to all RMCTC staff, students, and facilities.The guidelines and procedures are based onthe Standard Response Protocol adoptedfrom the “I Love U Guys Foundation.” Theseresponses have been adopted by all BerksCounty schools and are being used nation-wide. Staff and students at RMCTC will betrained to know the four responses repre-sented by the following symbols:

RMCTC staff and students will partici-pate in training designed to teach the appro-priate response for a variety of situationsrequiring one of these specific responses. Thesafety of our staff and students is of para-mount importance. You may rest assured thata significant amount of time for safety plan-ning and training will be incorporated intothe schedule throughout the school year.

If you have any questions, please don’thesitate to contact our safety coordinator,Laurel Schaeffer, at 610-921-7300.

AT RMCTC

i f n o t u s , w h o ? i f n o t n ow, w h e n ? m a k e a d i f f e r e n c e . 3 4

schoolsafety

May 2013 TECHtalk

Parents of Eighth Grade Students:I recently had the oppor-

tunity to participate in apanel presentation at thePennsylvania Economic Development Association(PEDA) conference in Harrisburg, PA. Along withAaron Costenbader ofGreater Reading EconomicPartnership (GREP) and Dr. Anna Weitz, president ofReading Area CommunityCollege (RACC), I shared

information with participants regarding themany exciting partnerships we have estab-lished in Berks County to benefit students who enter a career and technical educationpathway leading to employment in our localmanufacturing workforce.

The Governor’s Manufacturing AdvisoryCouncil reports that: 82 percent of manufac-turers have a moderate-to-serious skills gap intheir employees; 74 percent indicate that thisskills gap has negatively impacted their com-pany’s ability to expand; 25 percent of manu-facturing workers are over the age of 55; andthere were 7,639 manufacturing job openingsin Pennsylvania in June 2012.

The partnership we have created in BerksCounty is targeting students who are inter-ested in careers in welding, electrical technol-ogy, CAD drafting, machining, mechatronicsengineering technology, robotics and automa-tion, electronics, and information technology.Occupations in these specific careers offersalaries ranging from $35,000 to $70,000.These are high-skill, high-wage, and high-demand jobs available right here in BerksCounty.

FROMTHE

director

Gerald P. Witmer Jr. Administrative Director

2

School safety and security has come underscrutiny across our nation as tragedies inschools continue to shock the American con-science. In response, schools nationwide haveimplemented procedures to limit and controlaccess to school buildings while developingand implementing new emergency responseplans to address potential hazards.

The administrative staff at RMCTC isworking with specialists hired by theBerks County Intermediate Unit to de-velop and implement a countywide All HazardsPlan for schools. This endeavor, in conjunctionwith all Berks County school districts, was formu-lated to standardize emergency responsesthroughout the county using best practices en-dorsed by the Pennsylvania Emergency Manage-ment Agency (PEMA).

When a crisis arises, emergency respondersfrom many state and local jurisdictions respond.These responders must be able to coordinate theirefforts in an efficient and timelymanner. By standardizing schoolemergency procedures, emergencyresponders can more readily becomefamiliar with the procedures; this familiarity helps them to assess, control, and resolve the situation as quickly as possible.

The All Hazards Plan provides a frameworkfrom which RMCTC can build a safe and securelearning environment with the ability to respondpromptly and appropriately in the event of anemergency. Whether it is prevention and mitiga-tion, preparedness, response, or recovery,RMCTC strives to manage every phase of emer-gency readiness competently and effectively.

The RMCTC All Hazards Plan contains gen-eral guidelines and procedures that are applicable

TECHtalk May 2013

go f r om l e a r n i ng t o ea r n i ng … f a s t !

Please visit the website, www.careersin2years.com, for more information aboutpathways into these occupations. Studentscan start their career either right out of highschool or after earning a two-year associate’sdegree at RACC, either via a traditionalpath from high school to college or throughRMCTC’s Technical Academy partnershipwith RACC. This specific partnership can result in students earning up to 23RACC credits, while still in high school—and they’re free! Students who meet the entrance criteria for the Technical Academymay complete one-third of an associate degree program before graduating from high school!

As your child enters ninth grade in thefall, they will have the opportunity to con-sider one of the 30 programs offered throughRMCTC. In addition to programs in themanufacturing sector, there are many excit-ing programs available that can likewise leadto rewarding careers. Please consider RMCTCas an educational option for your child.

