When Jeff Green, director of the Platte County School District’s Northland Career Center (NCC) found out the Northland Workforce Development Center’s (NWDC) campaign recently had received $1 million in contributions, he wasn’t surprised. “It was more like a validation that all the work we are doing is working,” Green said. “There is no question that this center will have value to so many students and community members in the years to come.”
Green said he was beyond excited about the new centralized Northland Workforce Development Center, since he and his team have been brainstorming about this project for many years.
Green
“The thought of doubling the number of students that will leave high school with credentials and experiences that will help them be employed, enlisted, or enrolled somewhere is very rewarding to me,” Green said. “More importantly, it will help each student find a path to success after high school. Having adults learn in the evenings with potential child care available is also an important part of our goals once the NWDC opens. I can’t wait!”
The NCC opened its doors in 1980. Green has served in an administrative position at NCC since 2017, serving as assistant director from 2017 until 2022, and he has been the director since 2022.
The center’s mission is to prepare students for a continually changing world by providing relevant experiences.
Green considers himself a living example of how the opportunities that NCC and other centers provide, help its students.
“I was a student that wasn’t super engaged in high school. I tried to take automotive repair and was told ‘no’ by my counselor,” he said. “After high school I enrolled in the automotive program at MCC-Longview. I graduated two years later and had a successful career as an automotive repair technician. That school, the instructors, and my peers helped shape who I became and eventually ended up supporting me when I decided to teach automotive technology at the same college in the evenings. That led to a full-time high school automotive instructor job in the Fort Osage School District, which then led me to Northland Career Center to make a difference for students from all of our program areas. My own children are graduates of NCC as well. Being at their NCC graduations are very proud moments for my wife and I.”
Students enroll in programs at the center to learn employability, technical, and academic skills to be successful in the following areas: agricultural sciences, aviation repair and maintenance, culinary arts, law enforcement, crime scene investigation, diesel truck repair and maintenance, health science careers, heating and cooling maintenance and repair, computer systems repair and programming, preparation to become a teacher, welding and weld prep, machining, milling, robotics, and schematics for manufacturing. Green said this is a pretty short list as far as what the graduates will end up doing.
After 14 years as an automotive technician, Green still misses it. “I love the automotive industry and all the amazing technology that is part of the continually changing automotive world. I am still passionate about the industry. My wife and I recently purchased a fun vehicle that I can tinker with and just enjoy. That helps when I miss working on vehicles. I will also add that the work we do at NCC is more rewarding than being an automotive technician. I get to be part of helping so many students figure out what their interests and passions are.”
Long-time employees, former graduates, parents and businesses that have been partners, told Green that NCC has always been an amazing school for those students who were able to enroll.
“NCC uses data to measure our success and that data tells a story that shows continual growth, improved partnerships, and outstanding student success,” Green said. “The former director, Brian Noller, was very focused on that data and quality, continuous improvement. That continues during my tenure. We are currently working on a data dashboard to be able to display metrics such as credentials earned by students, percentage of graduates that are enrolled, enlisted or employed, employability averages, and more.”
He and the staff, along with their institutional advisory and program advisory boards are committed to creating pathways toward enrollment, enlistment and employment for every student. Green also believes that their partnerships with Northland schools and business and industry partners help students not only learn the trade, but also make it easier to transition from training to careers.
“Partnerships with these groups are critical to the success of our students and for continued support for our program teachers,” Green said. “These organizations and businesses take time to help with mock interviews, job shadows, internships, training on new equipment that NCC doesn’t own, and so much more. Our partner schools partner with us to help with transportation for students, help for students that struggle, cooperation between each school to support events at their high school and at NCC. We would not be as successful as we have been without our partnerships.”
Keeping up with trends, changes in industries, learning the ins and outs of school finance and balancing the work/life balance have been challenging for Green, but there have been many memorable and rewarding moments for him as he has watched his students learn and advance.
“Recently, we had a recent graduate stop in and wanted to talk,” Green said. “She then shared with me what she had been doing since graduation last year. She is weeks away from graduating from a Missouri welding school. She showed me photos of all of her welds, which were impressive. She wanted to tell me that NCC was so important to her and that it has helped her in so many ways. I then told her that I was very proud of her. I have no doubts that she will achieve her goal of working a pipe welding job soon.”
Another of his favorite activities is taking scholarship winners to places to spend their money. “Imagine the joy in helping students spend hundreds of dollars on tools, scrubs, computer parts, and so much more. Let’s just say, there are usually a lot of smiles and excitement on those visits.”
When he was the assistant director, he handled discipline concerns. ”I loved this work as I had a direct impact on helping students learn about themselves, how they work with others, how they solve problems, and learn from their mistakes.”
Graduation is one of Green’s favorite events because the whole room is full of students and their families celebrating their time at NCC.
“The best reward is always when we hear back from students on what/how they are doing and when successful graduates come back to help the current students,” Green said.