COVID-era Workforce Grant for Auto Industry Helps Local Employees Improve Skills and Abilities

Through a unique partnership between the New Hampshire Automobile Dealers Association (NHADA) and the Community College System of New Hampshire’s Auto Tech programs, local workers are headed back to the classroom to boost their skills free of charge. The NHADA “” will be tapped to send dozens of employees to various advanced automotive technology programs offered at school’s like ���سԹ�.

“This is a fantastic way to invest in workers locally and make sure our industry remains attractive to our employees,” explains Pete McNamara, President of the New Hampshire Automobile Dealers Association. “Our industry continues to scramble to find qualified people to fill the many positions we have open for high quality, good paying jobs. This is a great way to keep people from leaving for other jobs.”

Laconia’s Irwin Toyota is one of the first dealerships in New Hampshire to take advantage of the workforce grant program. Irwin is providing full tuition for one of its up and coming Toyota technicians. Jeremie LaPlante, a Laconia resident and 2^nd year student in the Toyota Technician Education Network (Toyota T-TEN) program at ���سԹ� (���سԹ�). LaPlante will have his entire 2^nd year of automotive coursework paid for by Irwin’s, which will be partially reimbursed by NHADA.

“We need to grow our own workforce and this grant program will provide customized training opportunities for entry-level workers, which helps meet consumer demand by preparing our people to better handle the rapid technological advancements occurring in the automotive industry,” says Chris Irwin, President of Irwin Automotive Group. “This program also opens the door to career advancement and increased wages, and to build employee and customer loyalty.”

In recent years, several New Hampshire dealers have used this grant program to pay for a class here and there for workers, but Irwin is the first to take full advantage by going all in for Jeremie LaPlante. The Irwin family has been a strong leader in the Lakes Region and an important part of the local economy for nearly 70 years. Irwin’s sponsors several local youth sports teams, supports many local charities and strongly encourages employee involvement in the community.

LaPlante started the program with no formal training in automotive service, but with a strong desire to learn, support from his T-TEN faculty and involved and dedicated Irwin management and technician mentors he has been able to turn his interest and curiosity of cars into a career. “As the youngest member of the 2019-2021 Toyota T-TEN class, Jeremy has shown a high level of maturity that we really appreciate. He did not come from an automotive background, but has risen to be one of the top students in his class. Jeremy is always one of the first students to complete the tasks assigned correctly and sees a difficult task as an opportunity not a roadblock.” says ���سԹ� T-TEN Instructor Brian Ellis.

Jeremie will leave the program in May of 2021 with an AAS Degree, a long list of Toyota training credentials, 2 years of on the job experience, a good paying job with opportunities for continued growth and best of all, thanks to Irwin’s he will be virtually debt free.

“This year presents a unique challenge in awarding these scholarships to students around New Hampshire, so we are taking our good news on the road and going door to door to deliver the news, along with a little “sign of success” for their achievement,” says Jessica Dade, Executive Director of the NHADA Education Foundation.

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���سԹ� opened its Fall semester August 31^st with online, hybrid and on-campus learning opportunities, and some new and freshly refurbished lab spaces to provide hands-on training.

“Electrical students are happy to see our updated laboratory spaces, and Culinary students are loving the progress made in Phases 2 and 3 of the renovation and construction of our new kitchens, walk-ins {refrigerators}, and restaurant in our Culinary wing,” says Marsha Bourdon, ���سԹ�’s Business Affairs Officer. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of the semester.

Most serendipitous of all upgrades, however, may be those made to the school’s HVAC (heating/ventilation/air conditioning) plant, a project in motion even before the school recessed for COVID in the spring.

“With new boilers, duct work, and blowers, we’ve been able to conduct tests of airflow and adjust circulation to ensure adherence to air exchange guidelines while also maintaining comfortable temperatures for everyone on campus,” says Patrick Cate, VP of Academic & Student Affairs. “Our original goal of reducing fuel consumption and energy cost will be met, but, like everything else everywhere, it’s taken a backseat to the health of students and employees this year.”

Armed with guidance from the CDC, the NH Department of Health and Human Services, and the Community College System of New Hampshire, a team of administrators, plant maintenance staff and faculty worked tirelessly throughout the summer to re-open ���سԹ� doors in ways that are “healthy, practical and safe,” says President Larissa Baia. “I’m proud to say that after one week of on-campus classes, things have gone very well, and we’re feeling great about seeing students back on campus.”

“Things have changed a little bit,” she said in a welcoming video address to students. “You’ll see that we’re doing social distancing, we’re all going to be wearing masks in all the classrooms, in the hallways, and in all of the buildings, but what hasn’t changed is our commitment to your education. We’re here to help, so when you have questions, please reach out…everybody here is here to help.

Kimberly Bean, who has worked in the school’s Financial Aid office for more than a decade, agrees that the campus looks different. “As much as I usually complain about the mad rush of students lining up outside the office door during a ‘normal’ semester, this is a little quiet for my taste.

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m really happy to have students back and social distancing and all, but I miss having everyone come back to class at once,” she says, pointing to the major difference in this semester’s academic schedule. Most introductory courses met on campus the first week of September and are remote the next week, while upper level courses meet in person the second week and are remote the weeks before and after. “It’s just different,” she finishes.

