The College has most likely agreed to train COBOD 3D home printer purchasers nationwide.

Dr. Lisa Rhine, in an internal televised address to the Yavapai Community College faculty during the first week of November, announced that the College  “has now become a partner” with the COBOD Corporation. COBOD is an acronym for “Construction of Buildings on Demand.” 

The November announcement came on the heels of  September’s enthusiastic pitch to the District Governing Board about  partnering with COBOD given by the Dean of Career and Technical Education, John Mogan, and others.  It was suggested that the College might agree to a five-year training partnership contract of some sort.   However,  at the time Morgan spoke to the Governing Board, he cautioned that “we’re not quite there yet with financials on how this whole deal will come together.”  The parties apparently reached a mutually satisfactory arrangement.  The terms of the agreement have not been made public.

COBOD  was formed in 2017. It has its International Headquarters in Copenhagen, and corporate offices in Florida, Kuwait, and Thailand. The company has targeted annual U.S. sales of 40 3D house robotic printer machines. It claims to have already printed 41 homes in the United States, 5 in Latin America, 17 in Africa, 17 in the Middle East, 22 in Europe, and 28 in Asia in 2022.

The College presenters indicated at the September Board meeting  that Yavapai Community College would train new buyers of the expensive machines nationally. Currently, according to the College, the training occurs in Copenhagen, Denmark and it takes six weeks. It was claimed that by locating training in the U.S.,  the cost will be significantly reduced.

Marketing piece arriving in many mailboxes last week of July  leaves questions about dates fall Trade Skill Classes begin, whether a course is completed in  8 or 16 weeks, which courses are on-line, and whether  identical courses taught on Verde Campus with free tuition are also free at CTEC; no on-line edition has appeared yet

Yavapai Community College has been expanding its advertising and marketing efforts with a focus on  the Verde Valley since Dr. Lisa Rhine became president.  That is very good news.

However, some of its marketing, the Blog suggests, could use improvement.  For example, the 20 page Yavapai Community College “Fall 2021 Verde Valley/Sedona Enrollment Guide,”  which as a marketing tool is a great idea, appears to lack the kind of important details about the Trades Skills courses offered at the newly constructed Trades Skills Center that should be expected. The “Guide” began arriving in many Verde Valley mailboxes the last week of July. 

The “Guide” devotes the first four opening pages to full-page efforts aimed at encouraging interest in Skills Center enrollment on the Verde Campus.  But it falls far short of providing detailed information regarding starting dates. Only by digging through the Community College’s Registration website will a person discover that some of the trades courses begin in August while others begin in October. And there are other problems.

The “Guide” lists and describes the four courses one must complete to obtain a Residential Trades/Construction certificate.  However, only when one searches the Community College’s Registration website is it discovered which of the four is actually being offered this fall.  (Turns out only one of four listed is offered this fall.)

The “Guide” also lists the four courses required to obtain a Residential Plumbing Certificate.  However, only one course is offered in the fall, according to the Community College’s Registration web site.

The Residential Electrical Certificate requires completion of five courses.  However, only two of them are being offered in the fall.  Something you cannot discover reading the “Guide.”

The HVAC Technician Certificate is the most unusual in terms of  the fall offerings, start dates, and options.  None of which are clearly noted in the “Guide.”  A certificate requires completion of eight courses, only four of which are offered in the fall.  Two of the courses start in October and a third in August.  A fourth course is offered on-line, in an eight week format and another is offered in a  16 week format.  Students in the Verde Valley may take the course on-line or in the 16 week live format.  Students in Prescott can take the course on-line or in an eight-week live format.  None of the flexibility is indicated in the “Guide.”

It is noted that the Community College does not offer flexible hours or dates for the Basic Carpentry course.  It is an eight-credit course required in three of the four Trades Certificates.  For efficiency, it is assumed, the Community College  will teach this course to students in the three Certificate courses  at the same time, in the same room, with the same instructor. You must dig a lot to find this out on the College’s Registration web site.

It is also noted that the “Guide” has yet to appear on-line. 

The charts below were prepared by the Blog staff to indicate the dates, times and options available to students taking the courses in the four Trade Certificate programs offered on the Verde Campus at the Trades Center.

First use of half million dollar purchase made in February;  no mention of similar project on east side of County on Verde Campus in the future

The Yavapai Community College administration has decided to construct up to three houses to showcase the ability of its recently purchased 3D concrete printers.  The project will go forward at the Chino Valley Agribusiness Center Property in Chino Valley.  Although Third District  Governing Board representative Paul Chevalier has raised questions about the use of the machines  on the Verde Campus (there are two of them),  so far, the College has not indicated it intends to use the machines in any program at that site.

The announcement of the decision to build up to three showcase houses came in the December 2020  Facilities Management Newsletter. (https://www.yc.edu/v6/facilities/docs/newsletters/2020-12-facilities-management-newsletter.pdf)  The Community College is now preparing to provide electrical, data, and water services to the construction site at the Chino Valley Center to support  the construction. 

Recall that in February 2020 the Yavapai Community College District Governing Board authorized the expenditure of  a half million dollars to  purchase  two  futuristic 3d construction printers (a big one and a little one). The printers  can be used to print out construction materials. Then,  the materials can be used to construct a building with minimal labor.  According to information supplied the College, the big  machine may reduce construction costs from 40% to 70% on some structures. 

At the time of the announcement, the decision was made to use the machine in an  experimental program set to open at the Chino Valley Center in the fall 2020.  At the time, the College said  the machine would be  used to build a small manufactured home owned by the College that is need of repair.

In the short video below, Dr. Diane Ryan explains how the 3d printer works.

With CTEC training, she is now earning a high-paying job with Flagstaff medical device manufacturer

There is a great story written by J.J. McCormick  in the September Yavapai Community College newsletter about Gwendolin “Gwen” Foley.  She is now 46 and enjoying a high-paying job with a Flagstaff medical device manufacturer because of her certificate in industrial machine maintenance from Yavapai Community College.

She began he quest for the certificate while living in Williams, Arizona and commuting to the Career and Technical Education Center at the Prescott airport, which is about 70 miles one way.   In his story, McCormick provides insight into the determination behind obtaining that certificate.  McCormick writes:

Gwen, now 46, recalled thinking at the time that she was too old to go back to school. She recalls also wondering if she would be happy working in manufacturing for 20 more years, or longer. The answer: “That’s a long time. In two years I could have the job I want and work until I retire doing what I want and making more money.”

That self-reflection, her family’s support, and her employer’s tuition reimbursement program combined to convince Gwen to enroll in YC’s Advanced Manufacturing Program at the Career and Technical Education Center in Prescott. The program offered Gwen exactly what she needed for the job at WL Gore that she had set her sights on – courses like electronics, welding and hydraulics – without requiring English and other undergraduate classes she didn’t need. YC instructors would direct Gwen to scholarships when she couldn’t afford needed supplies, or would teach her during their office hours when a class conflicted with her work schedule. “They were very accommodating,” Gwen said of her YC instructors. “If you ask, they will  help you get through.”

Gwen’s work ethic and drive to succeed twice earned her the Advanced Manufacturing Program’s Outstanding Student award. CTEC Professor Charles Allmon described Gwen as a “natural leader” who was always organized and prepared for class. “She shouldered a leadership role with her fellow students as a true leader does. A true leader also brings everyone around him/her along with them. Gwen has this quality.”

You may read the entire story by McCormick by clicking here.