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Tag: vocational school

  • The American Institute of Nondestructive Testing Announces Construction of a New State-of-the-Art Training Facility

    The American Institute of Nondestructive Testing Announces Construction of a New State-of-the-Art Training Facility

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    American Institute of Nondestructive Testing Expands Campus with New Advanced Training Facility, Solidifying its Role as the Premier Destination for Comprehensive NDT Education

    – The American Institute of Nondestructive Testing (AINDT), a leading provider of nondestructive testing (NDT) education, proudly announces the construction of a 6,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art training facility in Brainerd, Minnesota. Scheduled for completion by December 2023, this facility represents AINDT’s unwavering commitment to delivering the best NDT education in the industry.

    Situated adjacent to their existing student housing complex, the new facility reaffirms AINDT’s position as the “One Source for NDT Training.” With its construction, AINDT aims to further enhance its offerings, now boasting three distinct training formats to cater to all clients needs:

    1. Online NDT Courses: Perfect for companies who are seeking flexibility, this format allows them to learn at their own pace from anywhere in the world.
    2. Blended NDT Training Courses: A mix of online and traditional formats, offering students in-depth online training coupled with instructor interaction and hands-on training.
    3. Traditional Full-Format Classroom NDT Training Courses: For those who prefer an immersive in-person learning experience with direct interactions with expert instructors.

    Donald Booth, CEO of AINDT, expressed his enthusiasm: “We are always looking for ways to enrich our student experience, and this facility is a testament to that commitment. By expanding our campus and providing diverse training formats, we ensure that we cater to the varied needs of our clients in the NDT industry.”

    A standout feature of AINDT’s program is the provision of student housing during their training courses at no additional cost. This strategic move is anticipated to save clients thousands of dollars, further emphasizing the Institute’s dedication to offering top-tier education without unnecessary financial burdens in these inflationary times.

    “This isn’t just about cutting costs,” Booth continues. “It’s about providing a unique and immersive learning environment. Removing the burden of accommodation expenses means our clients can more easily provide their employees with training that will make them better able to provide critical inspection services.”

    With the construction of the new facility, AINDT is poised to set a new benchmark in NDT training, combining unparalleled education quality with affordability and convenience. The commitment to student experience, combined with the comprehensive training options, solidifies AINDT’s position at the forefront of NDT education.

    For more information on the new facility, training programs, or to schedule a tour, please visit www.trainingndt.com or contact us at instructor@trainingndt.com.

    Source: American Institute of Nondestructive Testing

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  • Exceptional Minds Class of 2017 Defies Autism Odds

    Exceptional Minds Class of 2017 Defies Autism Odds

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    Eight young men and two young women graduated from Exceptional Minds vocational school for young adults on the autism spectrum on Sunday, the fourth such graduating class to defy the odds of a population known for its high unemployment rate and low expectations.

    While an estimated 90 percent of young people with autism are under- or unemployed, the Exceptional Minds Class of 2017 joins the alumni of young adults on the autism spectrum who are pursuing meaningful careers in the fields of visual effects and animation.

    Exceptional Minds graduates — all in their 20s and on the spectrum — have gone on to work in studios such as Marvel, Stargate and Mr. Wolf, and on productions such as Game of Thrones, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Doctor Strange and for programmers such as Sesame Workshop.

    Your personal and professional achievements are inspiring. You’ve overcome obstacles others don’t have … but you also have many talents that others don’t have.

    Richard Goldsmith , CEO, Cyber Group Studios

    “Your personal and professional achievements are inspiring. You’ve overcome obstacles others don’t have … but you also have many talents that others don’t have,” said Richard Goldsmith during his commencement speech Sunday. Goldsmith has worked for The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros., The Jim Henson Company, and Univision Communications as an executive specializing in family entertainment. He offered both encouragement and advice to the graduates. Steven Asidilla, Carter Capps, Matthew De Lorimier, Annie Leffe, Liam McClure, Jacob Olsen, Madeleine Petti, Tony Saturno, Chase Shirley, and Kenny Valdivia make up the Exceptional Minds Class of 2017.

    Also during the graduation, Exceptional Minds staff and students recognized a group of students with the Net Impact program at UCLA Anderson School of Management for their tireless work on a feasibility study that will determine the future location of the Exceptional Minds campus. 

