Moraine Valley Community College is working with Cresco Labs to create its inaugural Cannabis Retail Specialist certificate program available starting this fall.

Since the legalization of cannabis in many states, including Illinois, Cresco Labs has grown into one of the largest vertically integrated cannabis companies in the U.S., and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Cresco consulted with the college on curricula and specific course development to aid educational content for the certificate.

This program provides entry-level training for students interested in pursuing a career in the licensed medical or adult-use cannabis industry. Classes will focus on the skills and core competencies defined by the industry as well as a blend of business, technical and cannabis-related topics so students can effectively interact with and serve customers in a retail environment. Students must be 21 years or older.

“We were delighted at the early and consistent engagement from Moraine Valley in bringing cannabis curriculum development to the student population of Illinois. Moraine Valley’s approach of developing top-notch educational-based content is well complemented by their overriding priority toward workforce development initiatives ensuring access to diverse placement opportunities for participating students within the cannabis industry. We are thankful for the opportunity to work with Moraine Valley and look forward to further normalization of the cannabis industry in partnership with their educational and professional placement initiatives,” said Jason Nelson, Cresco Labs senior vice president of Horticulture.

With this 13-credit hour certificate, students can work as a retail specialist, budtender, store manager, operations associate, operations lead, assistant dispensary manager or retail inventory manager.

A complete list of credit and noncredit classes can be found in the fall 2020 class schedule online at morainevalley.edu. Tuition is $131 per credit hour plus fees and books. Registration is ongoing. The college shortened its fall semester from 17 to 16 weeks with most courses taking place online starting Aug. 24. Hybrid classes, those that have some in-person and some online instruction, begin Aug. 10. New students can get started remotely with step-by-step instructions online.