The Kaskaskia College Board has taken down barriers between career and technical education programs to offer students the ability to earn certificates while studying multiple career options.
President George Evans says the new three-tier system program provides customized career and technical education certificates or degrees which allows students and employers to work together to customize training.
“They may want to take three HVAC courses, augment two additional welding courses, and some industrial automation or technology courses which will allow the students to have a little bit more diversified field. It has been embraced by our area manufacturers. They brought this to the table with a suggestion because they are not necessarily looking for someone with a full-blown two-year degree in any specifics but looking for a well-balanced person who has a little background and fundamental skills and knowledge in many of those areas we just talked about.”
This system also allows current workers to further their training in various industrial trade fields or explore apprenticeship options with their employers.
Evans says the board also approved a new Manufacturing and Work-Based Learning Coordinator grant-funded position via the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center grant.
“Aspirations in Manufacturing, or what we call the AIM program, allows students who have some mechanical interests to get involved in a manufacturing degree of study during their high school time. It will be structured very similarly to the CEO program, a very rigid program for 12 months. They will be enrolled in this while also taking high school courses.”
The board also approved the position of a Career and Technical Education Work-Based Learning Specialist to be funded via the Illinois Bridge and Transitions grant.
In other action, approval was given to use Workforce Equity Initiative (WEI) grant funds to purchase a $73,327 electric vehicle kit for instructional purposes in the Automotive Technology Program and the future Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Certificate.
The board reviewed and approved the partnership proposition from BAM Marketing Agency of St. Louis, MO, for the college to enter into a one-year contract for BAM to provide full-service professional marketing resources.
Evans says this was a rigorous interviewing process of marketing firms with faculty, staff, and trustees to decide on an agency the district can partner to reach more future students.
The board also approved the position of a Temporary Accounts Payable Specialist and the restructuring of the current two 30-hour Buildings and Grounds positions to two 40-hour positions and hired Quinton McGuire and Christopher Holthaus to fill them.
Lisa Wagner was hired for an Administrative Assistant position at Centralia Correctional Center
The board accepted the resignation of Kristina Rickhoff as Assistant Professor of Health Information Technology
The board also acted on faculty tenure:
Reappointment of First-Year Probationary Faculty to Second Year:
- Arts and Sciences Aryashree Kharel
- Career and Technical Education Connor Pollmann
- Nursing/Allied Health Whitney Wadkins
Reappointment of Second-Year Probationary Faculty to Third Year:
- Career and Technical Education Suzanne Arndt
Continued Employment of Tenure Faculty:
- Career and Technical Education: Pete Donnelly, Lyle Gross, Angenien Huffstutler, Kelli Malone, Alexis Myers, and William Waggoner
- Arts and Sciences: Christena Elliott, Bill Mathena, Brad Odum, John Orlet, and Jodi Palm
- Nursing/Allied Health: Lisa Barrow, Rebecca McElhose, Lisa Ring, and Candace Sloat
