Technical Education in NV?

Think education is expensive, try ignorance!

Looking over the following article, it appears we must find a better way to “educate”. With Public Education so bloated with overpaid administrators (& underpaid teachers), isn’t it about time to try something innovative?
It has been suggested that a 2 year degree will replace the high school diploma as the minimum job requirement. Entry level “Professional” Jobs will require a Masters Degree.
In order to keep Nevadans employed, and to move more people into high skill high wage jobs, Nevada MUST provide, in addition to a University education, a parallel track in vocational / technical education to improve adult literacy. Many states have turned to State Technical College’s. Isn’t it about time Nevada looked into this?

Article (excerpt): America by the numbers by Michael Ventura Minneapolis/St. Paul CityPages
http://www.citypages.com/databank/26/1264/article12985.asp

We're an "empire," ain't we? Sure we are. An empire without a manufacturing base. An empire that must borrow $2 billion a day from its competitors in order to function

The United States is 49th in the world in literacy ( New York Times, Dec. 12, 2004).

The United States ranked 28th out of 40 countries in mathematical literacy (New York Times, Dec. 12, 2004).

"The International Adult Literacy Survey...found that Americans with less than nine years of education 'score worse than virtually all of the other countries'" (Jeremy Rifkin's superbly documented book The European Dream: How Europe's Vision of the Future Is Quietly Eclipsing the American Dream, p.78).

Our workers are so ignorant and lack so many basic skills that American businesses spend $30 billion a year on remedial training (New York Times, Dec. 12, 2004). No wonder they relocate elsewhere!

Foreign applications to U.S. grad schools declined 28 percent last year. Foreign student enrollment on all levels fell for the first time in three decades, but increased greatly in Europe and China. Last year Chinese grad-school graduates in the U.S. dropped 56 percent, Indians 51 percent, South Koreans 28 percent (New York Times, Dec. 21, 2004). We're not the place to be anymore.

"Of the 20 most developed countries in the world, the U.S. was dead last in the growth rate of total compensation to its workforce in the 1980s.... In the 1990s, the U.S. average compensation growth rate grew only slightly, at an annual rate of about 0.1 percent" (The European Dream, p.39). Yet Americans work longer hours per year than any other industrialized country, and get less vacation time.

The United States has lost 1.3 million jobs to China in the last decade (CNN, Jan. 12, 2005).

U.S. employers eliminated 1 million jobs in 2004 (The Week, Jan. 14, 2005).

Oh……… and one more thing…
Statistics on American education tell a dreadful story, the story of an advanced technological society slipping back to a state of ignorance and superstition. If that sentence seems extreme, consider:
The United States once ranked first in the world in high school graduation rates. We have slipped to 17th ( New York Times, Feb. 1).

Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation. -- John F. Kennedy

posted by cl @ 9:01 PM 0 comments

The future of technical education in No. Nevada

Having come from a business/industrial world, my association with public education had been principally as a consumer, not as a provider. Working with industry & non-traditional students to provide technical training was a major component of my hiring (and in concert with a legislative mandate to provide technical workforce development). It was felt rigorous training in applied technology would be the best way to quickly provide high-tech workers for high-wage, high skill employment. I believe, while it would be admirable to train all technical students in science and engineering, the majority of working adults would not have the time, nor the background to undertake such extended studies (teach hands-on “skills” not book “theory”).

With the money and support the legislature has been putting into technical education, a comprehensive technical program is possible. To that end, TMCC has accepted a grant to fund a new degree program in Manufacturing Technologies. But…. What are they doing to forward this program, and what is the future of this program at the present time?

I urge you to hold the College to their mandate. Become informed, and find answers by calling, e-mailing, and/or talking with College Administration and your State & Federal Legislators.

Thank You

posted by cl @ 4:11 PM 0 comments

Fate of Industrial Classes @ TMCC

Reviewing the non-renewal of contract letter, and my notes of that time, it appears my questions of “who would continue the IMT program?” (not answered) and, asked again “who would be teaching these new proposed classes” (answered "We (TMCC) have a year to find someone") have finally been answered as I have received my letter thanking me for my application (Manufacturing Technologies Instructor) and that the College is going to “continue the search”. The letter continues… there were a “number of well-qualified candidates”; however it appears none were hired

It looks as if there was not only a failure to find an instructor to institute new programs in the Manufacturing Technology area but TMCC has managed to shoot the only available horse (in reference to switching horses in mid-stream). I have informed my students that I will not be returning next semester and, as of yet, no new instructor has been hired. My assessment (supported by others) is that no IMT / Manufacturing Technologies programs will be offered in the fall, and in all likelihood this program, as well as the Manufacturing Technologies Program is, for all practical purposes, is dead.

It is my belief, to succeed, these classes must be taught by someone who has hands-on industrial experience in addition to the “academic educational process”.

Since receiving my letter of non-reappointment, I have talked with many people in industry and training who have validated my view (which has come from over 13 years in an industrial training environment) that qualified trainers in this field, especially at the salary level offered are going to be difficult, if not impossible to find.

posted by cl @ 11:08 PM 0 comments