Laying groundwork for a career change

BY CATHY JETT

Orange County carpenter Darrell Hale laughed the first time his fiancee suggested he study nursing at Germanna Community College.

After all, he'd worked for his father's construction business, N.E. Hale Inc., for 17 years before becoming a contractor himself.

"My idea when I got out of high school was to be a carpenter," Darrell Hale said. "That's what my family does."

But Christinia Hargrove's suggestion started to make sense as he watched the demand for builders dwindle after the housing bubble burst. A career in nursing, especially with two new hospitals opening in the Fredericksburg area, began to seem like a safe move.

"I was tired of feasting one month and starving to death the next," said Hale.

He signed up for the eight-week nurse aide class at Germanna's Locust Grove campus this past fall and will take the state exam to become a certified nurse aide in January. His fiancee already is studying to be a licensed practical nurse, and he'll start the prerequisite classes for LPN students next month.

"I foresee a lot of opportunity in this area," said Hale, who plans to put himself through school working as both a nurse's aide and a carpenter. "I hope to be an RN by the time my son graduates from high school four years from now."

More people like Hale are turning to Virginia's community colleges in hopes of switching from hard-hit fields such as housing to ones in areas likely to be in high demand both now and long after the economy rebounds.

Often, they turn first to Germanna, which has helped it become the second-fastest-growing community college in the state in terms of head-count percentage. It's seen a 10.4 percent increase from fall 2007 to fall 2008. That puts it behind only Thomas Nelson Community College, which has experienced a 12.7 percent increase.

"What we're seeing is folks who, three years ago, were making $80,000 are having a tough time making a living," said Mark Haines, counseling services coordinator at Germanna's Fredericksburg-area campus.

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Nursing isn't the only field getting attention from Fredericksburg-area residents preparing for a career change by enrolling at Germanna Community College.

Demand for Cisco Networking Academy classes recently convinced GCC officials to offer them for college credit as well as non-credit. The hands-on classes on creating and maintaining computer networks is popular with students seeking an entry into the field, which both pays well and offers job security.

"This certification opens a lot of doors," said Andrew Ohnstad, an adjunct instructor who teaches the non-credit Cisco classes at Germanna's Joseph R. Daniel Technology Center in Culpeper. The for-credit classes are offered there and at Germanna's Fredericksburg campus.

According to the latest government figures, 43 percent of companies nationwide plan to increase their IT staff, and 44 percent plan to increase their IT budgets, said Gena Pirtle of Fredericksburg, who is the marketing programs manager for the Cisco Networking Academy in North America.

"I think a lot of people [in blue-collar jobs] are tired of what they're doing," Ohnstad said. "They've reached the end of where their current skills can get them. Typically, the entry-level pay in this industry is equal to senior jobs in more blue-collar industries."

--Cathy Jett

Tough Times is an occasional series about the impact of the recession on area residents.

Date published: 12/27/2008

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