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Case Study: Tampa Area JATC Electrifies Program with Online Training
Tampa Area Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC) is a premier Florida training center for electrical apprentices. Striving to produce the future leaders of the electrical industry, they are committed to delivering an expert education. Assistant Training Director, Tom Bedwell proudly shared how they “train the best by any means necessary” with a blended learning approach. Combining practical classroom lessons with Mastery Technologies’ online courses has proven to be a successful formula.
When Bedwell set out to improve the center’s curriculum, he knew he needed to maximize hands-on hours without sacrificing necessary knowledge-based training. His search led him to FreeTrainingPower.com’s online courses which he began assigning for homework. The free content quickly impressed the training director. In addition to seeking highly professional, industry-specific content, he also has to ensure OSHA and MSHA standards are met, and FreeTrainingPower.com courses fit the bill.
After successfully integrating online training into his program and months of tracking course completion via printed certificates, Tampa Area JATC was ready to take more of their curriculum online. The positive reception by students and the quality of the training content was enough to convince Bedwell a complete Learning Management System (LMS) was the next key to his success.
“For a small investment we are getting everything we need,” explained Bedwell. The LMS will expound upon the benefits the center has already seen. Students are pleased with the ease of the online system and instructors enjoy more lab time. The LMS streamlines the way they track training needs and completions, for both online training and hand-on experience, while opening up the options for a larger library of online content.
The Tampa Area JATC has discovered the power of online learning in a traditionally hands-on environment. Even those initially resistant to the technology have found ease and value in Mastery Technologies’ training solutions. Most importantly the students are acquiring the valuable knowledge-based training they need without interfering with the necessary time for hands-on learning. Presenting students with lecture material through the online training, allows instructors to have more time for hands-on learning and coaching.
Bedwell wants his students to emerge high-skilled electricians ready for success, and Mastery Technologies is happy to be a part of the Tampa Area JATC’s efforts in developing the future leaders of the electrical industry.
