By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post

A partnership between North Central Kansas Technical College and Hays High School is expanding to provide more tuition-free certification  programs for students and generate extra revenue for Hays Highs School at the same time.

HHS Assistant Principal Tom Albers said NCK Tech and HHS have worked together for many years to provide HHS juniors and seniors the chance attend classes at the technical school and become certified in auto mechanics or allied health while obtaining their high school diploma.

Now, the program is growing to provide HHS students with the chance to become certified pharmacy technicians and certified electricians as well.

Albers said the state-funded program is a “win-win.” Students not only get the chance to become trained in high-demand fields, but with each certification, HHS also receives $1,000.

Albers said the partnership with NCK Tech important for the future of Kansas.

“Everyone used to look at  it as (technical) programs were for the kids who were second track instead of going to a post-secondary or four-year degree, but that is not the case anymore,” Albers said. “Current tech has become such a big part of society, and there is such a need.”

Albers noted there are some students where the traditional six-hour day of high school is not right for them, and the NCK Tech partnership serves to encourage some students from dropping out of school.

‘It saves them from deciding ‘I don’t want to do this anymore’ because the incentive is ‘although I really don’t want to take that English class or math class, I’m going to anyway because I am gaining a skill in a career that I really like and it’s an opportunity I would not have’ (otherwise),” he said.

Albers said both schools are looking at other certifications and hoping to add the option for 18-year-old seniors to obtain a commercial driver’s license while in high school soon.

“We are consistently working with NCK Tech to try to discover ways we can get more programs that are going to help (students) be more successful and and career orientated, ” Albers said. ” I think it is really exciting because we are going to see (the partnership) grow. … This is just taking off right now.”