Cutting time, cost, and cake in Nanticoke
NANTICOKE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — All over the country we have been seeing high school graduates opt for certifications or shortened degrees more than ever.
It’s certainly a great option and a local community college is taking advantage of the trend, showcasing its two-year programs in an open house Wednesday night.
28/22 News Reporter Emily Allegrucci was there and spoke with instructors and students about why many are making this switch.
Luzerne County Community College (LCCC) welcomed people to learn more about their Culinary Arts Program.
Allegrucci not only had the chance to learn more about their options but also why so many students are recently deciding against the traditional four-year degree.
David Pembleton has been a chef instructor at LCCC for almost 30 years.
After three decades of teaching young bakers how to make the perfect crust, he says the two-year program is seeing more students than ever.
“I think they’re just maybe wanting to get out of school and wanting to practice a craft, get really good at that craft, and then just get out there and practice in the real world,” said LCCC Chef Instructor David Pembleton.
According to a multi-year study done by Educational Credit Management Corporation, more than half of teens are open to something other than four-year college and nearly half believe they can achieve success with three years of college or less.
6 dirt bikes, pickup truck stolen from Snyder County home
That was the focus of the Culinary Arts Open House at LCCC Wednesday, showing students there are other paths to a degree.
Madison Phillips is in year one of her two-year program and says she found out about it through an open house just like this one.
“My mom actually saw the open house for LCCC. I’ve always had a passion to cook, I’ve always wanted to do something within this industry, I just didn’t quite know what it was,” Phillips said.
Besides finding her passion, Phillips is grateful for the money she’ll be saving with a two-year degree.
“For one, the money. The degree that you leave here with and the experience you leave here with is probably almost the same you would leave with a four-year school but in a shorter period of time,” Phillips explained.
Saving time is exactly what attracted Charlotte Olsen to her program, starting while she was still in high school.
“Part of what led me to come here is that I was able to start during high school. Being able to start early, I was able to take things a little bit slower but still finish within that two-year time span,” Olsen stated.
Olsen says the college even helped her find a job after graduation, which is the exact reason students say they are now opting for two-year degrees to get a jump on their professional careers.
If you didn’t have the chance to make it to the culinary arts open house, you can find out more about those programs and all that luzerne county community college has to offer online.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com.
