Thank you for sharing your time and knowledge at St. Cecilia's Middle School Career Day. The Information you presented got the student thinking about their futures. The students enjoyed driving the train,plane and semi simulators during their session with you. The Career Day was a success, and we hope to make it an annual event. Thanks again for your time and cooperation!
Sincerely,
St. Cecilia's Career Education PLC
*Mid-Plains Community College can now bring the classroom to the students who need it, thanks to a new Mobile Education Lab that was unveiled at the MPCC Board of Governors meeting on Jan. 28.
According to Kent Beel, North Platte Community College Diesel Instructor and Applied Technologies Division Chair, the Mobile Education Lab is ready to roll and will soon be making the rounds at area high schools, farm shows, and home shows.
“What we are trying to do with the Mobile Education Lab is to get students interested in the transportation/distribution/warehousing industries,” he said, adding, “but it can used for other programs in need of a mobile classroom for 12-16 people.”
According to Beel, the classroom space inside the Mobile Education Lab is 30-feet long and 11-feet wide, including the 30-inch slide out. Along with tables and chairs, it boasts an overhead projection system that can be used for power point and video presentations, as well as a flat screen television. There is also a railroad simulator and it will soon feature a tractor trailer simulator. First aid equipment and a fire extinguisher are also onboard.
“The Mobile Educational Lab is just one of the many exciting and innovative major initiatives that MPCC continues to take on behalf of its 18-county service area and beyond,” said Dr. Michael Chipps, MPCC President. “The impact this lab could and will have is yet to materialize, but will be felt for a number of years to come.”
Marilyn McGahan, Vice President of North Platte Community College, agreed.
“Students of any age can benefit from the many activities that the Mobile Education Lab can bring to communities across the MPCC 18-county area,” she said. “The Mobile Education Lab gives us the means to provide career awareness activities to middle school and high school students. Because it is fully heated and air conditioned, it can be utilized throughout the entire year, not only for career awareness activities, but also for specialized projects, customized training, and unique workshops.
The Mobile Education Lab was funded in part by a President’s Community Based Training Grant, as implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. These grants help develop and implement demand-driven workforce development through strategic partnerships between the workforce investment system, employers, community colleges and other training providers.
The grant, which is shared through a partnership between MPCC and Central Community College, helps to strengthen the role of the colleges in promoting the U.S. workforce’s full potential and to enhance their capacity to help students and workers develop skills needed to succeed in high-growth/high demand road and rail industries.
Press ReleaseJanuary 20, 2009Road & Rail Simulator Visited Bryan HighOn Thursday, November 20, 2008, the Road and Rail Simulator from Central Community College (CCC) stopped by Bryan High School, 4700 Giles Road, Omaha, NE 68157.The CCC Simulator is an interactive, hands-on trailer where students got the opportunity to drive a semi-truck and be a train engineer.Several of Bryan’s faculty attended a workshop in Hastings and North Platte Nebraska this past summer, where they were first exposed to the CCC simulator.Bryan High is currently developing and implementing a Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics (TDL) curriculum.This new curriculum with help lead students to careers in the high-wage, high-demand area of Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics.As part of the TDL introductory class, students were given a chance to us the simulator.This is the first visit of the CCC simulator to Bryan High School.Students expressed their interest in pursuing careers in the Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics.Many of them were amazed that a semi-truck was difficult to drive and really enjoyed the opportunity.There were many students who were not enrolled in the TDL class that said they were going to sign up next year just to get the chance to drive the simulator!
12-2008 The Grand Island Fire Department recently completed the Central Community College emergency vehicle defensive driving workshop. We were very impressed with the quality of instruction. The instructors were very professional and the course schedule was well managed. The information presented during the classroom session was up to date and well constructed. The driving simulator was state of the art and provided a great challenge to our emergency responders. The driving simulator provided us with real life scenarios that helped to improve the defensive driving skills of our employees. These scenarios definitely required each of our emergency vehicle operators to make decisions based upon their surroundings. Thank you for providing the Grand Island Fire Department with the professional level of instruction we expected.
Troy Hughes
Fire Chief
Grand Island Fire Department
10-1-08 NE FF
CNTF
Training simulator
A state-of-the-art simulator is being used across the state of Nebraska to help firefighters learn to drive fire apparatus.
