CLEARFIELD – The fate of a new program at the Clearfield County Career & Technology Center is uncertain.
At Monday’s regular meeting, the CCCTC Joint Operating Committee discussed the elimination of the Electronics and Robotics Technology program.
Committee member Philip Carr, representing the Clearfield Area School District, said the school has worked hard to get the program “up and running” to attract students not only to the robotics program, but also to related programs, such as precision machining, electronics and drafting.
He said the committee was “about to undercut” the program just as they were starting to see results. Carr said he wants to see the program remain full-time.
“I think we have a need in the job market for workers with skills in these areas,” Carr said. He said the program was a “large undertaking,” and with the recent resignation of the robotics instructor, it is going to be difficult to find someone with those skills who would be willing to work part-time.
Carr said the program is working well for the adult students who understand what the program is all about.
“They designed this robot, they machined all the parts, they put it all together and they took it to the competition. I don’t think the younger students understand what it involves,” Carr said.
Committee Member Larry Allen, representing the West Branch Area School District, said he agrees with what Carr is saying, but the school has to consider the budget. He said he understands the need for the program; however, it is hard to justify the expense of having a full-time instructor when so few students have signed up for the class.
Brad Dixon, drafting instructor at the CCCTC, said the school has been doing a lot of recruiting to try to get students interested in the program. He said he and others recently went to the Clearfield Area School District and made a presentation to the math classes.
He said these presentations seemed to be better received and attracted a “higher level of student who normally wouldn’t come” to the CCCTC.
Dixon said the downside to the presentation was that most of the students had already scheduled their classes and it is very difficult to change.
Another problem the program is up against is the committee’s recent vote to change the policy on class sizes. The change requires at least 20 students in a class to keep it full-time.
The motion to eliminate the robotics program died for lack of a second and the committee will revisit the issue at next month’s meeting.
Allen asked if it may be possible to split an instructor between the CCCTC and another school. He said many schools were splitting positions, such as counselors.
He said if there are other schools out there with robotics programs that are also having problems having enough students to have a full-time instructor, it could be beneficial for both schools to use the same instructor.
Superintendent of Record Dr. Jill Dillon said that was something for the school to investigate for next month.
