TECHNICAL COLLEGES A WISE DECISION IN TODAY’S ECONOMY

The University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton (UACCM) is situated perfectly in both mission and location to prepare students for today’s labor market and evolving economy. Companies both large and small in a diverse sector of business and industry are changing their requirements for bachelor’s degrees, preferring to focus on applicants’ skills and savvy.

This shift has resulted in skills training at two-year colleges becoming increasingly popular among individuals who are considering postsecondary educational options. As a two-year college, UACCM offers a comprehensive curriculum of career-specific training and university-transfer programs, as well as adult education, workforce training and community outreach programs.

UACCM provides business and industry with a highly-qualified pool of employees and enhances the skills of both the current and emerging workforce. The college offers certificate of proficiency, technical certificate and associate degree options to accommodate students with a variety of goals.

There are many advantages to attending a technical college. From an economic standpoint, the tuition is typically much less than that of the four-year university tuition rate, which allows students to graduate with little to no debt. Another important benefit is that class sizes at community and technical colleges are usually much smaller, which allows students to get more one-on-one attention. Increasingly, the salaries earned by individuals with formal skills and technical training exceeds that of people who hold a bachelor’s degree.

In today’s labor market, many job seekers and employers are putting more emphasis on job training and other nontraditional forms of education. This is a great opportunity for technical colleges to look at ways to restructure training to include shorter-term programs and different types of instructional delivery in addition to the certificates and associate degrees they offer.

UACCM ‘s Workforce Development and Community Education program offers the flexibility to custom design short-term training courses specific to the needs of individual employers. These courses may be taught at the business site or on the UACCM campus. Three of these short-term workforce programs getting the most attention are the commercial driving training, heavy equipment operation and, the most recent addition, underground directional drilling training.

Demand for these types of both short-term noncredit and credit programs is high because they offer excellent opportunities for graduates, and they address the workforce shortage of skilled

By Lisa Willenberg

technicians. The programs have strong support from businesses and industry, many of which offer internship opportunities, technical expertise, equipment donations and monetary support for scholarships.

The opening of the Workforce Training Center in 2018 allowed UACCM to greatly increase the enrollment capacity of technical education programs, thereby increasing the number of graduates with credentials and positively impacting the regional economy. The building features state-of-the-art technology and allows for continual expansion of the industry certifications being offered.

For those students whose goal is to eventually earn a bachelor’s degree, UACCM offers Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degree programs. These plans of study allow students to complete the general education requirements of a bachelor’s degree. UACCM has transfer agreements with all four-year public universities in Arkansas, and in collaboration with individual four-year colleges, has also developed 2+2 plans that include a course-by-course list of the classes the student takes at each institution to ensure a smooth transition in specific academic degree programs.

The UACCM Career Center allows students in grades 10 through 12 throughout the region to enroll in technical programs with tuition, fees and supplies paid for by the Office of Skills Development. UACCM also partners with area high schools to offer a concurrent program for high school students wishing to enroll in college-level academic classes. These classes may be at little cost to the student, with the tuition and fees being split between UACCM and the student’s high school. Concurrent enrollment gives high school students the opportunity to earn the 35-hour general education core requirements of a bachelor’s degree and get a significant head start on their post-secondary educational goals.

All UACCM students are provided with an array of support services, including academic advising, career services, counseling and disability services, testing services and free tutoring. Financial aid in the form of grants, scholarships, loans, career pathways, veteran benefits and more are available to eligible students.

UACCM has been one of the region’s greatest assets for 60 years, and it continues to be a great value in terms of affordability, convenience and personal attention students receive. For more information or to schedule a campus tour, go to uaccm.edu, or call 501-977-2000 or 1-800-264-1094.