David Shofstahl, who serves as a workforce coach and apprenticeship coordinator in the Workforce Solutions and Community Education Division at Mountain Gateway Community College, has been selected as a recipient of the 2023 NISOD Excellence Award.
NISOD, the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development, is a membership organization committed to promoting and celebrating excellence in teaching, learning and leadership at community and technical colleges. Shofstahl was one of many college staff members nationwide recognized for doing extraordinary work on their respective campuses and have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to their students and colleagues.
“David has really helped grow MGCC’s Workforce offerings,” says Dr. Benjamin Worth, MGCC Vice President of Academic Affairs. “The work he has done to build apprenticeship programs is providing our students with great opportunities to earn a paycheck while building skills. The ‘learn and earn’ model is great for our students.”
Shofstahl wears several hats at MGCC, where he has been employed since 2017. He is the workforce coach for the Appalachian Hardwood Training Initiative (AHTI), coordinates the college’s apprenticeship program, and manages the skilled trades classes for the non-credit program.
Shofstahl earned Associate Degrees in Science, Business Administration and Education at MGCC (formerly Dabney S. Lancaster Community College); a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering Technology from Old Dominion University, and a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Education from Louisiana State University. He is expected to complete his Ph.D. in Education in Occupational and Technical Studies at ODU in the fall.
Having completed youth apprenticeships in masonry and in plumbing, heating, and air conditioning, Shofstahl worked 25 years in construction before joining the staff at MGCC. His credentials include EPA 608 Universal Technician, OSHA Construction Outreach Trainer, OSHA 10-hour Construction Safety and Health, and instructor certification for NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research) crafts classes.
Shofstahl participated in an awards dinner to honor all of the recipients in Austin, TX, on May 28 during NISOD’s International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence.
For more information about apprenticeship opportunities, skilled trades classes or other Workforce Development programs, contact Shofstahl at (540) 863-2920 or dshofstahl@mgcc.edu.
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