Florida Panhandle Technical College in Chipley, Florida will hold graduation ceremonies on Thursday, May 9, 2024, for several Photography, Digital Video and Television Production students, at First Baptist Church.
‘I am extremely proud of all my graduating students every year’, says Instructor Paul Goulding, ‘but this year is very special, as all these graduates have already made significant investment in photo gear, and have been practicing their craft for several months- shooting weddings, sports events, TV commercials and other paid assignments- and are fulfilling our mission here at FPTC of making taxpayers by putting qualified people in well-paid jobs’.
Shown (below) are graduating students Madison Ross (Photography), Cameron Taylor, Ehren Cobart, Omar Castro and Jackson Roland (Television Production Technology) and Diana Buchanan, Calvin Pate and Katarinna Jackson (Digital Video Technology).
‘These students come from Lynn Haven in Bay County, Cottondale and Marianna in Jackson County, Bonifay and Ponce De Leon in Holmes County, Slocomb in Southeast Alabama, and of course, Chipley in Washington County’, says Goulding, ‘and there are a group of students right behind these who will graduate a year from now’.
‘We have many students who finish their program course within a year, but we also have some who choose to take a second or even a third program, spending two or three years with us, and ensuring the highest quality training possible, before entering the workplace’.
Certifications earned by these students include the Adobe suite of programs, inclusive of Photoshop and Premiere Pro, as well as the FAA Part 107 Drone Pilot Certification.
The regimen of these programs is extremely demanding, to say the least.
‘I insist on an hour or longer interview with prospective students’, says Goulding, ‘prior to the start of the program year, and preferably to include a parent or guardian. This is an opportunity to explain all the reasons that the student is not cut out for these programs, and perhaps should look for something easier and less demanding. My promise is that I will not waste their time, as long as they promise to not waste mine’.
Workplace habits such as punctuality, timely completion of assignments, professional conduct and demeanor, attention to detail, honesty and responsibility are mandatory, and the program is run like a business.
‘This program is not a democracy’, says Goulding. ‘Tardiness is a cardinal sin, unless notice is given prior to the start of program hours, and some simply do not have the commitment to conform to our high standards’.
Life skills make up a large portion of the programs, and students never know when there will be an additional skill or new technology added to the course of study.
‘My job is to make my students uncomfortable’, continues Goulding, ‘so that the student becomes comfortable with being uncomfortable, and in this way, they are prepared for whatever life throws at them after graduation’.
‘Artificial Intelligence has added a huge dimension to our programs’, says Goulding, ‘with the scope of our courses expanded to include the exciting changes in these industries’.
Florida Panhandle Technical College continues to push the envelope in innovation, constantly upgrading the array of production programs available, to satisfy the marketplace demand for drone pilots, film creators, cinematographers, television production technicians, audio engineers and content creators.
Call 850-638-1180 Extension 6317, stop by 757 Hoyt Street in Chipley or email paul.goulding@fptc.edu for more information about the Photography, Video Technology, Audio, Drone and Television Production Programs at Florida Panhandle Technical College, with financial aid available but limited seating.
