Grant to provide funds to FHTC to expand Power Plant Training program
John Giffin, john@emporiagazette.com
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
In an attempt to match skills with workforce need, Flint Hills Technical College has partnered with six other Kansas colleges to form TRAC-7 and will received a $2,522,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to implement the program.
The Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant awarded Washburn University/Washburn Institute of Technology, FHTC, Cloud Community College, Dodge City Community College, Garden City Community College, Highland Community College and Salina Area Technical College a $20 million grant to establish a partnership to offer programs to train employees skills that will meet the employment needs of local and regional organizations.
“All seven of the institutions have a specialty program, we call them signature programs, that are primarily involved in energy,” said Dr. Dean Hollenbeck, FHTC Chief Executive Officer and President. “Those are the programs that are highlighted in the grant. For us that’s our power plant program.”
FHTC’s portion will be used to upgrade and expand the power plant technology program. With approximately 50 students enrolled in the power plant program currently, FHTC holds a partnership with the Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation and Westar Energy as well as area contractors for training and placement of power plant operators. The program expansion was developed by FHTC Director of External Affairs Steve Harmon, Power Plant Technology Instructor Jeff Devilbiss, Adult Education Director Kelsey Ortiz and Ben Coltrane, among others.
“What we know about the power plants and the energy companies is that it’s an aging workforce,” said Hollenbeck. “There’s a real high percentage, I think it’s like 60 percent, in the next five to seven years in these plants all over the United States are going to have turnover from retirement.”
In order to get potential operators trained, FHTC and TRAC-7 is not only adding to their power plant program but making it more convenient to enroll and attend. With the partnership formed by TRAC-7, students can offer power plant program instruction to the sister institutions in Kansas and nationwide. Much of the training will be available on-line but there are hands-on internship components.
“We’ll be able to train, and it doesn’t matter if it’s at another institution in-state or out-of-state, and we’ll still be able to get the credit for it,” said Hollenbeck. “They’ll still be taking classes from Flint Hills Technical College. They’ll also be able to take some of their (general education) and some of the other classes at some of the other institutions.”
He continued, “The core basic for the power plant program will come through Flint Hills Technical College.”
Significant upgrades to interactive and on-line curriculum will be necessary.
“Some of the things this grant requires that we do and there is money from the grant for it, is to make smarter classrooms in a sense where we can capture things on video and distribute that to Cloud County or Dodge City,” said Power Plant Technology Instructor Jeff Devilbiss. “There will need to be some technological improvements to our ability to get that kind of stuff out.”
Also included in the expansion will be the ability to acquire stackable creditials.
“Part of the grant involves some skill set training for the adult learner,” said Devilbiss. “Also for someone who maybe didn’t finish school. Maybe they don’t have a GED or they don’t have a diploma. They can be working towards that and kind of getting some technical skills on the basic level. As their academic growth occurs, They can take this class and that class.”
Not only will the power plant training program fill positions that will be lost to retirement, but could also create jobs.
“Whenever we’ve got programs in place, first thing that business and industry and companies are asking is ‘do you have people that can fill our slot?’” said Hollenbeck. “Then they move into the state.”
With the expansion of the power plant program, FHTC is trying to get ahead of employment trends to be able to provide skill-specific workers to industries looking for employees, something it wants to continue to do.
“In this instance we are trying to get ahead of the curve,” said Hollenbeck. “We’re going to have the employees. We’re hoping that other companies come in. Sunflower is a good example. As they build and everything, we’re going to have the employees ready to hire.”
The Power Plant Technology expansion is slated to be complete by the 2013-14 school year.
owenrhys (anonymous) says...
A question and a point ...
Question: What are the job placement statistics for graduates of FHTC's current power plant program? (I've heard there are virtually no job opening, except traveling to work temporary positions).
Point: FHTC and ESU need to be coordinated, if not consolidated. There is a real potential for some synergy by combining the tech expertise of Flint Hills with the broader education availability at Emporia State. (the tech school guys aren't just fixing refrigerators any more).
October 12, 2011 at 12:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )