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Bucks IU Bucks County Community College Gwynedd Mercy University logos

New Apprenticeship Aims to Address Shortage of Special Education Teachers

BCCC students can transfer to Gwynedd Mercy University while working at the Bucks County Intermediate Unit and earn special-ed certification In a three-way collaboration to address a critical teaching shortage, Bucks County Community College has joined Gwynedd Mercy University (GMercyU) and the Bucks County Intermediate Unit (Bucks IU) to launch an apprenticeship program to train and certify pre-K-12 special education teachers. The program, the first of its kind in the state, enables paraprofessionals employed by the Bucks IU to earn their Pennsylvania special education teaching certification and bachelor’s degree while working full-time. Participants will earn their first 60 credits at the community college and the remaining credits toward a bachelor's degree at the university. Their on-the-job experience will satisfy field experience requirements, and student teaching will take place within the Bucks IU system. The program, approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry and the Pennsylvania Department of Education, is the only registered baccalaureate apprenticeship in the state focused on special education. Samantha Gross, Ed.D., dean of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Bucks County Community College, noted that the program helps students both academically and professionally. “Our students will be able to seamlessly transfer to Gwynedd Mercy while working for the IU,” said Gross. “Fieldwork and observation have always been a part of our education major, and now it will be tied directly to a career path through this apprenticeship program.” Gross has been invited by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to take part in a panel discussion about the new program at the state’s Advancing Education Together summit in Harrisburg July 10. She will be joined by colleagues from GMercyU and the Bucks IU in a session about creating a certified teacher registered apprenticeship program. “This apprenticeship creates a sustainable pipeline for special education teachers by making certification more attainable for individuals already working in our schools,” said Deborah Schadler, Ph.D., coordinator of undergraduate education at GMercyU. “It’s a direct response to the urgent need for qualified special educators and a continuation of our mission to transform lives through education.” Participants will receive a salary as paraprofessionals, with structured pay increases tied to academic milestones. Eligible students will receive a 10% tuition grant to attend GMercyU as Bucks IU employees and may qualify for additional federal or state financial aid. The GMercyU courses are offered fully online to accommodate the needs of working professionals. To learn more, email sb@bucks.edu or call 215-968-8270.
Kateryna Maksymenko next to research poster

BCCC Student Presents Alzheimer's Research at Conference

Kateryna Maksymenko was invited to the Beacon Conference to describe the work she did as an intern at the University of Pennsylvania Kateryna Maksymenko, who recently graduated from Bucks County Community College with an associate degree in chemistry, presented her research on Alzheimer’s disease at the 33rd annual Beacon Conference June 6. The Warrington resident was accompanied by her professor, Dr. Ryan Fealy, at Bergen Community College in Paramus, New Jersey. Maksymenko, who graduated with honors and served as commencement speaker, conducted her research as an intern at the University of Pennsylvania. She is transferring to the University of Pittsburgh this fall to study neuroscience and public health. The Beacon Conference was established to recognize, celebrate, and showcase the academic achievements of outstanding students at community colleges in the mid-Atlantic region.
Dr. Patrick M. Jones at podium with Gov. Josh Shapiro

