Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education provides quality instruction in non-degree and non-diploma oriented educational activities for area adults. The Division promotes the concept of lifelong learning as one of the increasingly important components of contemporary adult life. Programs of instruction are designed to lead some students to the achievement of basic skills and to enable them to progress to high school equivalency certification. A broad range of courses is designed to meet vocational, avocational, cultural, intellectual, social, and recreational interests and needs. Other part-time programs are designed for occupational training needs of new and expanding industries and individuals at all levels of labor and management, as well as the professions.

Registration Information

Where:	Usually the entire process of registering for a course is completed in the classroom, lab, or shop in which the course will be taught. Course schedules list the beginning dates, times, days, and locations.
How:	A person must be present to complete the registration process.
Registration:	For registration procedures, contact the Division of Continuing Education.
Cost:	Basic skills courses are offered free of charge. Information regarding individual course fees is available through the Continuing Education Division. NOTE: No extension registration fee is charged to in-state residents aged 65 or older unless the class is designated self-supporting.
Refunds:	For Occupational Extension classes: A 100% refund shall be made if the student officially withdraws from the class before the first class meeting by submitting a course withdrawal form. A 75% refund shall be made if the student officially withdraws from the class prior to or on the 10% date of scheduled hours by submitting a course withdrawal form. Course withdrawal forms are available in the Continuing Education office. A full refund shall be made for classes canceled by the College. In the event the College cancels a class, no written request is necessary. There are no refunds for self-supporting classes unless the course is canceled by the College. No refunds are granted for Community Service and self-supporting courses once the classes have started. Please allow 4 - 6 weeks for processing refunds.
Course Transfers:	Transfers to another course are not allowed.
Course Repeats:	A student enrolling in the same Occupational Extension course more than twice within a five-year period will pay the full student cost of $5.41 per scheduled hour. This provision is waived if course repetition is required by certification or licensing standards (All fees are subject to change by act of the North Carolina General Assembly).
Security/Parking Fees:	A security fee of $4.00, due at the time of registration, is charged to students enrolled in on-campus Continuing Education classes scheduled to meet 16 hours or longer.
Technology Fees:	A technology fee of $5.00, due at the time of registration, is charged to Continuing Education students enrolled in any on-campus Occupational Extension class scheduled to meet 16-hours or longer or any on-line class.
Cancellation Policy:	A course may be canceled if fewer than 10 persons enroll.
Eligibility:	To be eligible to enroll in courses of the College, students must be 18 years of age, or secure their principal's permission if they are 16 or 17 years of age and enrolled in high school. NOTE: Some programs have age requirements set by external agencies. Students must meet the certifying agencies age requirements (i.e. Nurse Aide I and II, Fire Academy, EMT, BLET).

Continuing Education Units

The Continuing Education Unit (CEU) is used as the basic unit of measurement for an individual's participation in Continuing Education non-credit classes, courses, and programs. Wilson Technical Community College will award CEUs to individuals who successfully complete a learning activity that has been organized to provide unified and systematic instruction in occupational courses.

Grades and Certificates

Grades, certificates, and CEUs are awarded as listed in the following chart:


		Grades		Certificates		CEUs
Community Service Programs		NG		No		No
Occupational		S,U,W		Yes		Yes
Basic Skills Education		NG		No		No
S = Satisfactory	U = Unsatisfactory		W = Withdrew		NG = No Grade

A diploma is awarded for successful completion of the Adult High School program.

Areas of Instruction

Basic Skills Education

Occupational Extension

Community Service Programs

Small Business Center

New and Expanding Industry

Focused Industrial Training

Human Resources Development

Distance Learning

Career Readiness Certificate

Basic Skills Education

Basic Skills Program

Courses provide the opportunity to master basic academic subjects such as English, math and reading. The program is based on the idea of total education for the individual and development of each student's potential. The quality of daily life can improve as students learn how to take better care of their business affairs and become more involved citizens.

Courses are organized to meet the needs of students who prefer to study individually or in groups. Modern technology is used in the teaching/learning process by providing opportunities for students to improve basic reading and math skills by participation in an individualized learning program through computer assisted instruction.

