Kishwaukee Education Consortium Executive Director Tom Crouch talks about a record enrollment and robust class offerings during his appearance this week at Sycamore Rotary. Crouch shared that there is renewed interest in job-related training that includes dual high school and college credits which can lead more directly to a job.
A trend of increasing interest in career and technical classes offered by the Kishwaukee Education Consortium (KEC) continues according to Executive Director Tom Crouch resulting in a record enrollment of 545 students this academic year. Crouch was this week’s guest speaker at Sycamore Rotary. KEC is an education consortium made up of DeKalb, Sycamore, Genoa-Kingston, Hiawatha, and Rochelle High Schools. He said KEC’s mission to prepare high school students to enter the workforce plus the chance for them to earn dual high school and college credits makes their programs an attractive choice for youth to advance their education and to be job ready. He noted that KEC also provides alternative education classes for 175 students who need extra help beyond regular classroom instruction.
A majority of KEC classes originate at the Kishwaukee College campus near Malta. However, Crouch pointed out that they have various off-campus sites for specialized training. Examples are their aviation training at the DeKalb airport, welding at the Sycamore Industrial Park, and medical/health training. Crouch said their most popular classes are for Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), construction trades, and police training.
KEC is among 27 career centers in the state. Crouch said one of their biggest challenges is flat funding levels from the state, even though demand keeps growing. Staffing is also a challenge with Crouch saying instructors with the special work experience or credentials to meet certification requirements are hard to find. He noted the average mobility rate in the state for specialized instructors is 16% but fortunately for KEC they only lost one of their 53 staff members this past year to turnover. He said another training component being watched is the trend for Artificial Intelligence (AI) instruction. Crouch said their welding program is already experimenting in this area. Ultimately, Crouch said KEC hopes to be developing responsible citizens who are life-long learners.
September 9, 1828 – Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy (Anna Karenina, War and Peace) is born in Yasnaya Polyana, Russia.
September 10, 1929 – Considered one of the greatest players in the history of golf, Arnold Palmer is born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. In his career he wins 62 PGA Tours and was one of the original 13 inductees to the World Golf Hall of Fame.
September 13, 1851 – American Army physician Walter Reed (best known for his yellow fever research) is born in Gloucester County, Virginia.
September 13, 1860 – U.S. Army General John J. Pershing is born in Laclede, Missouri.
September 7, 1940 – The German Luftwaffe began its Blitz bombing campaign against London during World War II.
September 8, 1900 – A hurricane with winds of 120 miles per hour struck Galveston, Texas, killing over 8,000 people, making it the worst natural disaster in U. S. History. The hurricane and tidal wave that followed destroyed 2,500 buildings.
September 11, 2001 – The worst terrorist attack in U. S. history occurred as four jet airliners are hijacked and crashed; two into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, one into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and one into a field in Pennsylvania during a struggle between the hijackers and passengers. The attack leaves nearly 3,000 people killed.
September 13, 1814 – The Battle of Fort Henry in Baltimore Harbor occurred and was observed by Francis Scott Key. He was inspired to write the now-famous verse for our National Anthem after seeing the American flag still flying over the fort following a night of British attack.
