Mount Joy Campus Archives - Lancaster County Career & Technology Center

Willow Street, PA – Lancaster County Career and Technology Center (LCCTC) sent our three SkillsUSA teams to the 2024 Fall Leadership Workshop for SkillsUSA Pennsylvania, Central Region, on Nov. 13 through Nov. 15. The event offered students leadership seminars, networking opportunities, and social activities.

Maryjane VanArsdale (Elizabethtown), a Precision Machining student at Mount Joy, considered the event an opportunity to infuse career and technical education (CTE) with the sense of community that traditional K-12 institutions can more easily tap into. She explained, “Skills brings the fun into the school, a little bit. It’s not just straight work, work, work. … So to have that here… it makes me think of my home school a little bit.”

Airamis Conde (Conestoga Valley), a Patient Care Technician student at Willow Street, described the conference and its lessons in leadership as critical. She stressed that leadership skills in her field mean “life or death on our table” when students join the workforce.

On Wednesday, conference officers announced that Meals on Wheels and Sunshine for Seniors would benefit from the event’s raffle draw fundraiser. In the evening, our students socialized with other career and technology centers (CTCs) at a nearby movie theater.

When asked about the socializing opportunity, Ky Logan (Elizabethtown), a Veterinary Assistant student at Willow Street, said she overcame her social anxiety, admitting she “felt comfortable” engaging in conversations.

Britney Valetin (Conestoga Valley), a Patient Care Technician student at Willow Street, added she didn’t know how to build a conversation with a stranger and appreciated the chance to take ownership of her social skills in a closed setting.

Josh Erwin (Ephrata), a student in Willow Street’s intergenerational Medical Assistant program, summarized: “Everyone there was there for the same reason. We all had the common goal of, we’re all here to be future leaders and to represent SkillsUSA from our respective campuses and schools. It was a lot easier to connect with people.”

Of the lessons she learned at the workshops, Natalie Yang (Garden Spot), a direct peer of Erwin’s, highlighted the importance of timing and adaptability in leadership. She emphasized the ability to discern “when is the right time to say something and when is the right time to listen.”

Similarly, Sara Rager (Manheim Township), a Patient Care Technician student at Willow Street, reflected on how her understanding of leadership evolved through the conference, realizing that “a leader doesn’t always have to be the first one to speak or stand.”

On Thursday, students toured the Gettysburg Battlefield, competed in tricycle races, and interviewed for Outstanding SkillsUSA Student. At night, event organizers and our SkillsUSA advisors welcomed LCCTC administrators to a formal dinner where the Outstanding Central Region Awards were presented and the fundraiser drew to a close. The conference concluded on Friday morning with the presentation of Leadership Challenge Awards and brunch.

Rager appreciated the visible advisor and administrative presences at the dinner. “All of the teachers, they’re very passionate about SkillsUSA too. It’s not just the students, it’s everyone who’s really involved in it,” she emphasized.

Conde appreciated her advisors for taking time from their personal lives for the conference. She said her advisors gifting their time demonstrates how much they value their students.

Layla Mellinger (Penn Manor), SkillsUSA president and student of the Architectural CAD program at Brownstown, appreciated the conference and club for re-energizing her educational journey. She explained she feels more excited to learn at LCCTC than at in traditional K-12 education: “Here, you get a fresh start with new people from everywhere, where you can show who your true self is without having to hide anything… without being in fear of, ‘What are they thinking of me?’”

“You don’t realize how much of an effect [SkillsUSA] has on you until after,” said Rager. “You have a reason to come to school. You have a reason to just be present… And I think that’s so huge.”

In accordance with Pennsylvania Act 55, the LCCTC has created a new enrollment policy to adhere to guidelines set by the state. Effective for the ’25-’26 school year, the policy states that high interest LCCTC programs are to be filled with priority given to students enrolled in our sending district schools over resident home-schooled students. These high interest programs include:

Full-Time Programs:

Automotive Technology
Diesel Equipment Technology
Electrical Construction Technology
Heavy Equipment Operations & Basic Maintenance
HVAC/R
Patient Care Technician
Welding Technology – Full-Day – Mount Joy

Half-Day Programs:

Introduction to Construction – Brownstown
Introduction to Construction – Mount Joy
Introduction to Construction – Willow Street
Introduction to Culinary – Mount Joy
Introduction to Culinary – Willow Street
Introduction to Health Careers – Willow Street
Introduction to Manufacturing Careers – Mount Joy
Introduction to Manufacturing Careers – Willow Street
Introduction to Transportation Careers – Mount Joy
Introduction to Transportation Careers – Willow Street

For home-schooled students living in our sixteen sending districts and interested in attending the CTC, this policy may also alleviate the number of steps involved in the admissions process. Following the enrollment guidelines, home-schooled students still must coordinate with a counselor within their sending districts when applying for programs at the LCCTC.