PA Community Colleges Launch ADVANCEPA Tech and Trades Consortium

 Berwick, PA – Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced on June 9 that Amazon is planning to invest at least $20 billion to establish multiple high-tech cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) innovation campuses across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Amazon’s investment will create at least 1,250 high-paying, high-tech jobs. The first communities identified as sites for these future campuses are Salem Township, Luzerne County, and Falls Township, Bucks County. Several additional Pennsylvania communities are under consideration for data center development. Represented by Bucks County Community College President & CEO Dr. Patrick Jones at the June 9 announcement, President Jones also stressed a vision as more hyperscale data centers are planned. "Through a unique, consortium approach, we will be able to better focus on the needs of data centers and help ensure students are prepared with the knowledge and skills required for this unique sector," Dr. Jones said. "We will collaborate to determine industry needs and share expertise and resources so that no matter where someone lives, one of our colleges will be able to help them attain the skills they need for success in this growing industry." Under the lead of the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges (PACCC), Luzerne County Community College, Lehigh Carbon Community College, Northampton Community College and Bucks County Community College are joining forces to partner on a Technology and Trades Workforce Consortium in an expanded Northeast Region of Pennsylvania. The PACCC collaboration will bring together these four community colleges to address workforce needs during the construction of hyperscale data centers and the jobs needed once they are built. As more hyperscale data centers are constructed, other community colleges across the Commonwealth will join to expand the ADVANCEPA Technology & Trade Workforce Consortium. "There is no sector of higher educator better equipped to adeptly respond to the changing workforce development demands of the technological revolution that is driving historic economic growth than Pennsylvania's community colleges," said John Yudichak, President of Luzerne County Community College. Three pillars planned by the Technology and Trades Workforce Consortium are: A Career & Technology Academy An innovative regional partnership formed by community colleges and career and technical center high schools to create new pathways for career and technical center students to earn post-secondary credentials in technology and the skilled construction trades. The goal of a Career & Technology Academy is to serve underserved student populations in career and technical center high schools to build a consistent workforce pipeline of entry level technicians and skilled trade workers. A MicroCredential Academy The MicroCredential Academy will rapidly develop post-secondary credential programing that makes upskilling career credentials for Pennsylvania workers efficient, cost-effective, and accessible. The goal of the MicroCredential Academy is to serve Pennsylvania workers where they live and work by identifying high demand industry clusters and providing online, mobile, and campus based microcrendential programing that empowers workers to advance to a high wage, high demand career. A Construction & Trade Pre-Apprenticeship Academy The Construction & Trade Pre-Apprenticeship Academy will forge a strategic partnership the Pennsylvania Building and Construction Trade Unions is to build a pre-apprenticeship pipeline of students who will learn from a foundational curriculum that will prepare them to enter union registered apprenticeship programs and secure employment in the skilled building and construction trade industry. The goal of the Construction & Trade PreApprenticeship Academy is to promote, educate, and drive interest in students pursuing union apprenticeship programs to meet the growing demand for skilled trade workers in the Pennsylvania economy. "This approach, under the direction of the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges, speaks to how our sector is lockstep with the Governor and General Assembly in moving the Commonwealth forward," PACCC President Dr. Tuesday Stanley said. "This effort speaks for our larger strategy of Advancing PA though its community colleges." Pennsylvania's 15 community colleges collectively serve nearly 240,000 students annually through academic programing and workforce development training programs that focus on high demand and high wage jobs. Pennsylvania community colleges fuel regional economic growth and serve as the central workforce development pipeline in the Commonwealth with 90% of community college graduates going on to live and work in Pennsylvania after graduation. Pennsylvania's community colleges partner with over 2,000 industries in the Commonwealth to align their academic and workforce development programing with a rapidly changing economy driven by technological innovation. "We are so honored to advance Pennsylvania in economic development, workforce development, and even quality of life," said Lehigh Carbon Community College President Dr. Ann Bieber. "The community college sector is pleased to serve in this capacity." The Technology and Trades Workforce Consortium will strategically coordinate resources, avoid duplicative investments in equipment, and foster innovative college and industry collaborations that will streamline a fragmented workforce development system to deliver the highest quality workforce in Pennsylvania history. The Consortium will work with the State Board of Higher Education, federal and state agencies, Career and Technical Centers, high schools, Pennsylvania Construction & Trade Unions, and employers to ensure that curricula remain current and aligned with workforce needs to establish clear educational and career pathways for students. "Our long history as a sector of partnering and collaborating is key to this Consortium," said Northampton Community College President Dr. David Ruth. "Pennsylvania’s community college sector has a long history of collaboration and educating our citizenry in various ways." Media Contact:Dr. Nick Neupauernneupauer@pacommunitycolleges.org