The Central Nebraska Transports for the Future program was a hit at Fire School in Grand Island in May. Located in the back of an air-conditioned semi trailer are a simulator and a classroom. In nice weather, a canopy can be opened to create a shaded outdoor classroom.
Nebraska is one of five states across the nation to have a mobile training simulator where virtually any type of fire or rescue apparatus can be programmed in and driven.
"We've had tremendous reaction from those who have experienced it. We're usually asked to stay another day," Dave Engel, Project Coordinator, said.
Engel is part of the staff at Central Community College, Hastings campus. Central has partnered with MidPlains Community College of North Platte to offer the program.
"We're taking the feedback from fire school to start to build scenarios and curriculum to satisfy training needs," Engel said. "The simulator allows participants to increase their overall driving skills by presenting rain, ice, snow and other variables. You become a better driver because of it."
Sitting in the simulator is similar to sitting in the driver's seat of a fire apparatus. Big screens surround the driver, who encounters stop signs, stop lights, other vehicles, even children chasing a ball across the street.
"Every time a student drives, it is recorded so you can go back over your decisions," instructor John Wood said.
In the first one and one-half years of operation, more than 5,500 people have trained in the simulator. Training isn't limit to rescue personnel. It includes grade school, middle school and high school students, businesses, regular CDL type training, in addition to bus drivers, truck drivers, and train personnel.
Engel says the demand for skilled employees in the transportation, distribution, warehousing and logistics industries is growing rapidly with the number of jobs expected to increase by nearly 1 million by 2012. The Central Nebraska Transports for the Future project is designed to help people develop the skills they need for such careers.
Funding for the project is provided, in part, by a $1.9 million community-based training grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.
"The simulator doesn't replace live, behind the wheel training. It's designed to merely enhance driving techniques," Engel said.
The simulator can be set up for any semi, any fire apparatus or any ambulance.
"We can even set it up to be the lead vehicle for the Fire Marshal," Engel said. "It's cutting edge, state-of-the-art technology."
The semi used to pull the training trailer is an automatic. It is also used for training.
"One growth area you'll see is in the area of automatic transmissions for semis. This will allow the trucking industry to attract non-traditional employees, namely women. It's the wave of the future," Engel said.
The simulator has its own power source run by a 12K generator, or it can be hooked up to shoreline power. Since it's a non-profit organization, cost to bring the simulator to a community are relatively low.
"We just need to cover the costs to get there, an overnight stay and fuel," Engel said.
Engel recommends people learn more by going to their website: www.roadandrail.org. People can contact Engel at 1-402-460-2110, or by email at: dengel@cccneb.edu.
"We have a great staff. I couldn't ask for any better. It's a collaborative effort of two college staffs who have put a lot of hard work and effort into it. We're very proud of it," Engel said.
Jeff GarganoNebraska Firefighter515.604.6400
CCC breaks ground on truck driving project
(7/19/2007) By Denise Booker Central Community College in Hastings prepares for the future. The school's truck driving program gets a major boost. It is a major project for the college and one definitely needed.
Over the next 10 years CCC says there will be a demand of more than 500,000 truck drivers nationwide.
And that is why this new building is so important.
CCC held a groundbreaking ceremony for an 11,000 square–foot building Thursday afternoon.
The new building will accommodate the growth of truck drivers and house the campus truck driver training program.
President Bill Hitesman says he expects more than 300 students this year alone.
“I think it will be one the best in the area. We also will have a tower so our trainers can oversee the driving range that we have and actually observe our students that are driving on the range,” said Hitesman.
Students must successfully complete a Commercial Drivers License examination to graduate from the program.
The $1.4 million structure is being built on the north side of the campus and will complete December 1st. Classes will then begin in January.
The building will include classrooms, computer labs, a driving simulator, as well as an observation tower.
New Perspectives: Simulator gives Loomis students view from driver’s seat — and new ideas for future careers
By JENNIFER CHICK, Hub Regional Correspondent
03/04/2008
Updated 03/05/2008 01:06:03 PM CST
Hub photos by Jennifer Chick
John Wood, lab coordinator and trainer, explains the controls to freshman Katelyn Palmer during a demonstration of the semitrailer truck driving simulator Monday. The simulator was part of Central Community College’s Mobile Training Lab that visited Loomis High School Monday.
LOOMIS — Loomis High School students were in the truck driver’s seat Monday.
