Enrollment under way at Cape tech college
Enrollment is currently under way for an assortment of fast-paced programs, which are all affordable, at Cape Coral Technical College.
Cape Coral Technical College opened in 1993 as the Lee County High Tech Center North before a rebranding took place after 47 technical colleges opened in Florida. Now Cape Coral Technical College offers 16 programs, all within the areas of agriculture, health, technology, business and hospitality.
The technical college is held accountable through its placement rates after a student graduates, completion of the program and licensures. Cape Coral Technical College Director Charlie Pease said they just went through the process with the Accrediting Council with occupation education, which is done every six years.
“We have to complete at least 60 percent of our students in order to maintain accreditation status,” Pease explained, adding that they also have to place 70 percent of their graduates in a job-related field, as well as receiving their license.
The job placement rate across all programs is 92 percent in their field of study and a 99 percent license pass rate, officials said.
“That is a stamp of approval that we do offer high-quality programs,” he said.
Students enrolled in the programs at Cape Coral Technical College finish the program through clock hours.
“The student clocks in at the beginning of their day with the same group of students, as well as clocks out for lunch and at the end of the day, essentially like you are at work. You are learning skills and working with the same group in that same cohort model with an instructor,” he said. “You are really building strong relationships with that group of folks and go deep into curriculum and hands-on experience.”
Another perk of getting an education at Cape Coral Technical College is students leave without any debt. Pease said they ask that students fill out FAFSA and meet with the school’s financial aid team to see if they qualify for scholarships, state grants or Pell grants. Self-pay also is an option for students, as they can pay installments for every 300 clock hours.
Some of the programs require a high school diploma, or GED, while others require a basic skills examination at Cape Coral Technical College.
Two of the programs, practical nursing and dental assistants, are application-based programs due to certain requirements. Both are 12 student cohorts, with enrollment opening twice a year for additional students.
“For the rest of the programs, it is first- come, first-serve programs,” Pease said.
The length of the programs vary, as does the cost.
A popular program, veterinary assisting, runs about seven months for just under $3,000 and practical nursing, about 13 months, has a total estimated cost of $7,165.
“Our practical nursing program is consistently ranked in the top three out of 90-plus programs in the state of Florida,” Pease said. “For the year 2021, we were ranked No. 2 by two different agencies.”
A newer program, optometric assisting, began in January 2020. It came about after partners in the region said they could really use a training program. Pease said a program is developed after a need in an industry is expressed, and there is guided curriculum framework outlined by the state of Florida. The 10-month program has an estimated cost of $4,612.
The most frequently run program is nursing assistant. Pease said it is a six-week program to become a CNA.
“We run it every six weeks. We do have about eight seats available for the January cohort that starts on Jan. 3,” he said, adding that they partner with Lee Health and can all but guarantee students with a $15-an-hour job once they pass the state certification exam. “There are hundreds of openings. They appreciate the level of training and quality. Our relationship with them is excellent.”
Each program has an advisory board with at least three local industry partners.
For example, the dental assisting program, which runs for 11 months, at an estimated cost of $6,641, is based on the Commission on Dental Accreditation, which gives the college guidance of requirements for work in a clinical setting. Cape Coral Technical College works with 20 dental offices in which students are placed based on where the instructor feels they would best fit.
For a complete list of programs and its start dates, visit capecoraltech.edu.
Pease said they have enrollment specialists and a team that would be happy to meet with anyone to provide additional information. The college also offers information sessions, which includes a tour, every Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. and Thursday at 1 p.m.
For more information, call (239) 574-4440.
Over the next five years, Pease said they have plans with the School District of Lee County to double their capacity. The improvements include two 6,000-square-foot laboratories to service cars and boats for the auto and marine program.
“We don’t anticipate that opening until August 2023, or January 2024. We are getting ready to engage with the architect and engineer to do the master design,” he said.
In addition, a few years later Pease said they plan to add an additional 2,200-square- foot building, which would house eight additional programs and laboratory spaces. The hope is to add such programs as HVAC, welding, construction design and whatever else the need may be for the local industry.
The plan is to have everything built out by the 2025-2026 school year. Pease said they are looking at grants, in-kind contributions, as well as naming rights of the building, or smaller contributions like equipment and sponsorships.
“Cape Coral Technical College is the only college in the city of Cape Coral. That’s really amazing. We have 200,000 people in the city and there isn’t even a private college institution here,” he said. “It’s important for us to expand to serve the community here. We, as a public option, expand and work with our community partners, school district, economic development to make sure we are able to expand and meet the needs of our growing city.”
To reach MEGHAN BRADBURY, please email news@breezenewspapers.com