Military Member Instant Decision Day is November 17, 2023

Johnson College’s Instant Decision Day for Veterans and those currently serving in the U.S. Military will be held on Friday, November 17, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. virtually and inside Woolworth Hall on the Johnson College Scranton campus. To register to attend in person or virtually, visit johnson.edu/instant.

During the Instant Decision Event, Johnson College will provide prospective veteran students and those currently serving in the U.S. military with an immediate enrollment decision. They must supply their high school transcripts and can bring their college and military transcripts if applicable. It is highly recommended that the prospective student completes an application before attending.

Applications for Johnson College’s Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiologic Technology, and Veterinary Nursing programs are excluded from instant decisions.

College Hosts Global Taco After Dark Webinar Session

Johnson College will host members of Taco Comfort Solutions as they broadcast their global training webinar, “Taco After Dark,” from the Scranton campus’s Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Technology lab.

This session is the eighth and final part of their fall webinar series called “Taco After Dark” and will cover the topic of domestic hot water recirculation. Participants will learn the correct way to size and control a DHW recirculation system for all types of water heaters. The webinar will focus particularly on the unique DHW recirculation requirements being set forth by heat pump water heater manufacturers.

Taco Comfort Solutions is a family-owned, global engineer and manufacturer of high-efficiency indoor heating, cooling, and plumbing comfort systems. They offer industry-leading training for residential and commercial systems. Members of the training team have been visiting technical schools across the continent to present their webinar sessions live from industry-focused classrooms. Webinar presenters from Taco Comfort Solutions will include John Barba, Director of Training; David Holdorf, Residential Trainer of the Eastern region; and Rick Mayo, Western Product and Application Instructor.

To learn more about this webinar or to register for this session, visit www.tacocomfort.com/training/online-training/taco-after-dark/.

College Reveals Expansion with Construction of Bracey Hall

Johnson College announced today that construction will soon begin on a new advanced technology facility to house its growing Building Trades programs, specifically Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Technology and Electrical Construction Technology. The new facility will double the size of the existing HVAC laboratory and provide additional training facilities for Electrical Construction Technology on the College’s Scranton campus.

During a community event on the Scranton campus, Dr. Katie Pittelli, Johnson College President & CEO, unveiled artist renderings and plans for the new facility as she announced that the building expansion will be named Bracey Hall, in recognition of the Bracey family’s service to Johnson College. The Braceys recently pledged a major gift to the College’s capital campaign, “Innovation at Work,” to support its building trades programs. This gift will allow the College to continue meeting the needs of its students, industry partners, and the community with advanced real-world, hands-on, industry-driven education.

In addition to the transformational gift from the Bracey family, the College was awarded a $1 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through the City of Scranton. This grant will help the College to expand its workforce development programming for high-tech and in-demand fields, including HVAC and Electrical Construction. The HVAC and Electrical Construction Technology programs also benefitted from a $280,000 Appalachian Regional Commission grant for campus technology upgrades.

Dr. Pittelli stated Bracey Hall will feature ample space to provide dedicated, permanent areas for all significant training equipment. The facility will feature a more advanced interdisciplinary programming laboratory that will teach students the importance of learning to work in teams with each other and those from differing programs.

The building trades programs at the College have seen continuous growth throughout the past few years. The College’s HVAC program director and chair of the Building Trades division, Walter Wood ’11, shared that the significant demand in industry has led to an increase in enrollment and the need to expand. Additional classrooms and lab space will provide more students the opportunity to enroll in the College’s hands-on Building Trades programs to meet industry needs throughout the region and beyond.

For more information about Johnson College’s comprehensive, five-year capital campaign, “Innovation at Work,” visit johnson.edu/innovationatwork.

College to Host 2023 Fall Open House

Johnson College will hold an on-campus Open House on Saturday, November 4, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. To register to attend the Open House, visit Johnson.edu/openhouse or contact Johnson College’s Enrollment Department at 570-702-8856 or enroll@johnson.edu.

Open House will include discussions about the admissions process, information about financial aid for those who qualify, and student services such as student life, student support, and career services. Plus, same-day acceptance will be available for many programs if students bring their high school or college transcripts. Tours of each technical area will be conducted and program directors and instructors will be available to review the specifics of their programs.

College Receives Grant from onsemi for Safety Net Program

Johnson College has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the ON Semiconductor Foundation, an onsemi Giving Now program, a leading semiconductor manufacturer. The grant will be used to support a safety net program for students in need of assistance meeting basic needs.

This new program will provide emergency relief for basic needs such as utility bills, housing, transportation, and food security so students can remain in school to complete their programs and go on to earn family-supporting wages through employment in the region. The safety net program will be available to help all Johnson College students at both the Scranton and Hazleton campuses.

Many students face multiple barriers to successfully completing their degree or certificate program due to financial concerns related to transportation, housing, and food. A financial emergency can cause some students to withdraw from their program of study. This grant award from onsemi will provide resources so the College can help students work through these financial emergency situations.

Students facing short-term financial emergencies may request assistance in the College’s Community Hub where staff will confidentially help identify solutions, community agency supports, and eligible state/federal programs. “This grant from onsemi will help students focus on their education when faced with a basic need financial emergency,” said Dr. Katie Pittelli, Johnson College President & CEO. “Having the funding available from onsemi will let us address an obstacle quickly and help the student stay on track.”

“Through our Giving Now program, onsemi is driving positivity forward by creating meaningful change for our planet and every community that we live and work in around the globe,” said Tyler Lacey, board president for the ON Semiconductor Foundation, a Giving Now program at onsemi. “On behalf of the Foundation, we’re proud to support the work of Johnson College as we work toward making the world better together.”

onsemi is committed to building brighter futures through funding STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Education activities for underprivileged youth in underserved communities.

About onsemi

onsemi (Nasdaq: ON) is driving disruptive innovations to help build a better future. With a focus on automotive and industrial end-markets, the company is accelerating change in megatrends such as vehicle electrification and safety, sustainable energy grids, industrial automation, and 5G and cloud infrastructure. onsemi offers a highly differentiated and innovative product portfolio, delivering intelligent power and sensing technologies that solve the world’s most complex challenges and leading the way to creating a safer, cleaner, and smarter world. onsemi is recognized as a Fortune 500® company and included in the Nasdaq-100 Index® and S&P 500® index. Learn more about onsemi at www.onsemi.com.

Pictured left to right: Dr Katie Pittelli, President & CEO of Johnson College, and John Butchko, New Product Development Manager of onsemi.

College Receives EITC Contribution from Peoples Security Bank & Trust

Johnson College received a $12,000 EITC contribution from Peoples Security Bank & Trust to support the College’s Industry Fast Track program.

Peoples Security Bank & Trust’s contribution to Johnson College is part of Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program, administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. The program offers businesses a tax credit for supporting state-approved educational improvement programs. Johnson College is approved to accept EITC contributions in support of its STEM outreach programs and Industry Fast Track program.

Johnson College’s Industry Fast Track program offers high school students from participating area school districts an opportunity to enroll simultaneously in secondary and post-secondary coursework at Johnson College. The course meets state requirements for high school graduation while providing college-level courses. Students remain enrolled full-time at their high school while attending classes on the College’s campus.

To learn more about Johnson College’s Industry Fast Track program, visit johnson.edu/dual-enrollment-at-johnson-college.

College Receives Scholarship Award from Villa Capri Cruisers Car Club

The Villa Capri Cruisers Car Club, Inc. presented a $1,500 check to support the organization’s annual scholarship for Johnson College Automotive Technology students with demonstrated financial need. The club also gifted the school with a new automotive toolbox. This year marks the 13th year that the scholarship has been awarded to Johnson College students. Funds are raised through donations, volunteer work, sponsorships, and annual calendar sales.

Johnson College’s two-year Automotive Technology associates degree program prepares students as entry-level technicians in the automobile and diesel industries. Graduates can work for employers in the automotive career fields of automotive, truck, farm, and earthmoving equipment dealerships; truck, power generation, and construction companies; automotive service centers; engine repair/machine shops; automotive equipment distributors; independent service garages; automotive parts manufacturers; sales representation; and auto insurance companies.

