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LTC launching new programs with grant funds

Technical college receives $1.9 million in grants from state

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April 18, 2024

CLEVELAND – Lakeshore Technical College (LTC) is launching two new programs with help from $1.9 million in grants from the Wisconsin Technical College System.

LTC President Paul Carlsen said the college’s ongoing ability to secure substantial amounts of grant funding “allows us to offer more opportunities for students pursuing in-demand careers and skills here in our community.”

Kristy Liphart, LTC’s vice president of institutional advancement, said the college plans to use the recently allocated funds to support 18 newly approved projects – including a fast-track police academy, Foundations of Teacher Education associate’s degree and a competency-based educational design for an online business management program.

“We receive state grants annually to help us expand our offerings, sustain our core operations and help our students,” Liphart said. “We’re excited about all the grants we received this year and how we can use them to better serve our students and community.”

According to Liphart, the state grants allow the college – which currently has about 70 programs – to create new programs in response to industry demand.

For example, she said, police departments are looking for more employees, so the college is creating a new program.

Likewise, Liphart said, if a need or interest drops in a particular program, it may be discontinued.

“As a technical college, we have more flexibility, which allows us to adjust to the market,” she said.

Fast-track police academy
Police departments are seeking additional workers, so, Liphart said, adding the police academy made sense.

“Most students looking to join the police force major in criminal justice – an associate’s degree program that has a police academy built right in,” she said. “Some students may want the police academy part of the program, so that’s why we created an accelerated program.”

Liphart said a cohort of students will complete the academy in six months.

Foundations of Teacher Education
Liphart said the Foundations of Teacher Education associate degree is being added to supplement the college’s early childhood education program – highlighting the increased demand for teachers as one reason LTC is starting the program.

The program, she said, provides additional education past the current early childhood program and prepares students to obtain a job as a teacher’s aide or continue their education at a four-year university and earn a bachelor’s degree in education.

“We have a lot of great partnerships with several four-year universities, allowing our students to keep working on their education goals as they move along their career pathway,” she said.

Competency-based education
Understanding that students’ needs differ, Liphart said LTC’s competency-based educational (CBE) design provides students with flexible scheduling that can fit coursework around their lives.

The online business management program’s courses can be completed 100% online at times convenient for students.

According to the LTC website (gotoltc.edu), the program will provide graduates with the knowledge and skills for positions, such as an entry-level manager, office manager, shift coordinator or team leader – with some graduates maybe starting their own businesses.

Kristy Liphart

In a competency-based program, Liphart said students move through different concepts at their own pace.

For example, she said, if a student knows a lot about a certain segment, they can move through it more quickly, but if they need extra time to get the concept down, they can do that, too.

“Our goal is to graduate more students, and this allows more flexibility,” Liphart said.

Additional CBE programs starting fall 2024, include:

Digital marketingSupply chain managementDental assistantHealth information managementIT web and software developmentHuman resource administrationHuman resource assistantComputer-aided design technicianMechanical design and engineering
Student opportunities
Career pathways, Liphart said, are in place to help students see education as a continuum. Depending on a student’s diploma or degree, she said different careers are available to them – and as people continue their education, more opportunities are available to them.

“Career pathways are essential,” she said. “Anyone can start at LTC and earn their associate’s degree here and then move on. It’s also a more affordable option for students to do two years here because our tuition is lower and then finish up at a four-year university. We have had students start at LTC who eventually went on and earned their doctorate. We are a great place to start.”

Since creating new programs includes the development of curriculum and the hiring and training of staff, Liphart said the grant funds help make that possible.

In addition to new program creation, Liphart said this year’s grant dollars will also fund support-related initiatives, including resources for low-income students, students enrolled in programs leading to non-traditional occupations, reducing textbook fees and adults enrolled in basic education and high school credential programs.

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