Sinclair starts new term, re-launches welding program

Sinclair Community College began its spring term on Monday, bringing back an educational program for the first time in two decades.

The college will offer welding courses for the first time in 20 years in a newly equipped welding lab located on Eaker Street, according to school officials.

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The new lab has 12 state-of-the-art booths with equipment to teach students basics in welding. Sinclair currently offers more than 260 workforce-aligned degree and certificate programs targeting in-demand jobs in the Dayton region.

During the 2019 fall semester, Sinclair launched two new bachelor’s degree programs in Aviation Technology and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). The programs already have more than 60 students enrolled, halfway through the first year.

The college also added new associate’s degree programs in Agricultural Sciences, Business Analytics and Computer Science.

“At the community’s request we have invested in and delivered many new workforce-aligned programs of study,” said Steven Johnson, president of Sinclair. “We’re especially thrilled to announce our new welding courses this term.”

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The need for skilled workers remains the chief concern for Dayton-area manufacturers, according to a survey undertaken by the Dayton Region Manufacturers Association (DRMA).

“Technically skilled and productive workers are in very short supply in the Dayton region,” the DRMA said in a summary of the survey results.

Registered nurses, software developers and marketing specialists are among the most in-demand jobs in southwest Ohio. That information comes from the state’s newly updated In-Demand Jobs List, created through a collaboration between the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Over the past 10 years, students have earned nearly 40,000 college degrees and certificates from Sinclair, according to data released from the school.

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The number of students enrolled in the school’s College Credit Plus Program (CCP) is at a record high this term.

CCP through Sinclair this 2019-2020 academic year has more than 7,700 students. The dual enrollment program provides students in grades 7-12 the opportunity to earn college and high school credits at the same time.

The purpose of this program is to enhance students’ career readiness and post-secondary success, while providing a wide variety of options to college-ready students, at no or limited costs to students and families.

Sinclair is also experiencing a record-setting number of Asian and Hispanic and Latino students as well as students participating in online courses.

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Overall college enrollment is slightly up, beating market trends. Sinclair’s Centerville location has seen a more than 90% increase in student enrollment in comparison to the 2019 spring term. The campus offers a number of academic programs in Cyber Security, Health Sciences, Elementary Education and General Education.

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