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Business News
PITTSBURG —
If everything goes organizers’ plans, Fort Scott Community College will start up a welding program in conjunction with Pittsburg USD 250 in January.
The four-course program will be taught at FSCC’s building trades building in Pittsburg’s east side industrial park. Clayton Tatro, the university’s president, said the program has been in the works for about 18 months.
“We’ve been looking at an industrial maintenance program with welding, electronics, hydraulics, pneumatics and others,” Tatro said. “It’s a matter of knowing there’s a local need in southeast Kansas for welders, electricians, machinists, industrial mechanics and technicians. We’re working to respond to that need.”
Tatro said local manufacturers, USD 250, the City of Pittsburg and Crawford County Commission have helped raise some of the start-up money. Organizers also have applied for a large federal grant — which was not funded but which Tatro has plans to reapply for — as well as a smaller grant from the National Science Foundation.
“We’re starting slow, but we hope to develop it into full-blown program in the next couple years,” he said. “We’ve purchased some welding equipment, and the initial investment is not too huge. But if we start a full program it would cost at least $250,000.”
Tatro said he hopes to offer at least two classes in the spring, one of which he wants to be an evening class.
USD 250 Superintendent Destry Brown said he gathered with representatives from the other five school districts in the county before Christmas to gauge their interest in joining the partnership.
“They are very interested in it,” Brown said, adding that they plan to meet again in the coming semester to discuss participating in the program. “I think it will be beneficial for the kids because it will give them some skills they can use when they leave high school. Now we just need to recruit and get some kids interested and enrolled.
Brown said he isn’t sure of exactly how many students are enrolled for the spring classes, but said there are at least eight, the minimum number of students for one class. The ultimate goal, Brown said, mirroring Tatro’s comments, is to build the program into a trade career training center for Crawford County. Brown said organizers have looked at potential locations to combine all the courses — FSCC’s current Pittsburg trades building has limited space — but have not made any decisions.
If everything goes organizers’ plans, Fort Scott Community College will start up a welding program in conjunction with Pittsburg USD 250 in January.
The four-course program will be taught at FSCC’s building trades building in Pittsburg’s east side industrial park. Clayton Tatro, the university’s president, said the program has been in the works for about 18 months.
“We’ve been looking at an industrial maintenance program with welding, electronics, hydraulics, pneumatics and others,” Tatro said. “It’s a matter of knowing there’s a local need in southeast Kansas for welders, electricians, machinists, industrial mechanics and technicians. We’re working to respond to that need.”
Tatro said local manufacturers, USD 250, the City of Pittsburg and Crawford County Commission have helped raise some of the start-up money. Organizers also have applied for a large federal grant — which was not funded but which Tatro has plans to reapply for — as well as a smaller grant from the National Science Foundation.
“We’re starting slow, but we hope to develop it into full-blown program in the next couple years,” he said. “We’ve purchased some welding equipment, and the initial investment is not too huge. But if we start a full program it would cost at least $250,000.”
Tatro said he hopes to offer at least two classes in the spring, one of which he wants to be an evening class.
USD 250 Superintendent Destry Brown said he gathered with representatives from the other five school districts in the county before Christmas to gauge their interest in joining the partnership.
“They are very interested in it,” Brown said, adding that they plan to meet again in the coming semester to discuss participating in the program. “I think it will be beneficial for the kids because it will give them some skills they can use when they leave high school. Now we just need to recruit and get some kids interested and enrolled.
Brown said he isn’t sure of exactly how many students are enrolled for the spring classes, but said there are at least eight, the minimum number of students for one class. The ultimate goal, Brown said, mirroring Tatro’s comments, is to build the program into a trade career training center for Crawford County. Brown said organizers have looked at potential locations to combine all the courses — FSCC’s current Pittsburg trades building has limited space — but have not made any decisions.
