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Valencia College outlines accelerated trades training, cites local enrollment and $500,000 plumbing award
Summary
Valencia College presenters told the Pine Hills NID Advisory Council that nearly 29% of students in the Accelerated Skills Training program are from Pine Hills, the program issues about 3,453 credentials a year, and the college won a $500,000 award to start a plumbing program in 2025.
Valencia College representatives presented the Accelerated Skills Training program to the Pine Hills Neighborhood Improvement District Advisory Council on Oct. 2, saying the program is largely hands-on and aimed at people who do not seek a four-year degree.
Carolyn McMorran, a Valencia speaker, described 18 program tracks including carpentry, residential maintenance, HVAC, plumbing and welding, and said the program issues about 3,453 credentials per year. "About 29% of the students come from Pine Hills," McMorran said. She noted the plumbing program will launch in 2025 after Valencia won a $500,000 award to establish the track at the Northwest Career and Technical (CAT) facility.
Program staff emphasized short credential windows for some tracks: truck-driving classes can complete in as little as four weeks, while welding programs run up to 28 weeks. McMorran said students receive supports including Lynx bus passes tied to student IDs and stipends administered through Heart of Florida United Way; she added that 90% of students leave the programs debt free.
Dave Giordano, a Valencia recruiter, said staff act as case managers to help students find the right program and noted partnerships with industry, including a curriculum collaboration with Mechanical One and scholarship support from Metallica. Valencia representatives said they work with returning citizens and candidates without a high school diploma and refer some students to UCF Jumpstart for GED preparation.
Valencia invited Pine Hills residents to schedule tours and noted capacity remains available in several programs. The presentation concluded with an offer to share recruitment and placement contacts with NID staff.
