HCC Adds Cannabis Job-training Program to Spring Schedule
HOLYOKE — The Cannabis Education Center (CEC) at Holyoke Community College (HCC) has added a second cannabis core training program to its spring calendar of workforce-training programs.
The CEC will offer another round of its intensive, two-day cannabis core training program on Saturday, March 20, and Sunday, March 21. Slots also remain open for the weekend of Saturday, Jan. 23, and Sunday, Jan. 24.
Each day will be broken down into two sessions, 9 a.m. to noon, and 1 to 4 p.m. Each session will include presentations from cannabis-industry experts followed by a question-and-answer period.
Students who complete the core training are then eligible to register for spring 2021 classes in one of four cannabis-industry career tracks: cultivation assistant (Feb. 6-21); extraction technician (Feb. 27 to March 14); culinary assistant (April 3-18); and patient-service associate (Jan. 30 to Feb. 14, and May 1-16).
Cultivation assistants provide daily care of crops from seed to harvest and may be involved in cracking seeds, soil mixing, potting, defoliation, watering, pest control, and trimming.
Extraction technicians work in labs assisting production managers in all aspects of extraction, purging, oil manipulation, winterization, distillation, solvent recovery, and quality control.
Culinary assistants are responsible for preparing cannabis or cannabidiol-infused products using a variety of cooking, baking, and infusion techniques.
Patient-service associates work behind the counters at cannabis dispensaries, interacting with the public, answering technical questions, and providing information to registered cannabis patients, caregivers, and recreational customers making purchases.
To register for the January or March cannabis core training class, visit hcc.edu/cec-core. The cost of the two-day core-training session is $595. Each career-track program is $799.
The Cannabis Education Center is a partnership between HCC and Elevate Northeast and based out of HCC’s Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development.