The LCCTC secondary student application is currently open. Click HERE to learn more.

Check out this article from Lancaster Farming, which spotlights the hands-on training and professional experiences offered by our Culinary Arts program! Click the image to view the article on Lancaster Farming’s website.

As we get ready for a new school year, we are looking back at all of the great things that happened last year at the Lancaster County Career & Technology Center!

Click HERE or click on the image below to read student stories, learn more about how we have grown within the last year, and what we look forward to in the future!

Lancaster County Career & Technology Center has announced its Honor Roll for the second marking period of the 2023-24 school year.

Students named to the Honor Roll must maintain a grade of 90 or above.

Please click on the link below to view the list.

LCCTC 2023-2014 2nd Marking Period Honor Roll Students

Congratulations to all of our Honor Roll Students on a strong start to the academic year!

At Lancaster County Career and Technology Center, we pride ourselves on preparing students for careers in trades by providing them with real-world, hands-on experience before they even graduate high school. Our House Project at Mount Joy is a shining example of theory and practice coming together; students can put their newly acquired and refined skills to use at a full-scale residential construction site just steps from the LCCTC Mount Joy Campus.

Starting in 1989, the first house projects completed by the CTC (Then Lancaster County Vo-Tech) took place all around the county, on lots that the school procured. Students from the Construction Technologies programs were bussed back and forth to complete work at these locations. In 2005, the school decided to streamline this process and began subdividing sections of the expansive plot of land where the Mount Joy Campus sits into lots for future house projects. Since that time, 7 houses have been built in Mount Joy by our Construction Technologies programs, and select outside vendors. Two more are currently in process.

The house construction timeline takes about three years, with the first year dedicated to permits, planning, and lot preparation. The house plans are picked from submissions by our Architectural CAD/Design, and then permits are handled by Rick Martin, the Construction Manager for the house projects. In his role, Mr. Martin oversees the house projects from start to finish and ensures that students and instructors have all the materials they need and appropriate permits to hit the ground running when they are on-site.

By year two, everything is in place for work to begin at the start of the school year. Because our Carpentry Technology students are just starting in August and have limited experience, the LCCTC hires outside contractors via an open bid on our website to excavate, set the foundation, and pour a concrete basement floor. This year, those projects went to Haldeman’s Excavating, Weaver Superior Walls, and E&G Concrete. Our carpentry students are present while the contractors work to get a first-hand view of how everything is done. This year, E&G Concrete also poured a small slab for our students to practice concrete finishing techniques and instructed students on how to operate a walk-behind finishing machine.

At the start of the school year, each Construction Technology Program student works to get their OSHA Certification. Following certification our Carpentry Technology students then practice the fundamentals they will use on the house project. Once the foundation walls are set by mid-October, students can get to work framing the house. By this time, they have enough classroom experience and the proper certifications to be on the job site. Construction Manager Rick Martin notes that at this point, they also have all the wood, tools, and screws they need to complete the job.

Shortly after Holiday break, the framing will be complete, and a crane is brought in to set the roof trusses. The Carpentry Technology students then finish out the school year by finishing the roof and windows, installing insulation, and house-wrap. While this is happening, our other programs are also working on the house. HVAC, Plumbing, and Electrical Construction Technology students travel to the House project from our Brownstown campus to set up the home’s inner workings – ductwork, plumbing infrastructure, and electricity. Cabinetmaking & Wood Technology students are working at the LCCTC Brownstown campus on the cabinetry that next year’s students will install during year three. By the end of the school year, the house will be ready for another outside contractor to come in and finish the drywall, as this is an advanced skill our Carpentry Technology students have within their grasp but may not be able to master at a professional level during their time in the program.

By year three house is on the fast track for finishing! Ideally, the CTC has a house in each yearly progression so students can work on both the year two and three projects in tandem. Because our full-time programs consist primarily of seniors, this allows them to work on every aspect of their program’s part of the house construction during their year of instruction. As the house project enters its third year, Rick Martin is also working with our realtor/decorator to ensure that the house meets the aesthetic of current market trends. Rick and our Realtor work together to pick the finishing touches for the home, including paint color, fixtures, tile, and appliances.

At the start of school year for the third year of the project, the drywall is ready to be primed by our Painting & Interior Finishes students. By late fall, our HVAC students return to connect the furnace and air conditioner, and ensure all are working properly. Following the Holiday break, the construction students install laminate flooring, light fixtures, and molding and assist with other programs during installation projects. Plumbing students return to set up the bathrooms and kitchen, and Cabinetmaking students install the cabinetry completed by students the previous year. Painting & Interior Finishes students put the finishing touches on walls, ceilings, and doors and install tile generously donated by Conestoga Tile. Our Carpentry Technology students install outdoor steps and sidewalks, and an outside contractor comes in to pave the driveway.

