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Posted: Wednesday, Nov 19, 2008 - 11:29:34 pm PST
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Dr. Priscilla Bell

PTE at NIC: What it is -- and isn't

Welding Technology, Nursing, Automotive Technology, Radiography Technology, Law Enforcement, Culinary Arts, Office Specialist, Machine Technology ...

What do these North Idaho College programs have in common? They are all a part of Professional-Technical Education (PTE). And there are many, many more. NIC is proud of the diversity of our PTE programs, but that diversity may be the reason there is some confusion about what is and is not PTE.

PTE programs provide individuals with technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare for employment in current or emerging fields. PTE at NIC is not just welding or diesel mechanics or nursing, but encompasses a wide range of programs in four areas: Trades and Industry, Health Professions and Nursing, Business and Professional Programs, and Resort/Recreation Management. Currently, NIC offers a total of 34 professional-technical programs and will add two more this coming semester: Medical Assistant and Emergency Medical Technician.

Not a week goes by without someone suggesting to me that NIC needs to place more emphasis on PTE. I agree, and we are. However, I sometimes fear that you, our community supporters, do not fully understand the scope of our PTE courses and programs. That is not your problem. It is mine, and I hope this article will begin to tell our PTE story more fully.

In PTE, we recognize that "one size does not fit all!" At NIC, PTE students have multiple choices for course length, as well as the option of taking courses for credit or non-credit. For example, students can earn a Technical Certificate of Completion with as few as seven credit hours. They can also take non-credit, short-duration PTE courses through Workforce Training programs. At the other end of the timeline are the Associate of Applied Science degree programs that require a minimum of two years of study and 60 credits. Many PTE programs offer training opportunities between these two points on the spectrum. This flexibility allows us to provide PTE at various levels of skill expertise to meet the needs of individual students and the local workforce demands.

Our success in Professional-Technical Education is not without challenges, however. It is very expensive to add new welding booths, diesel technology work stations or labs for health professions programs. So, when many high demand programs had reached maximum enrollment due to facility limitations, Judy Hodge, Dean of Professional, Technical, and Workforce Education, and her talented staff, devised innovative solutions to add capacity to our programs without impacting the budget. One innovation is called flip scheduling, where half of the students are in classrooms while the other half use the labs. Now, neither the classrooms nor the labs sit idle, and by flip scheduling, first-year enrollments in Diesel Technology and Welding Technology programs were doubled. Similar efforts are taking place across many other programs.

External factors also influence what we do in PTE. A major issue we are tackling together is getting prospective students to recognize PTE programs as viable career paths in our local economy. To do that well, students must have PTE opportunities at the high school level. We are partnering on a long-range solution with business leaders, the local school districts and the city of Rathdrum to develop PTE facilities for both high school and college students on the prairie. To address this in the short term, we now offer PTE dual enrollment opportunities to high school juniors and seniors. By taking PTE courses while still in high school, students can complete the equivalent of one year of college level PTE by the time they graduate high school. We began with three Trades and Industry programs this fall and will offer more each year.

PTE is much more than the items I shared here. In addition to being dedicated to PTE, I'm also dedicated to helping the community -- our partners -- understand the complex issue better. In future columns I'll provide more information about specific programs and plans for the future. Please e-mail me at the address below if you have any questions or want more information about PTE.

Priscilla Bell, Ph.D., is president of North Idaho College. For comments on this column, e-mail her at PresidentsColumn@nic.edu.