Liberty to offer new technical trade courses

Beginning in the spring semester, Liberty University will add a variety of technical courses to the course catalog. Liberty will be working with the Virginia Technical Institute to offer classes in electrical, HVAC, carpentry, plumbing, and welding.

Learn a trade — Liberty will be working with the Virginia Technical Institute to offer classes in electrical, HVAC, carpentry, plumbing, and welding. Photo provided

While these for-credit courses will not themselves be a major, they will serve to enhance a wide variety of majors. Students majoring in business, missions, FACS, criminal justice, and several others already have shown interest in these courses.

Logan Midgett, a Criminal Justice Major, is one such student. Midgett originally took the introductory course as an elective. He soon discovered an interest in these courses, however, and has since enrolled in Carpentry and Heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) for next semester.

“I am taking these classes because I would like to know these skills, so that if something at my house needs to be fixed in the future I can do it myself, instead of paying a large amount for someone else to come work on it,” Midgett said.

These courses are not just for the boys. Out of the 16 students in the first CRFT 101 class, 3 were girls. One of those girls is Rebekah Houser, who is majoring in Fashion Merchandising and Interiors. Houser hopes to take classes in electric and carpentry in the future, though she does not yet know how far she will go in the program.

“I do not know exactly what I want to do with my major when I graduate, but I know I want to be able to use what I learn in missions, whether short or long term,” Houser said. “I felt it would open up more opportunities to serve if I could not only design a space, but also play at least some part in building it.”

“I am looking forward to gaining new skills and knowledge,” Houser said. “I think it will be an exciting learning experience.”

According to Lance McClure, Liberty’s Director of Technical Studies, students interested in these courses must first take CRFT 101, which covers all the basics and safety procedures. McClure teaches CRFT 101.

“Mr. Mclure is a good teacher,” student Rebekah Houser said of McClure. “He made sure we knew the material, and kept class interesting with stories from his experiences in construction.”

All courses a part of the curriculum of the National Center for Construction Education and Research. NCCPR is recognized in all 50 states, and credits are recorded on national registry. This means that any credits completed at Liberty can be transferred to any other NCCER certified campus, should any student decide to further his or her education elsewhere.

These new courses will be taught two nights a week. Part of each course will be taught at the Virginia Technical Institute in Altavista, Virginia. McClure stated that learning in this environment will give students a chance to gain hands-on experience in their selected trades. All of the instructors are journeymen or above in their trades.

McClure added that these courses have the potential to benefit anyone. He recommended that any students interested should sign up for the introductory course and give it a try.

“You might as well get something you can use later, even if it’s only good around the house,” McClure said.

2 comments

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