The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WALLA WALLA - Local students and parents got a sneak peek at the brand new Southeast Area Technical Skills Center (SEATECH) located on the Walla Walla Community College Campus Monday night. The Skills Center will be open to the public for tours during a dedication ceremony on September 18, but students who will begin classes in the facility on Tuesday were able to tour the $11.5 million facility and talk with teachers at an Open House on Monday night.

The Center is a branch campus of the Tri-Tech Skills Center in Kennewick, but operates as an independent, publically funded skills center offering high school students tuition-free career and technical education. The center currently offers courses in digital media, health service, manufacturing and welding, and sustainable energy.

SEATECH follows the Walla Walla Public Schools calendar and works closely with area schools and Walla Walla Community College to ensure students meet graduation and transfer requirements. The majority of student slots at the center are filled by Walla Walla High School students, with about 25 percent split between the partnering districts of Waitsburg, Prescott, Dayton, Touchet and College Place. Students will attend the center for a three-hour block, either in the morning or afternoon.

Several Waitsburg and Dayton students are enrolled in the health services program which counts for both a high school English and science credit. "The time spent in class is very hands-on," said instructor Sandy Thomas, a Registered Nurse with 18 years experience. "The three hours students spend in class each day will fly by!"

The middle portion of the health science room looks like a typical classroom, but the perimeter could be mistaken for a hospital. A row of neatly-made beds lines one wall, while supply closets and a sink with gloves and disinfectant line the others.

Thomas says Health Science students will spend September through January learning theory and practicing skills in the classroom. The latter part of the year, students will attend class on Monday and Friday but work in nursing home facilities on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Students will transfer to a different facility every two weeks. Health service students who successfully complete the program and clinical internship will be eligible to take the Washington State Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Exam at the end of the year.

Each of the other SEATECH programs is equally hands-on, with a large portion of student grading based on employability. The digital media room is filled with rows of computers and the sustainable energy classroom opens to a shop that houses individual motor control systems and wood framing with electrical boxes awaiting wiring. The manufacturing and welding classroom opens to a shop filled with an impressive assortment of brand new welding stations, presses, generators, painting stations, a plasma cutter and more.

Dayton Schools Superintendent Doug Johnson said that Dayton has four to six students participating in the health services, sustainable energy and manufacturing and welding programs. Johnson is optimistic about the new opportunity for students.

"As a school administrator trying to meet the needs of all students, I am in support of programs such as the Skills Center," he said. "While many of our students have college as a goal, some may lean toward technical school or a vocation which can be entered through programs such as SEATECH. For these students an opportunity to take concentrated courses in a specific area which will result in certifications, open the door to apprenticeship programs, or lead directly to employment are as valuable to them as a college prep class for a student headedtoa4yearuniversity.

"While it is disappointing to lose these students for part of the day socially and financially -- what a great opportunity for them!" he added. "A student can earn credits toward high school graduation, college credit and a certificate or license, making them immediately employable for a career or to earn money while seeking a college degree."

"It's a really great opportunity," said Thomas. "Even if a student decides the field isn't for them, they are equipped to find work that will get them through until they can get the education they need to move in a different direction."