    For the ten graduates, Sunday marked the end of their formal training and the beginning of their professional careers in the competitive fields of animation and/or visual effects.

    Following Sunday’s graduation, Matthew De Lorimier will begin his career in digital animation as an intern at Cartoon Network. “Three years ago, I was at a crossroads…1690240449 I will be working as an intern at Cartoon Network on the show Summer Camp Island,” said Matthew.

    Others from the Class of 2017 will begin their careers in the Exceptional Minds Studio, which is co-located in the same building as the school to provide them with paid work experience in animation, rotoscope and cleanup, green screen keying, simple compositing, object removal, tracking mark removal, and end credit composition.

    Since the studio opened almost three years ago, it has completed visual effects and end title credits for more than 50 productions for HBO, 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, and Annapurna, as well as animation for Sesame Street.

    Exceptional Minds opened its doors in 2011 with a first-year class of nine students and now has more than 30 full-time students, 38 part-time students and more than a hundred summer enrollment students. The school is a nonprofit organization funded privately through tuition, foundations and grants. Preceding graduation on Sunday, the school and its students awarded Adobe Vice President of Sustainability and Social Impact Holly Campbell with the Exceptional Hero Award. “Adobe is truly our hero. They’ve been with us from the beginning, offering software and support, without which we wouldn’t be here,” commented Yudi Bennett, co-founder of Exceptional Minds.

    The graduates completed Exceptional Minds’ comprehensive three-year program with professional certifications in the key software applications used for visual effects and animation work, including rotoscope and cleanup, green screen keying, simple compositing, object removal, tracking mark removal, end title credits, and character animation.

    More than a half million individuals with autism will enter adulthood in the next decade, the vast majority of whom are ill-prepared for meaningful employment. Exceptional Minds is the first and only school of its kind to prepare young people with autism for careers in visual effects, providing well-rounded instruction in soft skills and technical skills as well as job placement and work environment preparedness.

    Source: Exceptional Minds

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  • Exceptional Minds Pitches for Autism

    Exceptional Minds Pitches for Autism

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    “If I told you that Exceptional Minds has a program where 80 percent of graduates with moderate to high functioning autism are working, would you help us scale the program to the next level?”
    With those words, Ernie Merlán won the Judges Innovation Award at last night’s 2017 Social Innovation Fast Pitch held at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

    Press Release



    updated: Mar 23, 2017

    Ernie Merlán was one of ten finalists to share his or her organization’s mission in a three-minute pitch that earned up to $35,000 in prizes and grants.

    Merlán is the Executive Director of Exceptional Minds, a nonprofit vocational school and working studio for young adults on the autism spectrum who are pursuing careers in digital animation and visual effects.

    Instead of living at home with his parents, and collecting disability benefits, he lives independently and pays income taxes!

    Ernie Merlán, Executive Director, Exceptional Minds

    During his pitch, he spoke of meeting Patrick, a young man with autism who “wouldn’t look me in the eye.” After graduating Exceptional Minds’ three-year vocational program, Patrick went on to work in the Exceptional Minds Studio doing visual effects for major productions such as X-Men: Apocalypse, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Galavant and Doctor Strange.

    “At the cast and crew screening of Doctor Strange, Patrick shook my hand, looked me in the eye and said, ‘That was my name in the credits!’”

    “Instead of living at home with his parents, and collecting disability benefits, he lives independently and pays income taxes!” said Merlán, who asked the audience of 500 social entrepreneurs to help him expand opportunities to others like Patrick through online training and curriculum licensing.

    Social Innovation Fast Pitch is Social Venture Partners’ signature program held annually to support social change and innovation in the community. As the recipient of the Judges Innovation Award at last night’s 2017 Social Innovation Fast Pitch, Merlán was given a $5,000 check that will go toward “changing lives one frame at a time.”

    More than 3.5 million Americans live with autism, an estimated 90 percent of whom are unemployed or underemployed. Each year, 50,000 children with autism in the U.S. will turn 18 and require public services if they are not employed. Exceptional Minds provides customized education in the digital arts to over 225 teens and young adults and provides ongoing job placement and coaching for 25 graduates.

    Source: Exceptional Minds

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