SANFORD - Building Construction Technology (BCT) will be offered at Central Carolina Community College in Fall 2016, pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The program will be based on the CCCC Chatham Campus in Pittsboro.

This area of study prepares students for today's growing job market in the construction industry by combining hands-on training with classroom instruction to provide students with a solid foundation in the skills needed for this vibrant sector. The program is an extension of CCCC's Sustainability Technologies Program, which has achieved national recognition for in its commitment to providing the training and tools to equip students to be at the forefront of this industry.

"The success of our existing construction courses and the projected population growth in our area were two key factors in the decision to create an Associate degree in Building Construction Technology," said Andrew McMahan, CCCC Department of Sustainability Chair.

"The construction industry is one of the top job growth sectors in our region," said Jeff Gannon, CCCC Green Building Instructor. "The BCT program prepares students to enter the field by providing hands-on training with the academic knowledge to understand why things are done a certain way."

Building Construction Technology Program highlights include:

• Hands-on approach. Students learn by doing. Each year students build a version of The Chatham Cottage, a small 500-square-foot house publically auctioned annually.
• Foundation courses in OSHA, codes and regulations, energy analysis, architectural drawing, building science materials, and methods.
• Sustainability Technologies coursework is integrated into the curriculum to train students not only how to build, but how to build better. Students learn conventional and advanced construction techniques to best prepare for a mobile job market.
• Students learn not only how, but why. The BCT program includes courses in energy analysis, architectural drawing, building science, and green building certification programs.

The instructors in the BCT program come to the classroom from the field. This approach provides students with access to real world experience and connections to those working in this demanding field.

"We teach students not only how to build, but how to build better," said Gannon. "We teach not only the fundamentals of construction basics such as safe tool use and the assembling of hundreds of parts, but how to assemble those parts in high performance, energy efficient ways."

Students successfully completing the BCT program will be able to:

• Develop fluency in the use of construction tools, building materials, and working safely.
• Implement communication skills and professional demeanor to advance best work practices.
• Develop skills in print reading, estimating, codes and regulations relevant to the construction industry.
• Apply building construction techniques and analyze the theories and principles fundamental to building science from the small details to the big picture.
• Establish connections and relationships with businesses and potential employers.

The curriculum will be offered as a five-semester Associate in Applied Science (AAS), three-semester Diploma, and a BCT Certificate option. Graduates will have the knowledge, hands-on skills, and experience expected of an entry-level candidate in the construction sector and can enter the job market or transfer credits to a four-year institution.

For more information on this program, contact Jeff Gannon at 919-545-8032, or by email at jgannon@cccc.edu.

More information on the Building Construction Technology program can be found at the website: www.cccc.edu/curriculum/majors/bct.