Tech college shows off at show

North Central Kansas Technical College had one of the most popular booths for young people at the Four State Farm Show.

“We had a big crowd here Saturday,” said Dave Hughes of the NCKTC staff. “We’d have more here Sunday, but our generator went down and we lost our air conditioning.”

The main attraction was the heavy equipment simulators.

“We brought two of them to the farm show, an excavator and the M series of motor graders,” Hughes said.

The simulators consist of screens and seats equipped with controls that mimic the machines.

“To the kids, these are just like video games,” Hughes said.

But their purpose isn’t play, he explained. Through simulation training, operators develop skills they can transition to real world machines.

“We have the students go through the simulators first,” Hughes said. “Then they can go out on the actual machines in a field.”

He said NCKTC, which has campuses at Beloit and Hays, is the only heavy equipment college in Kansas.

“We’re also the only college in Kansas that offers plumbing, as well as bricklaying and masonry,” Hughes said.       

Other programs available include diesel technology, automotive technology, welding, automotive collision repair and technology, electrical technology, residential technology, practical nursing, pharmacy technician, culinary arts and agricultural equipment technology.

“We’ve got 20 programs available, and students can earn certificates or associate of applied science degrees,” Hughes said. “We also have agreements with four-year universities that enable our students to go on with their education. The advantage is that students can get some general education requirements out of the way with us more cheaply than they could at a four-year institution, and they can learn a skill they work at to help pay for their  four-year degree.”

He noted that 80 percent of the jobs now available require some kind of technical education.

“We’ve got a ton of jobs, and our graduates are earning salaries comparable to graduates of four-year colleges,” Hughes said.