Classes are scheduled to meet day and evening hours on campus and at other locations throughout the county. On campus, the Basic Skills Program is offered through the Learning Center in Rooms A-116 and A-118, Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

Courses offered include:

Basic Skills Program Grades 0-5
Basic Skills Program Grades 6-8

Compensatory Education

Compensatory Education (CED) is a program designed to offer educational opportunities for the adult with developmental disabilities. Courses will include basic academic skills, high school academic skills and vocational skills.

The courses seek to enable adults with developmental disabilities to reach their fullest potential. These adults may become more independent and self-directing, more familiar with basic occupational skills, and acquire skills to manage community, social, work, and personal adult responsibilities.

Courses offered include:	Community Living	Math	Consumer Education
	Social Studies	Health	Vocational Education
	Language

GED Prep Program

The General Education Development (GED) Program consists of learning center experiences designed to qualify a student to successfully demonstrate competency in the General Educational Development Tests and to receive a High School Diploma Equivalency Certificate from the State Board of Community Colleges. The GED tests, administered monthly, are designed to measure a person's ability to use correct and effective English in written expression, read and understand material in social studies, science, and literature, and solve problems in mathematics. Cost of taking the GED test is $7.50. GED instruction is offered in the Learning Center, Room A-116, Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Friday hours may vary during the summer. In addition, several off-campus sites throughout the city and county offer GED/Basic Skills classes. Adults 18 and over, or 16 and 17 year olds with approval of the public school system and his/her parents, are eligible to make application for entrance into the program. All books and supplies are provided free, and there is no registration fee for GED instruction. Wilson Technical Community College is an Official GED Testing Center. There is a fee to participate in graduation.

Courses offered include: High School Equivalency Certificate

Adult High School Diploma Program

The Adult High School Diploma program provides classroom instruction designed to qualify a student for an adult high school diploma through an agreement of affiliation with the Wilson County Public School system. Adults 18 and over, or 16 and 17 year olds with the approval of the public school and his/her parent(s), are eligible to make application for entrance into the program. Admittance to the adult high school program requires placement testing, at the ninth grade level and a high school transcript. Instruction will be offered at grade levels nine through twelve in areas of math, science, social studies, English, health, and electives. In order to receive an adult high school diploma, students must successfully complete the number of units and required courses necessary for graduation from the public high school, as well as pass the N. C. Competency Test. All materials and books are provided, and there is no registration fee for instruction. Upon completion of the adult high school requirements, there is a fee to receive a diploma and/or to participate in graduation.

Courses offered include: High School Diploma For Adults

English as A Second Language

English as a Second Language (ESL) is a program designed for students whose native language is not English. The program focuses on addressing skills to increase the students' level of communication with emphasis on speaking, listening, reading and writing skills, and obtaining skills for U.S. citizenship.

Beginning, intermediate, and advanced level ESL classes are offered free of charge through traditional and non-traditional classroom environments on the College campus and at various locations throughout Wilson County.

Occupational Extension

Occupational extension courses are single courses -- each complete in itself -- designed for the specific purposes of training an individual for employment, upgrading the skills of persons presently employed, and retraining others for new employment in occupational fields. The major areas of the Occupational Extension program include Fire Service, Law Enforcement, Emergency Medical Services, Health Programs, Safety and Certification, continuing education for the professions, and courses for business and industry. Courses in Occupational Extension are $50-65, depending on total hours. Senior citizens who are residents of the State of North Carolina are exempt from registration fees for Occupational Education courses. Public safety personnel are exempt from registration fees for Occupational Education classes if the class is related to their job duties as stated on a job description. There are no exemptions of fees for self-supporting classes. All students must pay security and technology fees. (All fees are subject to change by act of the North Carolina General Assembly.)

Courses offered are included in one of the following program areas:

Accounting & Bookkeeping

Agriculture & Natural Resources Occupations

Aircraft Maintenance & Career Pilot

Art & Design Occupations

Automotive Occupations

Banking, Finance and Credit

Building Codes and Inspections

Child Care

Civil Engineering

Communications

Computer Science Applications

Construction Occupations

Cosmetology

Criminal Justice

Drafting

Electrical/Electronics Occupations

Emergency Medical Services

Employee Counseling & Assistance

Fire & Rescue Services

Governmental Regulations -- OSHA, EPA, etc.

