October 2011

The WATC Winter Coat Drive Needs Your Donations

The all-College Winter Coat Drive is calling all faculty, staff and students to donate their clean, gently used coats, hats, gloves, scarves, and mittens. WATC will collect warm wear items beginning Monday, October 24 through November 30, 2011.

Donation drop boxes will be available in each buildings at every campus in the locations listed below:

NCAT – Bldg 100 – Faculty/Staff Lounge (1^st floor)
NCAT – Student Center
Southside Center – Commons
Grove Campus – Bldg C – Lobby

Donations will benefit the students of WATC and the Union Rescue Mission.

If you know of a WATC student in need, please contact Carol Price, Faculty LPN Program at cprice@watc.edu or Patty Aubert, Academic Coordinator, General Education at paubert@watc.edu to coordinate an opportunity to share.

Don’t be left out in the cold, donate today!

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

WATC Students, Instructors Active at 2011 Wichita Industrial Trade Show

Students and instructors from WATC’s manufacturing programs were heavily involved in this year’s Wichita Industrial Trade Show (WITS) held Oct. 18 – 20 at Century II. Since 1974, the biennial event has been a significant marketplace for buyers and exhibitors from all sectors of the Wichita area’s industrial community.

Some WATC students participated by demonstrating high-end machines in the exhibit area of Haas Automation Inc., which is the largest CNC machine tool builder in the Western Hemisphere. Machining Technology is one of more than 70 programs offered at WATC, and Machining students at the college’s new National Center for Aviation training (NCAT) campus train on state-of-the-art Haas equipment in the nation’s premier technical college facility for machining training and education.

The quality of WATC’s machining instruction coupled with elite facilities and modern equipment combined to produce a 100% job placement rate over the past twelve months for WATC students. The college offers Machining Technology programs including an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree, a Technical Certificate and several Certificates of Completion. WATC’s Industry Advocate Team for Machining ensures that eager employers are waiting with jobs for WATC graduates.

Additionally, WATC helped staff the WITS exhibit of the Great Plains Robotics Alliance. A new Robotics program at WATC begins enrollment November 1, 2011 with classes starting in January of 2012. The Robotics program will offer AAS, TC and COC options.

Electromechanical Systems is another new program for Spring 2012 and WATC will offer AAS, TC and COC options. Additionally, WATC’s Manufacturing track offers programs in Welding, Manufacturing Engineering, Air Conditioning Repair, Automotive Service Technology and Auto Collision Repair. Visit our Manufacturing page for more information.

A special thanks to each of the students and instructors from WATC who participated in this year’s WATC efforts at WITS, some of whom are not pictured on this page. We look forward to the next show in 2013.

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

WATC Awarded $185,750 to Help Train Medical Assistants

The Kansas Department of Commerce is pitching in to enable enhanced healthcare education and training opportunities for Wichita medical assistants.

The initiative, called “Paving the Way for Medical Assistants,” is a Jobs and Innovative Industry Skills Training (JIIST) Grant for $185,750 awarded by the Kansas Department of Commerce to Wichita Area Technical College. The award will fund the redesign and repackaging of WATC’s Medical Assisting curriculum into modular and portable credentials to best meet student, employee and industry needs.

Additionally, the grant will offer opportunities for customized training programs. Via Christi Clinic employees will be able to develop skills and broaden their career pathway opportunities. Kimberly Shank, Chief Operating Officer of Via Christi Clinic, expressed her enthusiasm for the announcement.

“This important grant will help educate and train medical assistants in our community,” Shank said. Patients, healthcare providers and our community will benefit from a more educated and skilled workforce.”

WATC’s healthcare training track record influenced the selection committee’s decision.

“The committee was pleased with WATC’s strong industry involvement, support of the Career Pathways initiative, involvement with the Local Workforce Investment Board and good lattice work design of career occupations,” said Kathy Hund, Director of Workforce Education and Training for the Kansas Department of Commerce.

WATC offers associate degrees, technical certificates and certificates of completion via several healthcare and dental education programs offered at its Southside Education Center campus.

{ Comments on this entry are closed }