Enjoy the summer!

When a crisis erupts, do you “keepyour cool” and remain calm while oth-ers become confused or emotional?When you hear sirens, do you

wish you were trained to respond in aprofessional manner?If you answered “yes” to these

questions, you may have what it takesto become an Emergency MedicalTechnician, or EMT. And, you maybe a perfect candidate for enrolling inthe exciting new EMT program of-fered by RMCTC’s Adult Educationdepartment.

The Center’s EMT program is offered in collaboration with the St.Joseph Regional Health Network andthe Muhlenberg Area Ambulance Association. “It’s a great endeavor anda wonderful community partnership,”said Becky Seltzer, coordinator ofadult education at RMCTC.

The program consists of about 200hours of instruction, including class-room learning, ride-along training inan ambulance, and emergency depart-ment training. All instruction will beprovided by healthcare professionalswith real-world emergency experience.

Instruction will cover a wide rangeof topics, including injuries to thehead, chest, spine, etc., airway man-agement, bleeding, and various typesof medical emergencies. In addition,students will receive training in theEMS system, legal and ethical issues,and communications. Other subjectsinclude transport operations, vehicleextrication and rescue, incident man-agement, and response to terrorismand disasters.

The mandatory emergency depart-

ment (ED) component of the pro-gram will give students a valuableoverview of the entire ED process,from the moment an ambulancearrives at the hospital until thedoctors and nurses assume respon-sibility for the patient’s care. In ad-dition to experiencing life in theED, students will receive the addedbenefit of the opportunity to visitSt. Joseph’s cardiac catheterizationlab or critical care units in order tobetter understand the full spectrumof care provided by the hospital.

“St. Joseph Regional HealthNetwork is very excited about theopportunity to offer quality EMTtraining to the community inpartnership with Reading Muh-lenberg Career and TechnologyCenter,” said Chris Chamberlain,

Emergency Medical Technician ProgramNEW ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAM: EMT TRAINING

continued on back cover

RN, emergency medicalservices liaison for thehealth network. “By inte-grating the clinical expert-ise of St. Joseph MedicalCenter into the curricu-lum, the end result will bea richer experience for theEMT student.”

The Eastern Pennsylva-nia EMS Council is an-other key member of thiscollaboration. The council,acting as a liaison betweenthe Pennsylvania Depart-ment of Health, Bureau ofEMS, and EMS providersin the region, will overseethe quality of the course’s curriculumand instruction, manage testing and

Coordinator of Adult Education Becky Seltzer receives a certificate of licensure for RMCTC’s new EMT program from Bill Lillington, Eastern PA EMS Council. Partners in the venture include ChristopherChamberlain, EMS liaison at St. Joseph Regional Health Network, and Muhlenberg Area Ambulance Association, represented here byDiana York, Susan Grimes, and Robert Shipe, general manager.

Technicians Needed to MeetProduction Demands

TECHtalk May 2013

present and prospering in Readingand surrounding areas.

No matter what products theymake, manufacturers need to keeptheir production lines runningsmoothly and efficiently. To do so,they rely on cross-skilled, manufac-turing maintenance technicians whotroubleshoot, repair, and maintainplant systems and machinery.RMCTC students who hope to fillthese high-priority positions in thefuture will soon have the opportu-nity to get the specialized trainingthey’ll need to embark on promisingcareers in the field of mechatronics.

“Mechatronics is combining me-chanical, electrical, and instrumen-tation and controls into one personwho has the best troubleshootingskill set possible,” explained BonnieSpayd, director of business and in-dustry programs at Reading AreaCommunity College (RACC).

Reading Muhlenberg Career &Technology Center, in partnershipwith RACC, is currently developing

g e t c a u g h t i n t h e a c t o f h e l p i n g o t h e r s5

Rebecca AcostaWilliam F. CinficiJohn W. LoveCindy L. MengleLee R. ReinigerVicki L. SeidelIsamac Torres-FigueroaJames E. Washington II

MISSION STATEMENTThe Reading Muhlenberg Career and Technology Center, in partnership with our diverse community, sponsoring districts, andbusiness and industry, is committed to providing quality career and technical education, resulting in opportunities for students to gain employment, pursue post-secondary education, and develop an appreciation for lifelong learning.

MAY 2013

mately 100,000 tons of specialtymetal for a variety of markets, in-cluding aerospace and energy.

Yes, it is true that big manufactur-ing companies such as Dana,Kawecki-Berylco, and Textile Ma-chine Works no longer exist in BerksCounty. However, as the exampleslisted above indicate, high-speed,high-tech manufacturing is still

continued on page 5

Do you share in the common misconception that manufacturinghas left Berks County? Consider theseimpressive facts:

East Penn Manufacturing’s state-of-the-art, automated recycling facility processes approximately30,000 batteries per day.

Berks Packing Companyhelped satisfy America's appetite for one of its favorite foods by making115,654,000 hot dogs in 2012.

Each year, CarpenterTechnology’s Readingmill produces approxi-

2615 Warren RoadReading PA 19604610-921-7300 | FAX 610-921-7367www.rmctc.org

FROM THE DIRECTOR:

ATTN: PARENTS OF

8TH GRADE STUDENTS2

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT:

EMERGENCY MEDICAL

TECHNICIAN

3

SCHOOL SAFETY

4

NEW PROGRAM:

ENGINEERING &

AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY

CONTINUED...

5

the Engineeringand Automa-tion Technol-ogy program,with classesscheduled tobegin in fall2014. “The pro-gram will allow students to partici-pate in the Technical Academy,which provides college-bound stu-dents with the opportunity to de-velop advanced technical skills andearn college credits while still inhigh school,” said Dr. Beth AnnHaas, supervisor of curriculum andprofessional development atRMCTC.

During grades 10 and 11, studentswill attend classes at the career center, where they will learn aboutmotors, industrial electronics, hydraulics, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and other relatedtopics. In 12th grade, eligible stu-dents will take courses at theSchmidt Training and TechnologyCenter on the RACC campus. Uponhigh school graduation, successful

students in theTechnicalAcademy willhave com-pleted eightcollege-levelcourses and 27credits towarda degree inmechatronicsengineeringtechnology.

NONPROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDReading, PA 19604

Permit No. 6752615 Warren RoadReading, PA 19604610-921-7300Fax: 610-921-7367www.rmctc.org

Engineering Automation

It is the policy of the Reading Muhlenberg CTC not to discriminate on the basis of gender, disability, race, color, and national origin in its educational and vocational programs, activities, or employment as required by Title IX, Section 504 and Title VI.

assessment, and track the credentials and certifications earned bygraduates of the program. The council is enthusiastic about this ven-ture, which represents the first time it has partnered with a careerand technology center on an EMT program.

Since all EMTs are required to complete a formal training programand must be licensed by the state, considerable interest in the pro-gram is expected. “It’s a high-demand occupation with a lot of oppor-tunities in a variety of areas,” explained Seltzer. The EMT course willbe well suited for members of fire companies, ambulance services, andanyone who provides pre-hospital care in emergency situations. Inaddition, high school students will be able to obtain this trainingthrough the Center’s Public Safety and Security Program.

Members of the partnership are actively planning the programnow and expect to offer the course for the first time this summer.Evening and weekend classes will be held at RMCTC initially; in thefuture, classes may be offered at other sites in local communities. Formore information, please contact Becky Seltzer at 610-921-7300 oradulteducation@rmctc.org.

EMT program continued

DESIGNED BY BERKS COUNTY INTERMEDIATE UNIT

PROGRAMcontinued from front cover

Dr. Beth Ann Haas, RMCTC's supervisorof curriculum and professional develop-ment, left, and Bonnie Spayd, RACC's di-rector of business and industry programs,tour the mechatronics lab at the SchmidtTraining and Technology Center.

The benefits of the program areclear. Earning college credits whilebeing a high school student is anexceptional opportunity. Earningthose credits free of charge repre-sents a significant financial advan-tage for the student’s family. And,learning advanced technical skillsthat are highly valued by local in-dustries is an undeniably smart wayto prepare for a promising career ina growing field. “The program willgive students a perfect opportunityto excel in their studies, get a chal-lenging job, and start a career thatoffers a ton of upward mobility,”said Spayd.

Employers, also, are excitedabout the program. Through closecollaboration with both schools,companies ensure that what thestudents learn parallels what em-ployees need to know. When stu-dents complete the program withindustry-recognized certifications,they are ready to strengthen theworkforces of local businesses andadd to the economic vitality ofBerks County.

For more information about theEngineering and AutomationTechnology Program, please con-tact Dr. Beth Ann Haas at 610-921-7300, ext. 7681.