By the time students reach the end of the school year, the year three house project should be nearly complete and ready for market, with only a few punch list items to complete. The most recent LCCTC home completed was a three-bedroom, two and a half bath that sold in July of 2022, for $415,900. The money from the home sales goes back to fund our programs and ensure the future of the house projects for years to come.

This year, Mr. Martin reports that things are moving ahead of schedule, and we are looking forward to the year three house on Fairview Road hitting the market in the Summer of 2024. Each house project represents the hard work of hundreds of our LCCTC students and instructors and the outstanding community partnerships the CTC has forged with local companies. By allowing our students to work and gain experience on a residential site, we are training a new generation of skilled workers needed in our local community and for our economy.

Lancaster County Career & Technology Center has announced its Honor Roll for the first marking period of the 2023-24 school year.

Students named to the Honor Roll must maintain a grade of 90 or above.

Please click on the link below to view the list.

LCCTC 2023-2014 1st Marking Period Honor Roll Students

Congratulations to all of our Honor Roll Students on a strong start to the academic year!

Adult Education Welding Instructor & Coordinator Don Tankesley

As the students filter into the Adult Welding Lab on Halloween, Welding Instructor & Program Coordinator, Don Tankelsey is sure to check in with every student, whether it is about a costume they wore to class, a change in hair color, or just asking how they are doing. With 36 students in total enrolled in short-term and long-term welding classes, it can get hectic, but Don is here for his students and to make sure they get to where they want to be in their future careers. As he rounds out his second year at the CTC, he says saying goodbye to his graduating classes in December will be tough, as he has mentored them and followed every step of their trajectory. However, he knows they are going on to successful careers. In fact, he mentions during his tenure that every student who has wanted a job following graduation has gotten one, a statistic he is proud of.

Don is an LCCTC graduate, graduating from the welding program at what was then known as the Willow Street Vo-Tech in 1981. That year, he took advantage of the cooperative education program and worked part-time at The Farfield Company in Lancaster, where he continued on for 30 more years. When Don came to Mount Joy in 2021, he brought nearly 40 years of welding experience to share with his students. Don feels his call to the CTC was to give back to his students what he learned from his instructors. Since his arrival, he has worked to improve the program and encouraged it’s growth. This change started with the welding lab, where every piece of equipment is up and running, and continued to the number of students, which has doubled in the past two years and continues to grow. Don also notes that now there are more female students enrolled in each of the welding classes, something that has been rare in a traditionally male-dominated field. He hopes this trend continues and more women seek to enter the trades.

Welding students at the CTC include those brushing up on their skills in short-term programs:

Mig Welding(7-weeks)
Tig Welding (7-weeks)
Electric Arc Welding (7-weeks)
Basic Welding (10-weeks)

For long-term programs, students can enroll in Welding Technology and move on to Advanced Welding.

Not all students choose to take both long-term courses. Depending on the student’s goal, they can leave directly from the Welding Technology Welding course or hone their skills in more niche areas like specialty welding, sanitary pipe, structural steel, and more in Advanced Welding. Some students can even spend the end of their course on co-op, which allows them to work and earn wages in their field before finishing the program.

Advanced Wedling student, Carrie Cox

Carrie Cox, who is graduating from the Advanced Welding course in December, liked the program for the independence it allowed her; to learn at her own pace and start working hands-on right away. She decided to move on to the Advanced Welding course because she is looking for a position that requires more skill, and it felt like the natural next step. Don adds that Carrie is a phenomenal welder, and she will be a great asset wherever she chooses to go.

Charlie Frantz came to the CTC knowing he wanted to learn a trade, and the program fit well with his schedule. He has since moved from Basic Welding to Welding Technology and is planning to enroll in the advanced program in January. Charlie credits his interest and success in the program to his instructors. He says the care they put into teaching and mentoring is a great motivator.

Welding Technology student, Charlie Frantz

Don notes that the students who enroll in the program at the CTC are highly motivated to either level up or start on the path to a new career in welding. If he can’t provide guidance, he can rely on his fellow instructors, Dick Bernhardt, Brian Naylor, and Andrew Huber. Don jokes that just with instructor Dick Bernhardt, they have over 100 years of welding experience. Don also worked with Naylor and Huber at Farfield, and Mr. Huber has field experience in Aerospace, Robotics, and underwater welding. This vast expanse of expertise gives students an idea of how their skills can be applied outside of the CTC and how they can land positions in the fields of their choice. Not only are the instructors helping with technical skills, but they are also imparting tips students can use in interviews, out on job sites, and more.

