Tarrant County College recently joined more than 50 community colleges across the country to host a National CTE (Career and Technical Education) Letter of Intent Signing Day ceremony on two of its campuses: TCC Northwest and TCC South.
Sponsored by the National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3), this live-streamed event highlighted some of the high-demand trade fields. It is patterned after the NCAA’s National Signing Day for athletes who commit to play sports in college. Instead of athletes, however, this event honors students who are entering a career/technical field of study, such as automotive technology, aviation maintenance technology, law enforcement, computer-aided drafting and heating, air conditioning and refrigeration technology.
On April 14, several incoming high school students signed Letters of Intent at TCC Northwest and TCC South, signifying their commitment to enter CTE programs in upcoming semesters. TCC offers 42 certificates and certifications that can be achieved in less than a year to put students on the fast track to a rewarding career in high-demand fields.
A few weeks prior to the event, TCC representatives visited Crowley High School, where 102 students signed their Letter of Intent to enroll in a CTE program at TCC South. During the April 14 ceremony, 83 students committed to attending a CTE program at TCC South. Guest speakers during the signing event included representatives from Snap-On, Brakes Plus and NC3 Centers.
“This event showed career and technical students just how valued they are at Tarrant County College,” said Zarina Blankenbaker, president of TCC Northwest. “We are recognizing their commitment and look forward to preparing them for these high-demand careers.”
Several corporate partners, including Snap-On Tools, participated in the campuses’ events, were on hand to provide information to students and their families.
Last year, TradeCollege.org ranked TCC one of the nation’s top community colleges or trade schools offering associate degrees in the trades.
For information about TCC’s degree and certificate programs visit: https://www.tccd.edu/academics/courses-and-programs/