Tech center works to continue offering accelerated degrees

Cape Girardeau's Career and Technology Center is seeking funding to continue its degree acceleration programs.

Leon Nelson watches an instructional infant CPR video during his health occupations class Tuesday at Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center. (GLENN LANDBERG)

Statewide grant applications are being accepted through Nov. 15, and awards will be announced by Dec. 1. Up to three grants will be awarded from two funders to schools that qualify.

"It'll be competitive, but the beauty of it is we've already been funded once," said Career and Technology Center director Rich Payne.

Gov. Jay Nixon announced USA Funds, a national not-for-profit organization, had selected Missouri for the grants in September.

The CTC's Innovation Campus, which helps low- to moderate-income students with tuition for technical training and degrees in advanced manufacturing, agribusiness and health care, is in its second full year, Payne said. It is a partnership between the center, Mineral Area College and Southeast Missouri State University.

"We wrote that grant probably three years ago. ... Under the Innovative Campus grant, there are three programs that we focused on. SEMO is focusing on agribusinesses, [and] we are focusing on health care and advanced manufacturing. Those are all high-demand occupations in our region," Payne said.

Through the Innovation Campus program, students can receive up to $7,500 in tuition assistance, Payne said. "We wanted to be able to assist students [in] coming out quicker with less student loan debt."

Although students take all their coursework at the CTC, their degrees come through Mineral Area College. Before moving forward with the grant, the matter would have to go before the Cape Girardeau School Board.

Payne said he expects to apply for $1 million to continue the Innovation Campus program. More courses probably would not be added, but he will continue to work on business participation agreements with area firms.

The collaborative agreement in place with the Career and Technology Center, Southeast and Mineral Area College is unlike anything in place across the state, Payne said. Through the Cape College Center, formerly the Cape Girardeau Partnership for Higher Education, Three Rivers College also offers general education courses to go with the CTC's curriculum.

"[The Innovative Campus grant] helped us create the high school LPN program; it helped us create the high school EMT program; and has helped us support the industrial systems technician program here at the Career Center. That's the advanced manufacturing piece," Payne said.

Payne said 67 students have been funded through the grant so far. Of those, 30 are working and seven have gone on to further training. The remainder still are in programs at the CTC. He said 30 to 40 businesses throughout the region have hired students from the program.

In 2012, the Cape Girardeau Development Foundation, in collaboration with the Career and Technology Center and Southeast, received a $1 million grant through the Missouri Department of Economic Development to provide education and technical skills training.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

388-3639

Pertinent address: 1080 S. Silver Springs Road