The number of students and personnel on campus at any one time has been reduced to fewer than 50% of capacity. Before parking their vehicle, every person entering campus must attest that they exhibit no COVID-19 symptoms and have not been in close contact with anyone who has been diagnosed with the virus. In addition, their temperature must not be elevated, and they cannot have traveled outside New England in the past 14 days.

The school’s typical cleaning regimen has been stepped up to reflect the times. Additional crews have been hired from L & R Cleaning.  “I’m happy to be doing it,” says Dave Fornea, a sanitizing specialist hired to clean surfaces—doors, handles…any place a hand might touch– across campus every 1 ½ – 2 hours. A hazardous materials professional by training, he shows his artillery of cleaning supplies. “Bleach kills everything,” he says confidently.

First-year Nursing students Jessica Lloyd of Laconia and Chuck Weymouth of West Ossipee are impressed with how the whole campus is working together. Jessica notes, “I really like the security checkpoint” she says, and “how they have people coming into the classroom at random times to make sure we’re far enough apart.”

Chuck adds, “They’re having us leave the room in the middle of long classes, so the air can exchange for at least 30 minutes…it’s just the new normal. I don’t think the school could be doing any more with their precautions.”

Jessica crosses her fingers. “We’re just hopeful that all this will let us stay on campus and not have to go remote.”

The school has worked hard to make onsite instruction possible for the fall. Joyce Larson, Director of Enrollment Management and Onboarding, says. While “there’s been a marked increase in enrollment in our online courses this semester, and I think many of our professors are excited to see how they can teach online in new and engaging ways, it’s hard to substitute the hands-on training that goes along with programs like Nursing, Automotive, Advanced Manufacturing, and Marine Technologies. And some people just need that human component in learning. We’re teaming together to keep the campus clean and safe for everyone. Mask wearing, social distancing, good hand hygiene, and health screenings to keep people home who may feel sick… we are doing everything we can to reduce the risk of transmission.”

���سԹ� offers more than 40 educational programs and workforce training for business and industry. Transfer agreements with a variety of regional four-year colleges allow students to receive their Associate’s degree at an affordable community college, and earn a Bachelor’s at a four-year school. ���سԹ� is part of the Community College System of New Hampshire. New classes start September 28^th, and more than $1 million in scholarships remains available this fall on a first-come, first-served basis. To learn more, visit www.lrcc.edu  or visit ���سԹ�’s Virtual Open House at www.lrcc.edu/virtual.

���سԹ� nursing students Chuck Weymouth and Jessica Lloyd enjoyed masked conversation and socially-distanced lunch on the school’s terrazza Thursday. They welcomed the sunshine during a prescribed 30-minute break that allows complete air exchange in their classroom.

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[LACONIA, NH] – ���سԹ� reopened its doors last week, taking the first step into the final phase of a carefully crafted reopening plan.

Students, staff and members of the public may schedule appointments and tours of the hilltop campus, where social distancing and sanitation protocols are in force.

Fall semester classes start August 31 and will run in a hybrid model where students attend socially-distanced in-person classes one week and attend class remotely the next. Students will benefit from onsite instruction and hands-on practice while also benefiting from limited exposure to large groups. The school’s faculty have also been working on innovative strategies that allow an easy pivot if trends change and the population is asked to stay at home again in coming months.

Larissa Baia, president of ���سԹ�, gave high praise to the Reopening Task Force comprised of administration, faculty and staff. “Based on the success of the well-planned phases 1 and 2 of reopening” where students and staff came on campus on staggered schedules that promoted social distancing and testing of sanitation and traffic flow protocols, she said, “���سԹ� is prepared to start our fall schedule with new procedures in place.”

The full plan can be found at /wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Fall-Reopening.pdf

Among protocols practiced will be the requirement of face coverings when in public spaces, daily screening for all individuals who enter campus, and shortened class times. Each room on campus has been measured and its maximum occupancy determined in light of guidelines put out by the Centers of Disease Control. In some cases, learning spaces have been reorganized to better support social distancing. The institution’s ventilation systems have been assessed and course schedules adjusted to allow healthy air exchange between group meetings. Access to some public spaces, such as computer labs and the Bennett Library, will be limited.

���سԹ� is one of only two New Hampshire community colleges that offers housing, and its two- and three- bedroom apartments will be open in fall, with single, rather than double occupancy in each bedroom. Several apartments will be left vacant to provide quarantine housing if it becomes necessary.

“Our number one priority,” says Baia, “is the safety of our students, faculty and staff, and the community of which we are a part. With that in mind, the school is ready to respond to changing conditions. Faculty members have been working through the spring and summer to ensure continuity of instruction no matter how circumstances evolve. No matter what, students can be assured that every effort is being made to retain the personal support and services they’ve come to expect from ���سԹ�.”

Classes at ���سԹ� start Monday, August 31, and include certificate and Associate degree programs in the Liberal Arts, Automotive and Marine Technologies, Electrical, Health, Business, Culinary, and Pastry Arts, Nursing, Fire Technologies, Manufacturing, Computer Technology, Hotel/Restaurant Management and the Arts.

Located minutes off Route 93 in Laconia, ���سԹ� offers more than 40 educational programs, as well as workforce training for business and industry. Transfer agreements with regional four-year colleges allow students to receive their Associate’s degree at an affordable community college, and earn a Bachelor’s at a four-year school. ���سԹ� offers on campus housing and is part of the Community College System of New Hampshire. To learn more, visit www.lrcc.edu  or join an online Open House at www.lrcc.edu/virtual.

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