in the beauty industry for 20 years as a stylist, esthetician, educator, program administrator, community liaison, and salon owner. 

“My favorite part of teaching for the career center is that I get to be with students for multiple years and I get the chance to learn and know all of my students,” Robinson expressed. “I am excited and grateful that I have an amazing team of co-workers to help me facilitate and grow the program.”

Robinson explains that the Cosmetology program has two sides: the education side and the salon side. Students are taught the fundamentals of the program through class time and hands-on education. 

“The salon side of the program is run exactly as if they were working in a salon,” she noted. They are learning to communicate, increase their technical skills, and build valuable skills needed for them to have a successful career.” 

In addition to Gentry and Robinson, the Career Center also welcomes Penny Lewis as a Health Science Assistant and announces the transfer of Dave Allen to the Engineering Program and Josh Richardson to the Property and Facilities Management Program.

For information about any of the programs offered at the New Castle Career Center, visit ncccareercenter.org.