Of all the advocates championing the need for expanding digital reporting in response to the widening stenographer shortage, few are working as hard as Kelly Moranz to turn out the next generation of court reporters. As an Assistant Professor of the Captioning and Court Reporting Program at Cuyahoga Community College, she strives to be part of the solution to the labor shortage. We recently asked Kelly about the work of recruiting new students and turning out qualified graduates.

Q: What can you do to attract applicants?

A: When I was the program director, I would go to high school career days. I explained that court reporting is a career where after two years of junior college, they can potentially make six figures. I would see the looks on their faces. They had no clue about this amazing profession.

I would go to women’s groups. This career is a really interesting choice for women in transition. They might be going through a divorce or facing an empty nest.

I’d talk to anyone who will have me and still do. Our current program director carries on these activities.  We call it “the secret profession.” So few people have any idea about the profession of court reporting, the schooling involved, and how to qualify for a job.

Court reporting appeals to people who want to work in the gig economy. They don’t want to go to school forever and not get a job when they’re done. We have a 100% employment rate for people seeking employment upon completion of the program.

Q: With such a profound need for new court reporters, what does your program acceptance rate look like?

A: Every school is different. Students at Cuyahoga Community College can take a free online class that includes multimedia interactive tutorials that simulate the situations they’ll have both in school and in the workplace in all three modes of record capture – steno, voice, and digital along with transcription. We use it as a vetting tool. Court reporting isn’t for everyone and this identifies the students who will thrive as well as those who may decide not to apply.

Q: Do all the students graduate with the same qualifications?

A: All students are held to the same standard, whether they choose the steno, voice, digital or transcription path.

Students ramp up and we help them with endurance. Certain levels of accuracy are required to graduate and you’ll only get there if they apply themselves and do the necessary practice.

We promote national certification regardless of what state the student lives in. We have been completely online for over 25 years, with students from around the country and the world. We strongly encourage them along the way with guided feedback and help them learn what they need. All the programs prepare people for success on their certification exams.

Q: Do you advise applicants on which type of court reporting to pursue?

A: There’s room for everyone. If you find the person with the right skills, they need to choose which method of record capture is best for them.

Q: What do you hear from graduates once they have been in the field for a few years?

A: I’ve seen court reporting change people’s lives. You have so much flexibility. On your terms.

It comes down to the well-qualified and certified person in the room.  They recognize it’s their human touch that makes it all work to create a pristine transcript. They’ve learned that it’s not the method they capture with, it comes down to who they are – the professional in the room.