PALOS HEIGHTS, IL – Moraine Valley Community College is partnering with a Chicago-based laboratory that will allow the school to offer a new Cannabis Retail Specialist certificate program beginning this fall, the school announced on Thursday.

The program, which is being run in conjunction with Cresco Labs, provides entry-level training to students interested in pursuing a career in the licensed medical or adult-use cannabis industry, the school announced in a news release. 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 and serve customers in a retail environment.

Students must be 21 years of age or older to participate in the program which will include 13-hour certificate which, after obtained, students may work as a retail specialist, budtender, store manager, operations associate, operations lead, assistant dispensary manager or retail inventory manager.

“We were delighted at the early and consistent engagement from Moraine Valley in bringing cannabis curriculum development to the student population of Illinois,” Jason Nelson, Cresco Labs senior vice president of Horticulture, said in a news release. “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.”

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. due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

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 at morainevalley.edu/starting-remotely.

This article originally appeared on the Palos Patch