MADISONVILLE, KY (2/9/12) – Educators have gotten the message and are trying to get ahead of the demand for the skilled job market. Dr. Judy Rhoads is president of Madisonville Community College. On Wednesday Rhoads touted the benefits of pursuing a post-secondary career in technology. Kentucky Career and Technical Schools (KCTCS) have taken the forefront of Career and Technical Education (CTE) in Kentucky.
The numbers are quite stunning when you look at earnings for CTE graduates. Here are some of the statistics as provided by Dr. Rhoads (all median wages are as of 2006):
1. Multi-skilled Industrial Technician - $40,435 – Kentucky will need 684 in 2016.
2. Medical Equipment and Instrumentation - $40,580 – in 2006 (many are earning much more today upon graduation) – Kentucky will need 851 in 2016.
3. Computer specialist/Network Administrator - $41,470 – Kentucky will need 27,652 in 2016.
4. Registered Nurse - $57,280 – Kentucky will need 40,663 in 2016.
5. Radiologic Technologist and Technician - $48,170 – Kentucky will need 3,943 in 2016.
6. Occupational Therapist Assistant - $42,060 – projected need of 2,063 in 2016 for Kentucky.
7. Physical Therapist Assistant - $41,360 – in 2016 projected need in KY, - 2,063.
8. Respiratory Care Therapist - $47,420 – KY projected need 1,692.
9. HVAC Technician - $37,667 – 3,968 needed in KY in 2016.
10. Surgical Technologist - $36,080 – 1,647 needed.
11. Clinical Lab Technician - $35,380 – 1,911 needed.
12. Paramedic/EMT - $29,328 – 5,128 needed in KY in 2016.
13. Paralegal/Legal Assistant - $46,120 – 4,180 openings in this field by 2018.
(Sources: U.S. Department of Labor Statistics and Workforce Kentucky)
Another positive step is the improved flow (also called alignment) of education from secondary CTE to Community Colleges to industry. Dr. Rhoads referred to the pipeline from high schools to community colleges to workforce.
Individual community colleges specialize in different course work. Some of the course work is more specialized for the area industries. Rhoads says the Madisonville facility has a multifaceted focus with specialization in health care support and manufacturing support. In fact, MCC has more programs than other schools with the possible exception of Paducah Community College.
In addition to the CTE focus, MCC continues to partner with Murray State University. The result is record employment for MCC and improved enrollment for Murray State.
For a full description of courses available, visit www.madisonville.kctcs.edu.
Ron Sanders
SurfKY News
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