Opportunities present themselves.
Paul Miller has learned that through his experience both as a teacher and a pastor.
Last fall, he took advantage of an opportunity to teach wind energy at the Rural Regional Technical Center at LaHarpe, leaving a job as a full-time substitute at Iola High School.
Now, he’s helping students discover opportunities in careers in wind energy.
He’s also excited to see what new opportunities come in the wind industry. Beyond needing technicians to work on wind turbines, there are jobs for substation management, drone operators, inspection and solar.
“It’s such an area of rapid growth and development,” he said. “As long as our planet is spinning on its axis, we will have wind.”
MILLER has a history of helping students achieve.
At IHS, he was known for working with students to find scholarships and apply to colleges. For those with exceptionally good grades, he helped them get into top tier colleges across the country as well as find opportunities to make it affordable.
Miller took those on those responsibilities outside of substitute teaching.
His new job is a little different. At the tech center, many of the students don’t plan to attend a four-year college.
Often, they’re taking classes that will teach skills in high-demand jobs such as welding, construction or wind technology.
To advance, all they need is a certificate that allows them to go straight into the workforce after graduation.
Some of those students can find jobs with high entry wages. For example, a starting salary for a wind turbine technician can range anywhere from $32,000 to $64,000.
“In Kansas, for the past 20 years, our No. 1 export has been our young people, especially in rural counties,” Miller said. “We want to reverse that trend. Give kids a reason to stay. If they’ve got a good-paying job, they don’t leave. They support the local tax economy, they send their kids to our school, they’re invested in our schools. ”
Technical education programs are one solution, Miller realized.
