Flint Hills School in Emporia, Kansas Expands Welding Program

Flint Hill Technical College  has expanded its welding technology program. The FHTC Board of Trustees was told about the growth of the program during their meeting last Monday. Construction for a new building to house the expansion of the welding technology program has already started and it will be completed by August of 2015.

Ken Duckworth, one of the instructors at the welding technology program of FHTC, gave the board of directors an update on the program. He said that enrolment has been up and they hired an additional instructor to meet the needs of the students. Attendance in the program is up 30 percent in the last two years.

Students who have completed the welding program at FHTC have a high job placement rate. They also get high starting salaries, with graduates getting $37,500 when they enter the workforce. The salaries are the reflection of the training they have received from FHTC. The college is proud of the wage opportunities of their graduates.

Dean Hollenbeck, President of FHTC, announced during the meeting that the college has gotten a grant that will help with the expansion of the welding program. Hollenbeck is hopeful that the program will be the best in the state. He said that the college has created a welding facility that nobody else in the state can compare.

The board of directors approved the fees for the coming semester and the tuition changes as presented by Lisa Kirmer, Student Services’ Vice President. In order to keep their advantage over other colleges, FHTC has decreased the fees for high school students enrolled in the welding program. The new fee will be $100 per credit hour.