CTE open to train students
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By Jeff Snyder
MOUNT AYR, Iowa — Officials from the Mount Ayr Community School district as well as members of Southwest Iowa Community College gathered to officially celebrate the opening of the newest addition to the MACS facilities campus.
The Career and Technical Center (CTE) cut the celebratory ribbon on the new 12,000 square foot facility with a midday ceremony on August 20, that welcomed this new state-of-the-art learning facility to the community. The CTE facility will provide hands on learning opportunities for a number of surrounding communities other than Ringgold County including Taylor, Adams, Union and Decatur counties. The joint project was funded primarily through grants provided by the Iowa State Education Department along with a number of private donations to help complete the year long project.
The facility will have an extensive portion of its space devoted to the auto repair industry enabling students to receive hands on training helping to prepare them to immediately enter the work force upon graduation. The shop includes four repair bays with lifts that closely replicate real world working conditions that students will experience when entering the job market. Future expansion plans include the addition of auto body repair and painting facilities.
The CTE will also contain a career professional training environment for those interested in entering the medical care industry. The medical education portion of the center contains four “Mock” hospital rooms that closely approximate the conditions trainees will experience when out in the work force. This portion of the facility also houses a formal traditional classroom setting along with specialized equipment such as realistic life size training mannequins to aid in hands on medical training.
MACS Superintendent Jason Shaffer with pride told those in attendance of the potential impact the CTE could have for southwest Iowa with
“We are excited to kick off the new school year by opening our state-of-the-art Career and Technical Education building bringing a visible Southwestern Community College footprint to our town and expanding regional learning opportunities,” Shaffer said. “The absolute intended goal is to prepare our kids locally with the hopes that they could use those skills, knowledge and aptitude to maybe keep the skills that they gain locally, and provide more of those services in the region.”
Non-college degree studies are gaining steam in the market place as needs for skilled labor are rapidly exceeding the number of qualified workers available. Advanced facilities such as the CTE will help fill the void in the current market condition.
