Letter to RGJ 09/25/13 in resonse to $3.2 million grant
In response to: $3.2 million grant to bolster TMCC manufacturing, mining programs
http://www.rgj.com/article/20130919/NEWS02/309180097/-3-2-million-grant-bolster-TMCC-manufacturing-mining-programsGreat Basin College at least has an idea of what "Technical/Vocational" education is all about (and has a pretty good program to prove it). TMCC has squandered every dime they have gotten for Technical/Vocational education NOT putting it to good use actually training people for what manufacturing employers need. A few years back... (then) Dean Verbeck, obtained a $390,000 grant for a "Manufacturing Technologies" program. $192,000 was for MY program (of which I started from NOTHING, and left it with $60,000 of donated and grant paid-for INVENTORIED equipment). Both Dean Verbeck and myself found our contracts not renewed. To my knowledge, NONE of the $192,000 went toward any program or equipment as was specified in the grant application, and any inquiries into the whereabouts of that money was met with silence or "Its been re-appropriated" Sadly... I'll bet this money will go the same route (he!!, I can't even find where the inventoried equipment went). I teach now (as before TMCC) with a national training company. My class size here in Reno is higher (per capita) than ANY other city I train in. Manufacturers do not trust TMCC to train their people. Throwing money down a hole will not solve the fundamental problem... TMCC wants to be known for their academics, not their "dirty fingernail bunch". Its time for a TECHNICAL college system here in NV (of the top 10 Community Colleges rated by Bankrate, 6 out of the 10 were Technical Colleges.... the top 4, yup.. Technical Colleges (mainly because of graduation rates and job placement).
posted by cl @ 5:29 PM
0 comments
