NIC, school districts explore ties

Idaho is among the top 10 states for high school graduation rates, but fewer than half of Idaho’s graduates go on to college, according to The National Center for Higher Education.

The forecast for students armed only with a high school degree is getting even gloomier. It used to be students with a high school diploma, or even with no diploma at all, could still make a living in mining or timber.

But opportunities for unskilled workers and laborers are declining, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Opportunities for skilled workers are growing and are projected to grow through 2008 and beyond.

“That doesn’t bode well for the young people who leave high school and go out and try to enter the work force without the kind of professional skills they need to get a good job, make a living and support a family,” said Michael Burke, president of North Idaho College.

That’s why NIC and area school districts are teaming up to provide more skills to high school grads.

Burke and superintendents of Kootenai County’s school districts are discussing ways to meet the area’s growing demand for professional-technical programs, possibly through a joint facility. The college has hired a consultant to look at NIC’s professional-technical needs and come up with a plan.

The Hedlund Building, where most of NIC’s professional-technical programs are housed, is cramped, Burke said. The college could add to its programs when its $11.9 million Health and Sciences Building is complete next year, Burke said, freeing up space in other campus buildings.

“But we’re thinking bigger than that,” Burke said. “Two decades out into the future.”

If NIC partnered with local schools on the venture, Burke said there would be many advantages.

Instead of duplicating programs, many of which require expensive equipment and lots of space, the college and school districts could combine resources. Students could explore a vocation during high school, possibly earning college credit or even completing a certificate program before they graduate from high school.

For those who choose to continue training at the college level, it could make for a seamless transition, Burke said.

Burke said it’s important to get out the message that a four-year degree isn’t the only ticket to a well-paying job.

“Many parents, mine included, said ‘You’re going to college and you’re getting a baccalaureate degree,’ ” Burke said. “That was the level of understanding because that ensured you some sort of future. So do these programs.”

The consultant NIC hired will be interviewing instructors to find out where careers in their field are headed 10, 15 or 20 years into the future. Space and equipment needs also will be discussed.

The college also is looking at adding programs that aren’t currently offered. College spokesman Kent Propst said desire has been expressed for veterinary technician and X-ray technician programs, for example.

With limited space on campus, Propst said NIC might have to look at other locations to expand its offerings. If the proposed Education Corridor along Northwest Boulevard comes to fruition, Propst said there might be space there.

The college owns property at its Post Falls Workforce Training Center. Local property owners have approached the college about using vacant retail business space. The possibility of locating a facility on the Rathdrum Prairie also has been discussed.

The business community has told the college that developing its professional-technical programs could spur economic development. Employers want training for their employees, Burke said, and college opportunities for employees’ families.

When the Riverbend Professional Technical Academy, a joint facility operated by Kootenai County’s three large school districts, opened five years ago, the districts had big plans for expanding its programs. Students from Lakeland, Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene high schools take courses there.

The center was funded with seed money from the state and a grant from the Albertson Foundation. Post Falls Superintendent Jerry Keane said the funding from the Albertson Foundation took a hit when the stock market soured.

“We have not been able to grow (Riverbend) the way we wanted to over time,” Keane said.

Superintendents from the three school districts said they would support a joint venture with NIC.

“The potential is wonderful,” said Ron Schmidt, Lakeland’s assistant superintendent. “It’s great.”