Dr. Amy Loyd, assistant secretary of the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education at the U.S. Department of Education, visited Northampton Community College’s Bethlehem campus Sept. 23 to learn about the college’s workforce training programs that prepare students for jobs in business and industry.
Dr. Loyd toured the Hartzell Technology Center, had lunch at the student-operated Hampton Winds restaurant and then traveled to visit the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Fab Lab at the Fowler Center. While at the Fowler Center, Dr. Loyd met with graduates of the DCED-funded industrial maintenance and precision machining programs to get a first-hand account of how well the programs prepare students to enter the workforce.
“Crystal Tippey and Mike Moreno could not have been better spokespeople for our industrial maintenance and machining programs,” said Lauren Loeffler, NCC’s vice president of workforce development and community education. “Both program graduates were very articulate when describing how these programs helped to prepare and propel them into not just jobs, but a career path. They are both impressive individuals and are on their way in great careers.”
Dr. Loyd is no stranger to community colleges like NCC. She attended Santa Fe Community College and Northern New Mexico Community College, and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s College. She received a doctorate in education leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she was an adjunct lecturer on building career pathways to increase opportunity and equity.
