Madison Shumway

Staff Writer

A $900,000 budget increase has allowed the College of Technology to expand existing programs and add new ones to its catalog this year.

These expanded programs include welding and health information technology.

Some new programs, which range from unmanned aerial systems to pharmacy technology, were created in response to industry growth, said Steve Keller, director of marketing and recruitment.

“These programs will address the needs of industry. They will address the needs of students who are seeking more hands-on education,” he said. “They’re going to help put ISU more on the map.”

According to Keller, the budget increase came from a combination of grants and state career technical education funding.

Several of the new programs are funded by grant dollars.

One grant-funded program is Veteran-to-Nurse.

An extension of the practical nursing program, it awards college credits for a military veterans’ healthcare experience.

Veteran-to-Nurse was made possible by a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.

Students can earn an Advanced Technical Certificate in Practical Nursing in 1.5 years.

Other additions are pharmacy technology, which helps to prepare students for work in pharmacies or for future health education, as well as an occupational therapy assistant program in the accreditation process.

The new programs have generated substantial student interest, said Keller.

“We had people just waiting in the hopper,” he said. “They heard about the program on the grapevine, they came to us and they signed up for it even before you could sign up for it.”

One particularly “rad” new program, according to Keller, is unmanned aerial systems.

The program instructs students on the use of drones in fields ranging from agricultural surveys to search and rescue.

Chuck McNeell, the program’s instructor, worked for over a decade in the Department of Defense contractor world, said Keller, and conducted operations all over the world during his tenure.

The program, along with other additions to the College of Technology’s catalog, aligns with technological development and industry growth.

“These new programs are coming because there is a need out there in the industry. We know that we’re going to be able to get people employed,” said Keller. “We know that salaries are going to be very good. Each one of these programs is tied with industry, just hand in glove.”

The college works closely with industry partners and caters programs to employer needs, making College of Technology graduates more competitive in the job market.

For example, the cyber-physical security program was established after the Idaho National Laboratory requested it, Keller said.

The industry’s large amount of  support inspired the expansion of the college’s welding, aircraft maintenance technology and diesel/on-site power generation technology programs, according to Keller.

He said long waiting lists and up to 100 percent job placement rates in those fields helped drive the new changes.

The new programs and existing program expansions enabled by the budget increase benefit both to the College of Technology and to the university at large, according to Keller.

“Anything good that happens to ISU positively affects the College of Technology,” he said. “Anything good that happens to the College of Technology positively affects ISU, because we’re the same family. We’re all in it together.”