Pictured left to right: Nick Telli, Villa Capri board member; Mark Kozemko, Johnson College Automotive Technology Instructor; Sal Pizzo, Villa Capri Vice President; Jim Williams, Johnson College Automotive Technology Program Director; Dr, Katie Pittelli, Johnson College President & CEO; Joe Carra, Villa Capri President; Dave Thomas, Villa Capri Secretary; Rick Mroczka, Villa Capri board member; and Joe Caputo, Villa Capri board member.

Community Trunk or Treat Event

Johnson College invites the community to a Trunk-or-Treat event on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, from 5 to 7 p.m. at its Scranton campus.

The College’s students, staff, and faculty, as well as community organizations, will be handing out candy in the upper parking lot by the Moffat Student Resource Center. The lot can be accessed via the North entrance across from Schiff’s Marketplace. Everyone attending is encouraged to wear their favorite costume! This free event will provide families with a safe space to enjoy Halloween fun.

For more information, please email studentsuccess@johnson.edu or call 570.702.8953 or 570.702.8912.

A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to Celebrate the Grand Opening of ‘Johnson College at the CAN DO Training Center’

In a joint celebration held today, September 27, CAN DO and Johnson College held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the ‘Johnson College at the CAN DO Training Center’. This celebration comes after the two institutions announced their partnership to bring a technical school to the Greater Hazleton Area earlier this year.

The ‘Johnson College at the CAN DO Training Center’ ribbon cutting event showcased the expansive 20,000 sq. ft. facility – which was once home to the former McCann School of Business and Technology. Guests were invited to tour the new school, including classrooms, lab spaces, and the campus resource center that is open to all students. Capriotti’s Catering and Little Treats and Cakes by Janna catered the event with light lunch fare and desserts.

Dr. Katie Pittelli, President and CEO of Johnson College, and Joseph Lettiere, President and CEO of CAN DO, were both present and spoke about how this partnership is a monumental achievement for the Greater Hazleton Area, its residences, and its businesses.

Dr. Katie Pittelli spoke of the importance of the College’s industry partners throughout her remarks. “I like to say that we are founded and grounded in industry”, she mentioned. “The industry partnerships we’ve fostered here in the Greater Hazleton region helped us identify the need for skilled technicians and technologists in the area and the need for us to create unique, hands-on, industry-driven experiences for students who want to work within those industries.”

During his remarks, CAN DO President and CEO, Joseph Lettiere, stated, “CAN DO’s partnership with Johnson College is monumental for the Greater Hazleton Area and its residents as a whole. Through the various programs available on this campus, our community will have direct access to the necessary training and education our industries are in need of…these programs truly move the needle for members of our community by providing industrial education that will ultimately lead to family- and life-sustaining careers.” 

Other key members of this partnership and esteemed dignitaries also in attendance included Charles Burkhardt, Chair of the CAN DO Board of Directors, Pat Dietz, Chair of the Johnson College Board of Directors, Pennsylvania State Senator David Argall, representing Pennsylvania’s 29th Senatorial District, and members from both CAN DO and Johnson College’s Board of Directors.

With its strategic positioning inside of the Humboldt Industrial Park, Johnson College’s Hazleton campus will provide students with advantageous proximity to nearly 70 industries currently employing more than 11,000 individuals. The campus is also now a central education hub for communities within lower Luzerne and surrounding counties.

While classes officially began on August 28, the new school offers a robust curriculum aimed to cater to the diverse academic and industry needs of the Greater Hazleton Area community. Notable program offerings include a 2-Year Associate Degree in Applied Science for Electrical Construction Technology and 1-Year Academic Certificate programs in Welding Technology, Industrial Technology, and Building and Property Maintenance. Additionally, the school offers continuing education certificate courses in Medical Assistant, Computer Support, and Security Specialist, as well as Class A CDL Driver Training.

For more information about these upcoming programs, visit johnson.edu/Hazleton.