Health Occupations

Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning

Industrial Chemistry

Industrial Occupations

Insurance

Languages

Management, Supervision & Leadership

Marketing

Mathematics

Mechanical Occupations

Metal Working Occupations

Office Skills Training

Plastics Manufacturing

Plumbing & Pipefitting

Real Estate

Safety

Service Occupations

Small Engine & Equipment Repair

Teacher Recertification

Textile Occupations

Transportation

Welding

Wood Products Occupations

Community Service Programs

The Community Service program includes courses that focus on an individual's personal or leisure interests. Courses in this area include arts and crafts, languages, and hobbies. The registration fee for Community Service courses is $40. Popular courses include pottery, belly dancing, quilting, painting, and stained glass.

Small Business Center

Wilson Technical Community College recognizes the vital role of small business entrepreneurs in our economy. Helping small business owners, or prospective owners with training and educational programs, providing counseling services and other types of assistance to them has become a long-term investment for the community college system.

Purpose: Small Business Centers will deliver technical and managerial assistance to small business owners and prospective owners by providing: information, education and training, counseling and referral, and other technical/managerial assistance as appropriate.

Range of services includes:

Seminars: Continuing education
Direct one-to-one assistance: Initial consultation, referral
Network of linkages: Department of Commerce, Chambers of Commerce, Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), Small Business Advocacy Council, economic development agencies, banks and other financial institutions, accountants, trade associations and councils, business volunteers, related educational and governmental agencies
Resource and information center: variety of references and resource materials, Small Business Administration materials, computer network linkages
Partnerships: Department of Commerce, Federal, State, and local agencies, educational institutions
Upgrading and retraining for employees such as: cashiers, security personnel, clerks, secretaries, bookkeepers, supervisors, managers

New and Expanding Industry

Through special funding from the Economic and Workforce Development Division of the North Carolina Community College System, Wilson Technical Community College provides training services for new and expanding industries.

Eligibility for new and expanding industry training services is determined on a company-by-company basis. The program is available to companies creating twelve or more new jobs in a one-year period with funding based on the number of new jobs created, skill and wage levels of the workers, and the amount of capital investment.

Training services provided may include training program development, instructional costs, development of customized video training programs, installation costs of equipment in a temporary training facility, and paying one-half of the cost of non-salvageable materials used during training.

Focused Industrial Training

Focused Industrial Training (FIT) is a customized training program for North Carolina's manufacturing industries. FIT uses individualized needs assessments and consultations to design and implement customized training for manufacturing industry needing to upgrade workers' skills due to new manufacturing technologies or processes.

FIT is designed to serve the special needs of existing North Carolina industry. Customized instruction will be directed toward skilled and semi-skilled production workers, industrial maintenance workers, and first-line supervisors of personnel who perform industrial processes.

Human Resources Development

Human Resources Development (HRD) is a program of instruction designed to help unemployed and underemployed adults develop skills to re-enter the workforce and/or upgrade employability skills. Courses are designed to meet the student's needs and focus on skills that promote success in finding and maintaining employment or to further his/her education. Components of HRD classes include self-appraisal, career planning, resume preparation, interviewing, job search skills, and communication.

For a current HRD class schedule, please call the HRD Department.

Human Resources Development..."For the future you never thought existed."

Distance Learning in Continuing Education

The Continuing Education division offers distance learning opportunities in a wide range of topics through Education2go and Blackboard. These courses are taken entirely via the Internet.

Registration for online courses follows the same procedures as traditional courses. Upon registering, students complete an on-line orientation session where course requirements are discussed.

Students interested in enrolling in on-line courses must have access to a computer and to the Internet regularly and continuously. Some on-line courses may require the student to have specific software. Students interested in distance learning should contact the computer training coordinator in Continuing Education.

Career Readiness Certificate

The Career Readiness Certificate (CRC) is a North Carolina Community College system initiative designed to close the state's workforce skills gap in entry-level jobs that involve complex reading, math and locating information skills. The CRC program uses the WorkKeys System to assess work readiness skills. Students can achieve three levels of certification (bronze, silver, or gold) that validate secondary and post-secondary education credentials.