Court Reporting Program partnering with Project Steno to offer free six-week basic training course starting Oct. 14
Introductory course offered in-person locally and online to Texas residents to familiarize participants with career field; DMC’s academic program starting evening courses in spring 2024
Article by Melinda Eddleman
Court reporting continues to be an in-demand profession across the country and offers excellent income for those pursuing a career in the field.
Currently, court reporters are highly sought after, especially in Texas. The average salary in Texas is $78,080, but court jobs are being offered for over $100,000 per year in the state right now.
The College offers court reporting training through its Public Service Department and is partnering with Project Steno to give local and state residents considering a court reporting career the opportunity to explore the field during a free six-week introductory basic training course starting Saturday, Oct. 14.
Classes will be held in-person locally on the College’s Heritage Campus (101 Baldwin Blvd., Corpus Christi, TX 78404) and online using Zoom for anyone living across Texas. The course runs from 10 a.m. to noon (CST) every Saturday through Nov. 18.
Weis will teach the in-person and online formats. However, registration is handled through Project Steno by emailing BasicTraining@ProjectSteno.org and providing the following information:
· individual’s full name, address and phone number,
· session dates: Saturdays, Oct. 14 through Nov. 18 with instruction by DMC faculty Suzette Weis,
· high school graduation year, and
· indication if participant is active duty or if spouse is active duty.
The deadline to register is Sept. 30 for individuals who are taking the course online and Oct. 7 for those attending in-person.
Individuals who do not have access to a steno machine and are taking the course online will receive a machine from Project Steno as a loaner or rental. Those taking the course in-person will be provided a free machine from Del Mar College to use during the course period.
The course will allow participants to get their hands on steno machines, learn the basics of steno theory and develop a better understanding about the court reporting profession. After completing the course, individuals can then make a more informed decision about pursuing a court reporting career and the formal training to reach that goal.
If participants decide a career in court reporting is their next step after completing the course, Project Steno will offer FREE CATalyst® Student Software from sponsor Stenograph Corporation once individuals are enrolled in a formal training program. Project Steno also will offer their Merit Awards program, which gives participants the opportunity to earn up to $2000 to help with educational expenses.
Del Mar College’s Court Reporting Program offers an Associate in Applied Science degree and Level II Certificate in Court Reporting, a Certificate in Information Reporting/Scoping and an Enhanced Skills Certificate in Judicial Realtime/CART/Captioning. Students train to become official court reporters, freelance reporters, captioners or scopists/transcribers.
Weis notes that while using Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming more prominent these days as more people turn to the technology to generate content, “court reporting still requires the human element and will never be replaced with AI because the field has kept up with the times and technology using realtime writing.”
She explains that realtime writing is simultaneous transcription onscreen that’s produced at the same time parties speak. Court reporters utilize CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) technology and closed captioning to meet the needs of the hearing impaired.
Because the field has high demand and due to a large volume of requests, the College’s Court Reporting Program will begin offering evening classes starting with the spring 2024 semester.
To learn more about the College’s Court Reporting Program, contact the DMC Public Service Department at 361-698-1724 or publicsafety@delmar.edu. Individuals can also visit the program web page at www.delmar.edu/degrees/court-reporting/index.html.
For more information about the free introductory basic training course, contact Suzette Weis at sweis@delmar.edu , 361-698-1724 (office) or 843-343-5152 (cell).
Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.