Regarding the Welding program’s future, Don has a few plans in the works. Along with increasing enrollment, he wants to add outdoor centers for the Advanced Welding students. One such center would include a pipe rack where students can cut, fit, and weld right in position to get a feel for what welding would be like in the field, where they may need to fit and weld into tight or awkward spaces while creating effective welds. Judging by Don’s work in just the past two years, we know that the program’s future is looking bright.

If you or a loved one is interested in enrolling in one of our short or long-term programs, new classes start in January! Visit our website to learn more or APPLY HERE.

Last week, our Culinary Center’s Infusions Restaurant held a soft opening for their High Tea and Lunch Services at our Mount Joy campus! The restaurant is now officially open to the public, and visitors can enjoy a delicious meal prepared, plated, and served by our culinary arts and baking and pastry arts students.

On Tuesdays, Infusions hosts a high tea. Each event centers around a different theme, and each meal starts with soup, salad, and quiche, followed by a three-tier tray that includes scones and spreads, tea sandwiches, and pastries. High tea is served at 11:00 and 11:30 AM.

On Thursdays and Fridays, Infusions hosts a prix fixe menu that includes a choice of appetizer or soup or salad, Bread/Rolls, a choice of Entrée (including accompanying side dishes), a selection from our Bakery Dessert tray, and a beverage.

Each day that Infusions is open, the bake shop located in the restaurant lobby is a lso open for customers to stop in and choose from a selection of prepared breads, pastries, and soups. See the Infusions bake shop price list for more details on what is available.

Even though the soft opening was the first week for students in the restaurant, seeing everyone in a professional setting so soon after the start of the school year showed great promise for the year ahead! LCCTC Culinary Facilitator Drema Shireman is optimistic that the culinary students will quickly master the high tea and lunch services as the year progresses.

If you would like to dine at Infusions, reservations are recommended! Call 717-208-3127 to reserve your spot, and let us know of any allergies or dietary restrictions. Browse our Fall 2023 Prix Fixe menu before your visit to see what is available. Updated menus are available on our website throughout the school year.

Last week our LCCTC Secondary students met and spoke with potential employers in their fields at our Employer Engagement Fairs! Starting on Tuesday September 26, and running until the 28^th, each fair brought representatives from local companies related to the centers at each campus. Dr. Susan Wienand, LCCTC Work-Based Learning & Outreach Coordinator organized the fairs to give students the opportunity to speak directly with employers earlier in the year as a motivator to help them reach the eligibility requirements necessary for Advanced Placement Internship (API) and Cooperative Education (Co-op) later in the school year.

The fairs were a resounding success, and we hope introducing students to representatives succeeding in their fields will encourage students to do their best during the school year and work towards their education goals. See a summary of the representatives who were present at each of our campuses below.

Brownstown -September 26

Abel Construction
Agriteer
Benchmark Construction
BR Kreider & Son
Brubacher Excavating
Brubaker, Inc.
Cassel Fleet Graphics
CH+N Site
Clark Service Group
Cocalico Plumbing & Heating
Dart Containers
DH Funk & Sons
ECI Group
Flow Mechanical
Galebach’s Floor Finishing
Garden Spot Mechanical
Graybill Service Group
Haller Enterprises
Home Climates
K & K Youndt
Keystone Trailer Services
New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co, Inc
NextEra Energy
Premier Custom Built
Pure Water Technology
QCCI
R Work Excavating
Ressler & Mateer
Sahd Metal Recycling
Sherwin Williams
Signature Custom Cabinetry
Stauffer Diesel
Stryten Energy
Tabora Painting
Temp Chek
TM Heating and Cooling
Turf Teq
Warfel Construction

Mount Joy -September 27

Advanced Food Products
Astro Machining
Benchmark Construction
ECI Group
Eden Resort
Galebach’s Floor Finishing
Garden Spot Village
Goodhart Sons, Inc.
Graybill’s Tool & Die, Inc.
Hershey Entertainment & Resorts
High Industries
Highland Tank
Ira G. Steffy
Keystone Trailer Services
KRB Machinery
Lezzer Lumber
Masonic Villages
MH Eby Premier Custom Built
Sahd Metal Recycling
Signal Machine Company
Spec Fab
Steps to Success, Inc.Stryten Energy
SWF Industrial
Warfel Construction
Weaver Construction
Weaver Industries
Willow Valley Communities
Zook Interiors

Willow Street -September 28

Adcock
Agriteer
Bergey’s Truck
Bobby Rahal Lexus
Calvary Fellowship Homes
Cassel Fleet Graphics
Faulkner Automotive
Garden Spot Village
Goodhart Sons, Inc.
High Industries
Keller Bros. Dodge
Keystone Trailer Services
KRB Machinery
Landis Homes
LCM Subaru
PowerPro Equipment
Providence Autos
Sam’s Mechanical Service
Stauffer Diesel
SWF Mechanical

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