Industry and Technlogy Division is supplying the national shortage of technicians with trained tradespeople despite the budget cuts said Air Conditioning and Refrigeration instructor Vick Cafarshia.
Because of the ongoing budget cuts, with no end in sight, programs including the Industry and Technology division are faced with a struggle t keep the quality of education high with less budget.
The welding program has been successful here for almost 35 years, with full classes but recently we’ve been cut down to 15 students per class; I’ve been able to admit a few more but I may not be able to do that next semester said director of the welding program, Sam Dantzler.
Next semester, because of the reduction in admission, some continuing students might not be able to add certain crucial classes said Dantzler.
Industry and Technology division has also seen a cut in instructors as well. The welding program had four instructors and has been cut down to two while the air conditioning and refrigeration program has only two night instructors, which leaves to only three classes at night and the automotive technology program will be eliminating engine repair at night.
“The budget cuts are going to effect people going to school at night because some of them need the engine night class to complete the program,” automotive technology instuctor, John Lewis, said.
“Before it took a student two years to finish and now it might take them four years,” Cafarshia said.
Supply budgets for the classes are effecting the programs greatly and the prospects of further cuts will not improve the situation.
“I hope we don’t get the supplies budget cut anymore because if we did, I don’t know what we’d do. That means the money would have to come out of the students pocket and some students may not be able to pay for their supplies, this situation could eliminate some students,” Dantzler said.
“The cuts in the supplies budget really hurts us in the lab because we rely on the supply budget to support the lab and the projects that we do, so wed have to cut back a lot on that,” said Cafarshia.
“I have been working with cars for a while and the field is evolving, cars have computers on them now, so taking this class is a new experience for me,” Roy Jones, automotive technology major, said.
“I got into air conditioning and refrigeration because I like getting hands on experience, I like working with my hands,” Alex, 19, HVAC major said, he goes on to say that after he learns the field he wants to start a business of his own.
“Most all students get jobs straight out of the program however with the economy the way it is there is not as many jobs out there at this point but it will pick up again. WThe students don’t usually have a problem with that,” said Cafarshia.
Despite the budget cuts, skilled technicians prove to be needed.
“Within the next 10-15 years we will be very short of welders because not as many students are not taking these trades like they were in the past,” said Dantzler.
“Big buildings have lots of computers and they don’t have enough people to work on the air conditioning, you have to have air conditioning when you have computers.
There’s a large number of retirees, and not many people who have been trained as technicians, there’s a demand in the US for well over 80,000 technicians needed,” said Cafarshia.
