CSM Welcomes First-Year Skilled Trade Students to Regional Hughesville Campus

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These skilled trade students are starting classes at the College of Southern Maryland’s Center for Trades and Energy Training this fall to pursue certifications in welding, carpentry, electrical, HVAC, plumbing and core carpentry skills.

“There Has Never Been a Better Time to be in the Trades”

Sixty-six new students were welcomed to the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) Regional Hughesville Campus, Center for Trades and Energy Training (CTET) this month with a “Tip of the Hat” reception in the center’s CORE construction lab. The tradesmen and tradeswomen, considered ‘first-year’ skilled trade students, are starting CORE construction, Part 1 HVAC or Part 1 welding classes in pursuit of certifications.

“I can’t tell you how much we appreciate that you have chosen the College of Southern Maryland and our Center for Trades and Energy Training for your career preparation,” CSM President Dr. Maureen Murphy told the crowd before handing out ball caps and cake to the attendees. “The world as we know it, would not exist without your expertise.”

Murphy shared a report from the National Center for Construction Education and Research that described the nation’s critical need to revitalize the construction industry. “The backbone of our society rests on the craft professionals who build our hospitals and schools, wire electricity within our homes and bring us indoor plumbing,” she quoted.

“There has never been a better time to be in the trades,” echoed CSM Vice President of Continuing Education and Workforce Development Dr. Dan Mosser. “The nationwide shortage of skilled craft professionals- carpenters, electricians, plumbers, welders, HVAC technicians and all the trades – exceed 1.5 million positions. Today, skilled trades professionals – craft workers and jouneymen alike – earn on average $9,835 more annually than the four-year degree graduate.”

The 30,000-square-foot CTET, the first building on the Regional Hughesville Campus, provides residents direct access to specialized training in career fields that have substantial growth potential including welding, carpentry, electrical, HVAC, plumbing and core carpentry skills.

The “Tip of the Hat” welcome reception capped off a week of celebrations across CSM’s campuses as the institution marks its 60th anniversary during 2018 and its rich history supporting Southern Maryland’s residents and economic development.

Retired U.S. Navy Master Chief Roy Naraine, 65, of Waldorf, said he decided to follow in his sons’ footsteps by attending classes at CSM’s CTET this semester.

“We are your community college and we see this 60th milestone as being one for everyone in Southern Maryland to share in celebration,” said Murphy. “The most powerful things happening at community colleges are that entire families are being changed forever and the opportunities just open up.”

Such is the case for first-year skilled trade student Roy Naraine, 65, of Waldorf. After finishing his master’s degree in human resources and management from Webster University last spring thanks to the GI Bill, the retired U.S. Navy Master Chief with 30 years of active duty said he decided to follow in his sons’ footsteps by attending classes at CSM this semester.

Naraine’s son Shawn completed the CSM pre-engineering program through the Southern Maryland Engineering Partnership (SMD-E) with the Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC-AD) and the University of Maryland at College Park. Shawn finished a four-year engineering degree in Southern Maryland by completing his first two years of college at CSM and then transferring to the University of Maryland A. James Clark School of Engineering located at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center to complete his final two years of studies. He is now employed with U.S. Naval Air Systems Command.

Naraine’s son Jonathan, a Marine veteran, also attended CSM and received his associate’s degree in criminal justice before transferring to the University of Maryland to earn his bachelor’s in the same field.

“This is a lot of fun, and this class keeps me young,” laughed Naraine. “I go to school with my neighbor’s kids!”

The new students welcomed this semester to CTET’s programs are:

Calvert County

Tavarse Chew

Garrett Dove

William Knott

Bryan Rawlings

August Rowell

Dylan Takemori

Robert Taylor

Jody Thompson

Brendan Truitt

Joseph Vasquez

James Wilde

Charles County

Isaiah Alston

Angela Barnes

Thomas Berry

Stephen Brown

Bailee Campbell

Derrick Cunningham

Brelin Elliott

Eric Garcia Sanchez

Leonard Gary

Tyler Getgen

Carolyn Gillespie

Marcel Hammond

Jordan Hammonds

Jahnathian Harrison

Matthew Harrison

Cameron Hogue

Keyshaun Jones

Marquel Jones

Carroll Laws

Clifford Levins

James Mason

Keith Moss

Randall Myers

Roy Naraine

Cole Pepin

Kelvin Proctor

Charles Richardson

Aminatta Sesay

Walter Shaffer

Tyler Shotwell

Ryan Tamayo

Rico Thomas

Jacob Winkler

Washington, D.C.

Ben Hailu

St. Mary’s County

Ryan Chan

Norman Clark

George Delozier

Alec Dobbins

Denise Donavon

Cornell Ford

Tanner Gilbert

Marcus Holt

Michael Lyons

Michael Mattingly

Kelly McGowan

Alexander Meath

Jeremy Murray

Khendall Nasman

Tyrone Nolan

Kevin Pickeral

Edward Pontzer

William Scales

Johnny Sipes

Eliot Willenborg

William Wood

The 74-acre Regional Hughesville Campus provides offerings and programs to serve the entire region in a cost-effective and convenient way. The master plan for the regional campus, as designed and presented by Grimm and Parker Architects, is designed to create a sense of community and includes five phases of growth. Learn more about CSM’s Regional Hughesville Campus online at https://www.csmd.edu/about/locations/regional-campus/