To meet the high demand for qualified highway construction inspectors, Harrisburg Area Community College's Workforce and Economic Development Division offers training for highway construction workers to become certified inspectors. Inspectors are engineering technicians who assure that all construction requirements are met and all the highway specifications and contract drawings are followed. Certification is through NICET, the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies.

There are approximately 1500 NICET highway inspector positions available across Pennsylvania. HACC's program to prepare students for NICET certification grew from a program the College developed in partnership with PennDOT. HACC has modified the model to fit local needs in this region. "We¹ve worked with area consulting firms and PennDOT to develop the program, and identified excellent instructors to teach an effective curriculum," says Jeff Sirkot, HACC's director of manufacturing and technical skills. "We now have a qualified team of 10 instructors to deliver a curriculum that can be completed between November and February."

The next training series will begin Thursday, November 2, at PennDOT district 8 location, at 2140 Herr Street in Harrisburg. Sessions will be 6pm to 9pm every Tuesday and Thursday through December, and then every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday in January and February. The cost for training is $350. Registration takes place through HACC.

For more information, contact Jeff Sirkot, director of manufacturing and technical skills, in HACC's Workforce and Economic Development Division, at (717) 780-2438, or 1-800-222-4222, ext. 2438, or e-mail at jmsirkot@hacc.edu.