Wassomatta Tech?

As fans of Bullwinkle know, Minnesota is home to the fictional college “Wassomatta U,” where the famous moose received his education (and played football). Well, Bullwinkle’s fictional, highly theoretical children (mooselets?) might be headed off to Wassomatta Tech.

During this election year, we’re bound to hear plenty of criticism and debate about the federal “No Child Left Behind” program. Often, the debate centers on how the program’s testing system fails to prepare students for real life or higher education.

Well, here on the Iron Range there is real concern that this testing-based system is leaving our region ill-prepared for the massive job turnover coming in many skilled technical or vocational fields. Local schools had been scaling back vocational education to almost nothing out of financial necessity. Now, there’s a move to bring back a more modern vo/tech approach to our high schools and colleges.

In the 1970s and ’80s, there was a sense that “shop” was the easy track in school. In our current economy, industrial jobs that last require great skill and lifelong training. On the Range, we need to change the old mindset. If we do, many local young people really will have the opportunity to stay in northern Minnesota to raise their families and build a comfortable life.

From Business North:

Range revival also revives vocational/tech education
By Richard Thomas

The Iron Range boom will create a huge demand for skilled labor, and for vocational and technical education. Yet over the past decade, the region’s public schools have reduced such programs — automotive, industrial technology, pre-engineering, healthcare and carpentry.

It’s the result of “the perfect storm,” said Roy Smith, regional workforce coordinator at Iron Range Resources.

The programs are expensive, require constant updating of equipment, and certified teachers are hard to find. The federal No Child Left Behind requirements emphasize standardized testing, which doesn’t measure knowledge of industrial arts. Schools have encouraged students to enter four-year colleges and fewer are going into vocational career education. Amid budget shortages and declining enrollment, these programs have been among the first on the chopping block.

In response, many companies already are recruiting nationwide, most aggressively from engineering schools, Smith said. “We’re going to see an influx of new blood from outside the region.”

Last year a collaboration of groups started the Applied Learning Initiative to revive
technical education. It’s a combined effort between Iron Range Resources, businesses, 17 school districts and five two-year colleges in Northeastern Minnesota.

Through the program, students may begin technical training in high school and have those credits accepted and counted at the college level. Local unions also count some of the training program hours toward required apprenticeship hours.

The initiative is funded by $3 million from the state and membership fees from participating institutions. Program administrators purchase the needed equipment and are reimbursed by state funds. The funding also is used for curriculum development and instructor training.

The Applied Learning Initiative will host a business and industry rally March 27 at Valentini’s Supper Club in Chisholm. The rally’s purpose will be “to ask the region what are the next steps to make sure we have a world class workforce,” said initiative coordinator Mark Adams.

People interested in attending may contact the Northeast Higher Education District office at 218-254-7977.