Lake Wa Technical College | Blog: Tile Hill College Of Further Education

Turning Gray

A teacher shortage is looming nationally as baby boomers retire from education. The same is true for vocational careers. Our computers can’t be fixed over the telephone from India and our muffler can’t be welded from China. Many states have aging populations in rural areas that will need tech services. Iowa is one of them.

Emphasis on College

While more students are going to college, they are not attending technical colleges that will fill the gaps in

Welding
Mechanics
Dental hygienists
Carpentry
Plumbing
Wind energy
Biodiesel
Printing

This is of great concern in sparsely populated states.

Past Mistakes

Due to strong emphasis on college readiness for several decades, some high schools and colleges have abandoned vocational programs producing waiting lists into some programs. This leaves some boys without options. And, with the emphasis on stronger graduation requirements, hands-on students don’t have time to take elective classes in auto mechanics and welding. Some dropout altogether because classes have no relevance to them.

While emphasizing academic classes is a good thing, this also sends a message to students that blue-collar careers are not honored. There is also a misconception that jobs in the technology field don’t pay as well as four-year degree positions. That is simply not true. Many two-year degree positions pay at higher levels than four-year degrees do.

Des Moines, IA

The Central Campus facility in Des Moines, IA is doing something about this crisis. They launched a campaign to address the Iowa’s 150,000-worker shortage within the next five years by offering an education to high school students in the needed areas. 900 Des Moines-area students are learning technical skills and earning dual credit. Students will graduate with college credits at no cost to the student and have hirable skills. Every instructor at Central Campus is a certified DMACC (Des Moines Area Community College) instructor. It is quite possible in the near future that students will graduate from high school with a two-year degree. [Megan Hawkins, Des Moines Register, January 22, 2008]