HENDERSON – To better provide students with in-field experience that also addresses high workforce demands, Nevada State College recently hired Thomas E. Nicholas II as the first workforce development director in the four-year public institution’s history.
This all-new role entails developing and launching new programs that meet demands in the regional job market and continuing education needs which complements Nevada State College’s current degrees.
These new programs could include certificate programs and stackable credentials leading to a bachelor’s degree. To ensure the programs meet evolving workforce needs, Nicholas will work closely with regional employers and other community stakeholders. He will also analyze ongoing employment trends.
“The programs Thomas will implement at Nevada State College will further strengthen our commitment to the regional workforce by developing new programs that employers want and need,” said Dr. Vickie Shields, provost and executive vice president of Nevada State College. “Industries today are hungry for a talented and motivated workforce that only four-year colleges and universities can provide, and we look forward to collaborating with our community’s employers to provide students with opportunities that will jumpstart their careers.”
Nicholas hails from a decades-long career spanning both business and higher education. This includes over 15 years in leadership positions with the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), first as manager of Enrollment Operations and Extended Studies, and then as director of Enrollment and Redfield Campus, Extended Studies.
Under Nicholas’ leadership, the university added three new, fully housed degree programs. He also grew the number of campus events by 200 percent.
In addition to his role with UNR, Nicholas has worked as a financial analyst and management consultant for over 20 years. He further served as executive team lead for the Target Corporation in Carson City, where he oversaw $15 million in annual sales. He also organized operations for a $3-million capital expenditures budget as residential facilities director with Pepperdine University in California.
“In every position I’ve held in my career, I learned a tremendous amount from the challenges I faced and the achievements I worked hard to attain,” Nicholas said. “I’m eager to design programs that give students this same kind of invaluable experience.”
For more information about Nevada State College, visit www.nsc.edu.
ABOUT NEVADA STATE COLLEGE
Nevada State College, a four-year public institution, is a member of the Nevada System of Higher Education. Nevada State places a special emphasis on the advancement of a diverse and largely under-served student population. Located on a developing 512-acre campus in the foothills of Henderson, Nevada, the college was established in 2002 as a new tier in the state system between the research universities and the two-year colleges and, as such, is Nevada’s only state college. Nevada State College is one of the fastest-growing colleges in the country and the fastest growing in Nevada. It currently has more than 7,000 students and more than 800 full- and part-time employees. For more information, visit https://nsc.edu.
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