As vocational and technology workers retire, who will fix our plumbing, print our newspapers, fix our furnaces, add electrical outlets, repair cars and build our homes?

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]

Storm Lake, IA

The first charter school in Iowa (developed by former high school principal, Mike Hanna) is located in Storm Lake, a town of approximately 10,000 people. The first graduating class crossed the stage last May and went into the world of work with no student loans. In fact, these students will earn a two-year degree without even paying for tuition or books.

Students may graduate with a two-year degree in

• Trade and Industrial (automotive, computer, carpentry, electrical, machinist, tool and die, diesel tech, biotechnology)
• Health Occupations (nursing, radiography, dental hygienist, medical assistant, paramedic, medical lab technician, culinary arts & restaurant management)
• Agriculture (food and fiber production, agribusiness)
• Business (transportation management, accounting, business administration, marketing, information technology, entrepreneurship)
• Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement
• Broadcasting

And for students wanting to continue their education and earn a four-year degree, the charter school offers an Associates of Arts degree with emphasis in pre-professional fields:

• Medicine
• Physical Therapy
• Chiropractic
• Optometry
• Engineering
• Dentistry
• Law
• Pharmacy
• Veterinary Medicine
• Finance
• Accounting
• Banking
• Teacher Education

The charter school is open to any Storm Lake League of Schools students. Schools belonging to the consortium are:

• Alta
• Newell-Fonda
• Sioux-Central
• Schaller-Crestland
• Storm Lake St. Mary’s
• Storm Lake Community School

Des Moines and Storm Lake, Iowa schools are filling the shoes of the workers retiring and offering students a debt-free education as they enter the world of work.

For more information on the Storm Lake Charter School, call Beau Ruleaux or Karen Dunbar at 712-732-8065.

Related articles: How Obese Friends Affect College, Dropouts Give Reasons, Hot Jobs: Skilled Workers

Read previous articles on Educational Issues.

Copyright article 2008 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.