CBT College: 32 years training the South Florida community

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MIAMI, Dec. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- With the celebration of its 73rd Graduation as an online Commencement Ceremony, the consolidation of the hybrid teaching model, new courses, and online commemorative activities, CBT College marked its thirty-second anniversary in the South Florida educational scene.

The celebratory activities included knowledge and skills competitions for students, academic and staff recognitions, the launch of new IT courses, and the consolidation of the hybrid teaching model (online lectures combined with hands-on training in laboratories) implemented since July 2020.

CBT College is a Miami-based trade school that provides technical training and continuing education in construction, information technology, business, languages, and allied health. Mrs. Gladys Llerena, co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Monica Llerena, Corporate Communications Officer, and Luis Llerena, President & CEO, shared their thoughts about this significant institutional achievement.

The Beginnings

In 1988, Mr. Fernando Llerena and his wife, Gladys Llerena - educators who emigrated to Miami, FL from their native Peru in 1980 - founded the Business and Technology Institute (BTI).

The Institute's first headquarters were located in the Little Havana neighborhood. They provided training to community members seeking to learn accounting, computer repair, and English as a second language (known as the ESOL program). Mrs. Gladys said that, "After ten years of adapting and growing in this country that welcomed us and provided us with many opportunities, my husband and I decided to continue in our field of education." They intended to help other immigrants achieve the economic and professional profile they had in their countries of origin and grow in America.

"Don Fernando Llerena's passion was to educate students on practical skills alongside technology," said Monica Llerena, CBT College's C.C.O. "Always a teacher at heart, he was able to gain support from local organizations as they saw in him an individual whose earnest wish was to help other individuals achieve personal success and growth for their families."

In 1994 the school moved to the Kendall area. It continued its mission of preparing students with the highest ethical, technical, and professional excellence who will build a better life for themselves, their families, and their community.

"By understanding that education is an essential aspect of our society, we firmly believe that every business should be relevant to the needs of the community," said Luis Llerena, President and CEO. He highlights that since its foundation, CBT College has been focused on aligning with the local community through partnerships implemented with public schools, private businesses and organizations such as Career Source of South Florida, Mission United, and Gang Alternatives.

In 2002, after obtaining national accreditation from the Accreditation Council of Independent Schools and Colleges (ACICS) - which allows the school to award Associate of Science degrees - BTI changed its name to CBT College. In 2005, CBT College opened two new locations, one in Miami (Flagler St.) and the second in Hialeah. In 2008, it added a new branch in Cutler Bay, FL, to serve the southern county population and introduced health-related programs.

Mr. Llerena stated that, "After 32 years, we are proud to say that thanks to the support of our community, we can provide our educational services and train our students in key sectors (construction and technology) that lead to long-term careers." Today, CBT College offers Associate Degrees and Diplomas in Electricity, Air Conditioning, Business, Computer Networks, and Medical Information Technology.

CBT College also has a School of Continuing Education and Professional Development that offers refresher courses and preparation for certifications in construction, technology, and allied health sciences. The continuing education courses prepare the students for taking the Journeyman's Electrician, Air Conditioning Journeyman and Master Electrician license exams, and for the CompTIA Security +, CompTIA Networks, HEDIS, NCLEX RN and QuickBooks certification tests, among others. "It was not easy for us to achieve this American dream, but with persistence and determination, we achieved it," said Mrs. Gladys Llerena.

The 2020 Challenge

Globally, 2020 has been a challenging year for all industries. To comply with the CDC regulations and to ensure their students and faculty safety, CBT College transitioned to a hybrid teaching model and adapted its headquarters to the new social distancing and strict bio-security protocols. According to Luis Llerena, on-site, hands-on training is vital in the school's academic model and one reason for its success in teaching technology careers. He stated that, "CBT College has decided to continue the hybrid approach as a modality of lifelong learning in our institution so that our students continue to receive their hands-on training in our laboratories while they study theoretical subjects online."

CBT College also provided laptops to students who did not have computers at home to help the student population adopt the new learning modality, and the Career Services department is providing support for the job relocation of those students who lost their jobs. In this regard, Mr. Llerena emphasized that the students received a stimulus check from the CARES grant requested by CBT College and that his teams focus day by day on supporting the student population to overcome these difficult times.

Monica Llerena, who also leads the corporate social responsibility program #CBTCollegeCares, said that, "Empathy and communication are two words with different levels. Achieving an optimal level of understanding and collaboration between our students and CBT's teaching and administrative teams (within all these circumstances) has been a fundamental lesson for us. It is inspiring to witness how resilience has gone hand in hand with the determination not only during this pandemic but during the 32 years we have served our community." In this regard, she stated that CBT College continues to assist local businesses in their skilled staffing requirements. "As a trade school, we are here to support our community with a skilled workforce and will work alongside community leaders to ensure that CBT College is a knowledgeable partner in advocating for their needs."

Graduation in times of pandemic

Planning its 73rd Commencement Ceremony to honor more than 600 graduating students posed a challenge to CBT College. To celebrate this milestone-marking ceremony, CBT College conducted its first-ever Virtual Graduation on November 21 on the Zoom platform so that students, their family and friends, and the leadership of CBT College could celebrate this milestone together.

Yesenia Ferrari, director of Admissions, was the Master of Ceremony of the event. Alongside the Board of Directors, CBT College's faculty, leadership, and administrative and staff teams attended the ceremony to celebrate the student's achievements. Maricel Spezzacatena, director of Operations, Hector Dueñas, director of Academic Operations, Alexandra Ramírez, director of the Hialeah Campus, Peter Bastiony, director of the Flagler Main Campus, Yasmin Palma, director of Financial Aid, Jorge Cubillo, IT manager, and Jean Varela, Marketing support specialist, were among the participants in the event.

The Miami Jackson Senior High School Honor Guard was in charge of interpreting the National Anthem. Senator Manny Díaz Junior, District 36 Representative in the Florida State Senate, addressed a special greeting to the graduates, highlighting both the importance of trade careers for the state economy and the need for qualified labor that companies and corporations currently have. Likewise, students Jesús Soberón and Jean Suárez addressed the virtual audience acknowledging the value of graduating in the current circumstances and thanking CBT for the support provided during their college years.

President Llerena acknowledged the commitment of the graduates and said that, "During this journey that began thirty-two years ago, we have nurtured a culture which makes us feel like we belong, and we must challenge each other every day to keep growing. These are the pillars that have brought us here and are the values that will continue to take us forward."

About CBT College: 

CBT College provides career training through a hands-on learning approach within the construction, technology, and allied health fields at its three locations across Miami-Dade County (Cutler Bay, Flagler, and Hialeah.) Over the past 31 years, the organization has graduated thousands of students into the Miami-Dade County workforce throughout more than 70 graduation ceremonies. The College's involvement with employers, local organizations, and strategic business initiatives has opened up plenty of opportunities for our current students and graduates.

CBT College is also listed as a Military-friendly school and participates in the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program, as well as is approved by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to participate in the Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) to enroll International F-1 Visa students. The College is nationally accredited by ACICS, licensed by the Commission of Independent Education (CIE), and certified by the US Department of Education to receive Title IV funding. 

SOURCE CBT College