Student Matthew Fitch wanted a low-cost, quick entry into the workforce. That?s all he wanted.
So he transferred from a community college to WSU Tech ? a place that felt quieter and more focused on his dash to the working world.
?There?s no parties all the time,? Fitch said. ?Everybody?s kind of focused on learning a lot so that they can get a nice job.?
Fitch is one of thousands of students who have helped technical colleges defy what?s becoming a new Kansas college tradition ? declining enrollment.
Kansas is near the end of a 10-year strategic plan to get more students into college classrooms. Instead, many of those classrooms have emptied.
The exception lies in the state?s technical colleges. Their enrollment swelled over the last decade. Advocates credit an emphasis on employer-focused, hands-on training rather than the sports and out-of-class activities that can define college life elsewhere.
Tech colleges have been championed as a model for higher education success across the political aisle. That?s kept state funding flowing with the argument that it sets students on a fast and cheap path to a solid job.
And with the state covering most of the bill, why wouldn?t students look hard at technical colleges?
In 2012, Kansas began paying the tuition for high school students taking career and technical courses. Last year, more than 11,000 high schoolers were enrolled in the program. Some students earn industry certifications before their high school diploma.
?I already have a welding certification,? said high school student Bishop Zelmer. He said the certification he earned from WSU Tech led to a job interview with a manufacturing company. ?I plan on actually getting hired there. I feel like I?m confident enough.?
Entry-level welders make about $31,000, according to the Kansas Department of Labor. The department projects about 670 welding jobs to open in the state a year.
High schoolers account for nearly all the growth seen at technical colleges across the state. Students less than 18 years old made up more than a quarter of the people taking courses from state technical colleges in 2018 in Kansas. Technical courses at community colleges are also paid for, though those schools haven?t seen the same boon from the program as technical colleges.
Students often still pay class fees. Then-Gov. Jeff Colyer?s education council last year recommended those fees be covered by the state, schools or business partners. The council also suggests reevaluating to make sure the state focuses its subsidies on courses that get students into high-paying, high-demand jobs.
So students looking for a highly subsidized career have options. They?re just limited to where state officials decide to concentrate tax dollars for job readiness.
But for high school students willing to chase fields targeted by the state, technical college can be an easy decision.
