Words From the Director
This letter was originally published in The Daily Item
Dear Valley Residents,
The SUN Area Technical Institute (SUN Tech) formerly known as SUN Area Career & Technology Center continues to be committed to “Quality and Excellence” in career and technical education. SUN strives to improve the educational opportunities and choices for all high school and adult students. Our 19 programs are designed to prepare students for a seamless transition into postsecondary education or to go straight into a high-demand, high-priority occupation that offers family-sustaining wages. We promote employability skills while training and preparing the skilled workforce that is needed to grow local business and industry and attract new businesses and industry to the area.
The implications with federal and state requirements are high standards and academic achievement that leave parents with difficult decisions on selecting colleges and acquiring financing. What parents fail to realize is that the answer is right here in their own back yard. Let me provide you with some options available at SUN Tech.
Students can decide to:
- Earn nine tuition-free college credits, by enrolling in one of the thirteen SUN Tech programs that have recently been approved by the Bureau of Career and Technical Education as Programs of Study. Programs of Study incorporate secondary education and postsecondary education elements; include coherent and rigorous content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant career and technical content in a coordinated, non-duplicative progression of courses that provide a smooth transition from secondary to postsecondary education. These programs are designed to adequately prepare students to succeed in postsecondary education. Successful candidates are rewarded with 9 transferable college credits to go onto one of 44 participating postsecondary institutions within the state.
- Become a Certified Nurses Assistant. Over the last several years, our Health Science Program has been over-enrolled; so beginning with the 2010-11 school year, we will be opening a second program to meet this demand.
- Earn up to 15 college credits at $20.00 per-credit in one of our 7 programs that offer dual enrollment. In these programs our instructors use college curriculum and act as adjunct faculty members for several local colleges. Fifteen college credits could cost you over $21,000 on campus, but SUN can offer those same credits for only $300.00. This enables SUN Tech students to earn credits toward an associate of bachelor's degree while still living at home.
- Earn one of 25 industry certifications offered at SUN or choose to enter the workforce in our cooperative education program and earn an income while you learn a trade.
SUN Tech will continue to be proactive and update curriculum as new trends in technology emerge to reshape our workplace and careers. High school students and adults who are interested in career enhancement or changes will be able to take advantage of some of the new curriculum developed for computer forensics, or biofuel, solar, wind and geothermal energy.
The SUN Area Technical Institute is engaged in an on-going journey to better serve its students and stakeholders. SUN has adopted an aggressive approach through its strategic plan to ensure the curriculum and educational delivery is free of all variations or deficient practices that would hinder a student from meeting or exceeding their career learning expectations.
Local economic development is a trait of SUN Tech because our technical career curriculum is matched to meet the needs of our local employers. This clearly enables SUN Tech graduates to prosper in their careers locally. SUN Area Technical Institute graduates can live and work in our region and are not required to move away to seek employment. We believe this is an asset for our valley's residents and businesses.
If you are an intermediate or high school student and have not yet decided on a career, or if you are the parent of one of these students, call one of our administrators to find out about the choices SUN Tech has to- offer. Whether you want to enter the workforce after or further your education, we can help to make it a smooth transition.
Sincerely,
Dennis Hain
Administrative Director
By Dennis Hain
Dennis Hain is the Administrative Director of SUN Area Technical Institute.