Central Community College’s Mobile Training Lab was on the Loomis High School campus Monday for the students to test their truck driving savvy. The unit travels central Nebraska to teach students about careers in transportation.
“The hope is that we just plant a seed and maybe down the line, they’ll consider a job in transportation and stay in Nebraska,” said John Wood, lab coordinator and trainer.
Throughout the day, groups of students were able to practice driving a semitrailer truck simulator, a train locomotive simulator and a flight simulator. Wood said the truck driving simulator is one of 30 in the United States and one of only six that are mobile. The lab is a self-contained classroom with several computers for student interaction as well as the three simulators. The classroom is housed in a trailer pulled by a semi.
Sincere Thanks!
Kearney Hub
Loomis High School
Thank you for the wonderful experience allowing me to participate in the CNTF Return-to-Work Program in your exciting, innovative, forward-thinking organization of Golight and the opportunity to shadow so many different positions within the organization.Where do I begin to tell you about all of the wonderful things that I learned and that will be great personal experiences to share with students in my classes?The international experiences and lessons were some that I had never previously experienced in other Return-to-Work adventures.
My first day in your family-friendly organization was spent job shadowing a Sales Manager. She shared how she started in ALL departments when the organization was small—so today, she can fill in where she is needed. This knowledge was shared along with her passion telling me about the various product lines of the Golight, Stryker, and Profiler Models along with the many Golight accessories that you offer for sale. She shared how various models appeal to your various market applications of: Marine Lighting, Law Enforcement, Fire and Rescue, Utility Lighting, Industrial Lighting, Recreational Vehicles, Military Lighting, Outdoor Sports, Agriculture Production, and Automotive Lighting. I loved your mission statement of “Golight the World with Revolutionary Lighting Solutions.” I found your website at www.golight.com very educational and easy to navigate with contact information for all nine sales managers and the areas of these market applications for which each one is responsible to be able to specialize.
Thank You!
Janet Weber
Mid-Plains Community College
North Platte, NE
I wanted to share our sincere gratitude with everyone from CCC who shared their time and advice with students last Wednesday. The kids talked about their experiances in the "truck driving simulator" all the way back to school. What a great tool for learning and attracting students to those programs. It was great for the kids to hear about all of the programs at CCC.
Thank You!
Deb Eickhoff
Kearney High Career Center
I would like to thank the Transportation Grant for giving me the opportunity this July 2008 to return to industry and work for 5 days at Personal Automotive Services. I have learned new things to bring to my CCC- Automotive Classroom Students and will be able to teach the students new methods and techniques. I also learned about new tools that make work in the auto industry easier for a tech to use his or hers ability to complete the work more efficiently. It also helps me update on changes in the automotive industry, for it does change very rapidly.
Sincerely,
Vincent T. Mendez Jr.
Automotive Instructor
CCC-Hastings Campus
I would like to thank the Transportation Grant for giving me an opportunity this July 2008 to return to industry and work for 5 days. I worked at Fairbanks International and would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who welcomed me into the workshop and allowed me to observe and assist in the daily routine. The experience was very helpful to me and I am taking several things I learned back to the CCC-Diesel Program. This was all made possible because of your knowledge and professionalism.
Warm Regards,
Randy Manning
CCC-Diesel Instructor
Hastings Campus
I would like to thank CCC and MPCC for brining the mobile lab to our school. Our students were very excited to have this opportunity to learn about driving a truck and train. They enjoyed practicing driving the truck simulator. Both of these careers are vital to our nations economy. The students were talking about their ability to drive this equipment and how much fun it was. They appreciated the chance to explore these choices. Many felt they could do well at this type of job and are considering it as a future career when thye graduate. There were 75 students that had hands on experiance and the students are requesting the lab come for another visit very soon!
Thank you for the great learning opportunity!
North Platte High School
William Kalblinger
On October 25th 2007 the truck/trailer with simulators was pulled up in front of McCook High School to allow morning Auto Tech classes to learn about the trucking and railway industry and take a turn at driving the simulators. Not only were my classes brought out to the truck, but several students passing by heading to lunch were allowed time to visit and drive the simulators. By the end of the morning, we had given nearly 75 students an opportunity they may not have been allowed without the mobile simulator. Many of the students were impressed, and grateful for the opportunity. It was very worthwhile and the students are looking forward to it's next vist.
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