The National Council for Continuing Education and Training has recognized Wayne Community College’s Quest Academy with an Exemplary Program Award.
Quest Academy is a program of the Transitional Programs for College and Career department that provides an enhanced experience to higher level English Language Acquisition (ELA) students. Seventy students have completed the academy since it began in 2016.
The award celebrates programs that align with the three-tiered mission of the NCCET organization by providing new and innovative staff development capability, introducing new curriculum for an evolving workforce, or providing a new source of revenue for the school.
Awards were presented to 21 programs from 17 higher education institutions at NCCET’s 50th Anniversary Conference.
Wayne Community College was the only North Carolina school to receive one of the awards.
Award winners are added to the organization’s “EPA Registry” of schools, people, and programs. In a few weeks, NCCET will begin producing a series of live-streamed interviews with representatives of the honored programs and those discussions will be posted on the organization’s webpage.
“Wayne Community College is extremely honored to receive this recognition for our Quest Academy Program”, said WCC Associate Vice President of Workforce Continuing Education Services Renita Allen Dawson. “For the faculty and staff who serve our students, this acknowledgement validates the efforts made to ensure that English language learners receive education and workforce training that prepare them for careers in our community.”
Quest Academy recruits advanced ELA students with a focus on students who are professionally certified in their native country. Students are immersed in English Language Learning with instruction in reading comprehension, writing, listening, and speaking, as well as mathematics, civics, and science; and technical and occupational learning. They co-enroll in Workforce Continuing Education computer classes, and study for and take the National Career Readiness exam. Upon completion of the program they enroll in Workforce Continuing Education or curriculum classes.
Quest students who have completed the program found employment or volunteer positions in the community or enrolled in Workforce Continuing Education and curriculum courses and programs such as dental hygiene, phlebotomy, Microsoft Word Specialist, residential and commercial wiring, Cisco Academy programs, and more.
For more information about the Quest Academy, contact Maria Abalo-Zarate, ELA coordinator, at 919-739-6924 or mfabalo-zarate@waynecc.edu.
About NCCET
The National Council for Continuing Education and Training is the national organization for leaders in workforce, community, and economic development. It provides member institutions and continuing education professionals with proven best practices that help with the implementation and execution of effective and profitable programs. As an affiliate council of the American Association of Community Colleges, NCCET advocates for prioritizing continuing education and training issues among decision-makers and community college leadership to ensure the important work our members do is recognized, valued and supported.
About WCC
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves 11,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 140 college credit programs. WCC’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.
