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This fall, Northwest Tech welcomed a new Carpentry instructor, Joseph Dobbs. Dobbs is a Northwest Tech alumni, however, he majored in Computer Graphic Design back in 2005. Dobbs spent the last 12 years working in the construction industry alongside his father.
“Carpentry was something I was raised doing. It’s my father’s trade and so by proximity I inherited the skills, knowledge and passion required for the job”, said Dobbs, “To this day it still gives me immense joy to finish a project and have a satisfied customer. It’s always fulfilling to finish an apartment, office, shop, building or home and step back to realize you left a thumb print that will bring years of use for the customer and or family.”
Dobbs worked for his family’s construction company as soon as he was able to go to work, and the experience helped foster his desire to instruct. He finds sharing his knowledge of the industry very rewarding, and he is motivated to see students graduate from Northwest Tech and enter the workforce with pride and confidence.
Dobbs’ vision for the program is to put a bigger emphasis on instructional class time as well as the hands-on learning experience currently offered. This means incorporating a few more courses he believes are necessary, without losing the time devoted to the hands-on projects.
“I want my students to have a big advantage going into industry”, said Dobbs, “I want my students to leave Northwest Tech with their degree and a Contractor's License in hand. That’s my goal.”
The Carpentry program at Northwest Tech is a broad program where courses are focused on various disciplines with work-based experience. Students will learn from lectures, demonstrations, shop time, and campus work projects alongside course material. Students are prepared for employment in the residential-commercial carpentry construction industry by the end of the two-year program. The goal of the program is to prepare students eventually to gain employment in various levels in construction such as; journeyman carpenter, job site foreman, construction superintendent, or project manager. The curriculum corresponds directly alongside the industry's green building and energy efficient standards. The students’ ability to apply learned concepts to mastered skills is monitored through projects requiring industry-standard skill levels of increasing difficulty and through building maintenance, renovation, and new construction assignments on-campus and in the surrounding community.
To learn more about the Carpentry program, visit NWKTC.EDU or call (785) 890-3641.
Pictured Above: Instructor Joseph Dobbs
