News

Campaign links training at state's two year colleges to careers that are in demand

By Scott Wagar

05/01/2012

BISMARCK, N.D. – The next step to a high demand career in North Dakota is enrollment at one of the state’s five community colleges.

That’s the key message of the second phase of the North Dakota community college awareness initiative beginning this month. The educational goal of this initiative is to share more about the important link between an associate’s or technical degree from North Dakota’s community colleges and the most prominent careers available in the 21st century.

Nextstepnd.com

Television and print ads highlight in-demand careers, directing prospective students online to www.Nextstepnd.com, a micro-site that matches areas of interest with education and training opportunities available at Bismarck State College; Dakota College at Bottineau; Lake Region State College, Devils Lake; North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS), Fargo and Wahpeton; and Williston State College.

The initiative connects educational programs with the thousands of open positions in the state, specifically highlighting career opportunities in engineering, construction, information technology, manufacturing, energy and health care. Many of these curricula have been developed through vital partnerships and close collaboration between regional employers and the community colleges. The result is specialized educational offerings on each of the five community college campuses.
According to Dr. Ken Grosz, dean of Dakota College at Bottineau, when it comes to health care in the State of North Dakota, Dakota College at Bottineau offers two of the most demanding jobs in the healthcare industry.

“We have a very robust program in nursing and medical assisting here. In rural areas in North Dakota, there is a great demand for these professions in North Dakota. Here at Dakota College at Bottineau we are graduating nurses with a one year practical nursing degree and the two year registered nurse program,” Grosz said. “The emerging field in healthcare is medical assisting, which is growing dramatically. We have all three programs in connection with our local health care providers in Bottineau. Our students need to do their clinical experiences and do so in these facilities. So, there is a natural connection between that industry of business and what we have here in allied health.”

Gross added that many of DCB’s students are hired on location where they are doing their clinic experiences.

“Our nursing and medical assisting students have their pick where they want go,” he said. “In fact, a local healthcare provider told me this past week that if we had 100 medical assistants graduating and ready to go they would take most of them.”   

DCB also offers a garden and agricultural production program for its students and ag producers which interacts with statewide businesses.

“We offer a sustainable vegetable production program with the college’s Entrepreneurial Center for Horticulture. The whole intent with the entrepreneurial center is to work with the vegetable production industry in the whole State of North Dakota. Value added ag programs, fresh foods, organic production, community supportive programs and getting fresh food into the high schools are a huge effort in North Dakota, the region and nationally, and, we feel we are in the cusp of it because of the Entrepreneurial Center for Horticulture,” Grosz said. “The ECH assists in educating students and working with local producers in production methods, marketing, distribution and the educational portion part,” Grosz said. “This is a prime and perfect example of how the combination of industry and the education system can work together for the common good and for the state.”     
One other program in development at DCB is a program which is part of the energy industry through the college’s online programs.

“We are in stage one of the approval process of a land management program, or what is called a right-away-technician. People in this field get easements for oil permits for oil exploration and drilling,” Grosz said. “There is a huge demand in western North Dakota for these type of technicians and this is one niche we are trying to fill by offering a one year certificate or two year associate program that can be done entirely online.

“Through our online programs, people can stay in their location and study through our online courses and become trained in this type of work,” Grosz continued to say. “And, it’s a job position where the salaries are very, very good, which is really a positive thing about community colleges because they offer one or two year degrees, along with certification programs which grant our students great jobs with salaries that are excellent.”     

NextStepND also offers students the opportunity to receive $1,500 toward their community college education. There is a link on the micro-site for students and parent to see if they qualify.  

Myths and Misunderstandings Uncovered

The research also uncovered both myths and misunderstanding about the opportunities presented at community colleges, including if scholarships are available, what career options are possible with an associate’s degree or certificate and the range of starting salaries of in-demand community college graduates.

“There is this myth is that without a four-year degree you are not going anywhere. In certain fields that is certainly true; but, community colleges dispel that myth,” said Paula Berg director of student affairs at Dakota College at Bottineau. “In reality, one or two year degrees are easier to get through for the masses than going to a four year degree, which takes a much longer time to get them into the work force.”

“A community college is a great place to start to pick up those general education courses they will need regardless of which direction they finally choose, or to explore a little bit to find out where their future might be,” Grosz said. “It seems to me that it is more appropriate to do that at a community college. Two year schools provide more personal attention, classes are smaller, and there is strong interaction between the faculty, staff and students.”

Another myth exposed by the research focused on the ability to transfer to one of North Dakota’s universities from a community college. As part of the North Dakota University System, the two-year and four-year institutions collaborate to ensure credits transfer, allowing students to start on the path to a four-year degree through a liberal arts transfer program.

“That is simply not true,” Berg said. “Two year colleges and four year colleges work well together in transferring credits.”

Berg also stated that community colleges like DCB have many rewards that can lead to a productive and good life.

“There are many, many advantages of attending a community college,” Berg said. “It is simply a great place for many students to start their education and grants them the opportunity to gain great jobs with great salaries.”

This initiative was funded by the North Dakota state legislature as part of its efforts to keep North Dakota graduates living and working in the state. The five colleges collaborating to drive this effort are part of the North Dakota University System.