HCC Announces Free Cannabis Training Classes
HOLYOKE — For a limited time, the Cannabis Education Center at Holyoke Community College (HCC) will offer its two-day, introductory cannabis course for free on a first-come, first served basis. “Cannabis Core: Foundations of the Industry” typically costs $599 and is a prerequisite for career-specific cannabis training programs.
The next Cannabis Core program runs Feb. 11-12. All classes meet over Zoom on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Additional Cannabis Core programs are scheduled for March 11-12, April 22-23, and May 20-21.
The spring calendar also includes multi-week, career-track training programs for cultivation assistants (Sundays, March 19 to April 16), and extraction technicians (Saturdays, April 22 to May 13).
“Any student who completes Cannabis Core can apply for a scholarship for career-track programs through our partners, Elevate and Mass CulitivatEd,” said Lanre Ajayi, director of Education and Corporate Learning at HCC.
The Cannabis Core program provides an overview of the cannabis industry in Massachusetts and is geared for people looking for general knowledge as they consider a cannabis career. The program is a foundational course and a prerequisite for career-track courses.
Cultivation assistants provide the daily care of the 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.
To register, visit hcc.edu/cannabis-core or contact Lanre Ajayi at [email protected] or (413) 552-2324.
