n response to the ever-changing workforce needs of the region, Gateway Community College’s Continuing Education and Workforce Development division is introducing four new professional development certificate programs or courses this fall.

Phlebotomy Technician Certificate Program: Phlebotomists specialize in the proper collection and storage of blood, blood products, components and samples. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field of clinical laboratory technologists and technicians, which includes phlebotomists, is expected to see a 14 percent increase in jobs by 2018. GCC’s Phlebotomy Technician Program is an intensive, single-semester training program designed to prepare students for work as phlebotomy technicians, who are typically employed in hospitals, physicians’ offices, medical testing laboratories and blood donation centers.

Railroad Electronics Technician Training Certificate Program: Now, more than ever, the railroad industry needs qualified employees to fill the vital roles that help ensure that people and materials get safely from Point A to Point B. New and more sophisticated equipment requires highly skilled technicians – and the railroad industry has many openings to help with repair and maintenance of signals, cars, subways and other equipment.

Environmental Technology and Safety Licensing Program: The state of Connecticut is increasingly focused on the reclamation and re-use of “brownfield” areas and former industrial sites that are contaminated with toxic materials. As a result, there is a greater need for trained and licensed specialists dedicated to the growing field of environmental hazard recognition and identification, removal, clean up and remediation. GCC’s new Environmental Technology and Safety Licensing Program is designed to provide the approved training necessary to meet state and federal requirements for licensure in these five major areas. The 138-hour program offers instruction in the skills that will enable individuals to seek employment as hazardous materials technicians. The courses are approved by the Connecticut Department of Public Health and medical screenings may be required. 

Introduction to Voice-Over Course: This fall, GCC is holding its first-ever courses in the emerging entertainment industry with Introduction to Voice-Over. Voice-over artists provide recorded voice tracks for commercials, public service announcements, animated movies, film trailers, dubbed foreign films and other related projects. The course introduces students to the voice-over industry, teaches needed skills and outline how to search for and secure jobs.  GCC rapidly sold out the first session, so it recently added a second session due to overwhelming demand for this exciting new course.

“An important role Gateway fills in our community is helping local businesses by tailoring workforce training programs to help them fill positions that are either open now or will be open in the future,” said Dean of Continuing Education and Workforce Development Vicki Bozzuto. “Each one of these new programs was created in direct response to an unmet need in our regional economy.”

For information about any of these professional development certificates, contact GCC’s Continuing Education and Workforce Development division at 203-285-2426.