Administrators, staff discuss programs, express need for more space

By TERESA RESSEL
Daily Journal Staff Writer

Published: Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Updated: Wednesday, September 2, 2009 11:30 AM CDT

BONNE TERRE — Administrators and staff at the UniTec Career Center were able to brag about their programs to U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson Tuesday afternoon.

But one thing that was repeated several times was the need for a new building with more space.

On Tuesday, after touring Mineral Area College, Emerson and her staff toured UniTec Career Center, which serves juniors and seniors from seven school districts and also is used to teach adult classes.

“I’m impressed,” Emerson said after the tour. “You have a lot going on here.”

Administrators talked about their partnerships with MAC for students to get college credit and other partnerships with agencies like East Missouri Action Agency.

About 500 high school students take courses at the school and a few dozen adults take classes. More than 1,200 adults are also served through adult literacy/GED programs. With the economy, many laid-off workers are finding they need a GED to get another job.

The school also partners with local businesses to train their workforce.

Curt Jones, the adult education director, and Larry Kekec, director of UniTec, told Emerson that their school, founded in 1943, was one of the first vocational schools in the country. The current facility next door to North County High School was built in 1971 and is “basically land-locked.”

They talked about a failed proposal to move the center to the MAC campus. In April of 2008, voters in the college’s six-county area defeated a proposal that would have increased the tax levy to help pay to build a new vocational technical center at MAC.

The proposal needed 57.14 percent to pass, a four-sevenths majority of the total vote. It got 51.7 percent.

At that time, MAC President Steven Kurtz said unless the national economy takes a turn upward, he doesn’t believe there will be any reason to pursue the tax increase again any time soon.

They said the expansion would have allowed them to offer more programs/classes.

UniTec provides training in such areas as 3-D Visualization and Animation; Automotive Service Technician; Carpentry, Collision Repair Technology; Computer Maintenance and Repair Technology; Culinary Arts; Electronics Technology; Graphics; Internetworking; Nurse Assisting; Power Equipment Technology and Precision Machining Technology; Wiring and Welding.

They said welding is a popular program that could use more space for students and another teacher. It is taught to high school students in the morning and afternoon, and also at night to adult students.

Kevin Buckley, welding instructor, said many students take the class because they have a family member who is a welder. He said the area has a lot of welding manufacturing.

“Placement is really good in this area,” he said.

Teresa Ressel is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be reached at 573-431-2010, ext. 179 or at tressel@dailyjournalonline.com.

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