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A NATIONAL PACEMAKER AWARD NEWSPAPER
VOl. 27, No. 13 The student publication of Washtenaw Community College
Monday, FEB 25, 2019 www.washtenawvoice.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Career Services in the Student Center on campus has taken on a new name, Career Transitions. The goal is to offer their services to more broad community to keep up with the changing job market.
Newly re-christened Career Transitions adapts to industry change by lilly kujawski
Editor
Formerly the Career Services department, Career Transitions at WCC has taken on a new name and opened its doors to the entire community as part of a campus-wide push keep up with the changing job market. For students, the office and services provided will remain the same, said Cheryl Harvey, director of Career Transitions. “Even though our name has changed, we’re still the same office,” she said. “The students are our first priority and we’re still here to service in the same way.” Now, however, the office will also work with displaced workers in the community to help them learn new skills and undergo career changes, ac-
cording to Harvey. “We can look at the skills that they have, and we will be able to talk to them about what it is they want to do next,” said Harvey. “Then, we’ll be able to direct them to resources on campus, be it classes they can take, certifications they get.” The idea to rename the office came from WCC President Rose Bellanca, Harvey said. Harvey added that WCC is the first to have a Career Transitions office model like this on campus. According to Harvey, mass layoffs in companies have a lot of to do with technology’s role in industry. “Fields are changing due to technology,” Harvey said. “A lot of these workers who are being displaced, are doing jobs now that will no longer be needed.”
“We have to look at a better way to make sure that we’re delivering programs and services to bring the adult workforce back into play,” said Michelle Mueller, vice president of economic, community and college development at WCC. In a press release, Bellanca said that the skills required for jobs now are constantly changing According to a report from World Economic Forum, 65 percent of children entering primary school in 2016 will end up working a job that does not yet exist. “Technology changes so fast that you can’t count on a skill set being the same one that you’re always going to need,” said Mueller. “You have to be responsible as a person now for really taking charge of making sure that
you’re going to set yourself up to continuously learn over your lifetime.” Harvey said the college is working to keep programs up to date and support students, employers and the community. “We’re looking, not just at the jobs people have now, but we’re looking at what the needs will be in the future, and that’s the way that we keep our economy growing and our students working,” Harvey said. Cybersecurity majors, the Advanced Transportation Center and many career and technical education programs are part of the push to keep up with the technological advances in industries, according to Harvey.
see transitions, a2
DANNY VILLALOBOS | WASHTENAW VOICE
SARAJ FARAJ | WASHTENAW VOICE
Culinary class chips, chisels, keeps their cool
Chef Gary Marquardt (center) leads the first ever WCC ice carving class in creating a Pterodactyl. danny villalobos
Staff Writer
This class comes with a warning: “You will be cold and wet.” No, it’s not a medieval Russian torture technique—it’s Ice Carving 233. The class is in its first year and is already through its halfway mark of the 10-week semester, according to course instructor Chef Gary Marquardt. “We’re doing this course just to try it out,” said Marquardt. “It’s a good work in progress and it’s cool in many aspects,” said Gage Korte, 20, a culinary arts student, and one of 12 others registered in this semester’s ice carving course. “There’s many ways that I can apply this for my work, like, chocolate.” The class meets once a week each Monday for six hours, from 3-9 p.m. The semester ends April 1. Students recently competed in a local competition. Despite joining after completing just two classes to gain experience, two pairs of students were placed in third and
fourth place. “They actually beat an ice carving club from U of M, but were ultimately defeated by guys who had two years of experience,” said Marquardt. “It was a really cool experience, I really want to go and do more in the future,” said Anfernie Milton, a 20-yearold culinary arts student in the class. Milton had won third place in the competition along with his partner, Anastatia Baumgardner, a 22-year-old culinary arts student. “It was cold, but there wasn’t a lot of stress and it was another opportunity to cut ice,” said Jillian Henning, 29, a nursing student. She won the fourth place spot with her partner, Kate Weise, 44. So far, this is the only competition in which the class has participated, but Marquardt said he would like to see future classes participate in more competitions. “Next year I’m looking at the competition that they have in Plymouth and hopefully try to look at the huge one in Frankenmuth,” said Marquardt.
SARAJ FARAJ | WASHTENAW VOICE
Contributor
During the polar vortex this Winter, the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County increased their services by 40 percent. The Delonis Center in Ann Arbor was one of those shelters.
During the “polar vortex” in the last week of January, the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County increased their services to ensure that no one would be left without shelter as temperatures plummeted. Throughout the midwest, temperatures hit record breaking lows during the final week of January. As the arctic cold swept through Michigan, the week of January 28 was laden with cancelled school days and closed businesses. For some, this meant a week spent at home drinking hot chocolate in pajamas. For the homeless community, the sub-zero temperatures meant a dire need for shelter. According to Emmeline Weinert, the marketing and communications coordinator of the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, a overnight shelter was added for two nights through Ann Arbor Public Schools to the usual 50
permanent beds available at the Delonis Center. “We have had 367 unique individuals utilize our winter warming shelter services so far this season, and we have averaged around 80 individuals a night in warming shelters, which is in addition to the 50 individuals in our residential program beds,” said Weinert. The Delonis Center also added 12 extra volunteers, and coordinated with Golden Limousine International and Ann Arbor Transportation Authority to provide free transportation to one of their many daytime warming centers, or rotating shelters, Weinert said. “I’ve never seen a place so professionally run. No matter who comes in, these people never exchange their expressions,” said Reggie Smith, who has had a residential bed at the Delonis Center since leaving their treatment program last June.
see homeless, a7
Ice Carving 233 meets once a week on Mondays from 3-9pm, and is a culinary course.
Campus eats SARA FARAJ | WASHTENAW VOICE
by rachel duckett
SARA FARAJ | WASHTENAW VOICE
Shelters expand as temperatures fall
Vee Venson, a supervisor for Aramack on Thursday, Feb. 14, members of the campus community who took a survey about campus food were given a cookie. For a look at current food offerings on campus, see “Dine on Campus” on B1.