Kimberly Krull: Butler prepares students for workforce in innovative ways

Leading through innovation with a focus on academic excellence, student success and workforce development defines the daily mission of Butler Community College. It’s this vision that is elevating our fire science training program to a new level and inspiring our investment in unique learning opportunities for area high school students.

Butler’s fire science program is the only community college residency program in the state. Beginning this spring, it will also become home to a state-of-the art training tower — a three-story structure with an array of practical training applications such as live fire evolutions, search and rescue scenarios, confined space rescue and ventilation techniques. Additionally, the training tower will be used for learning and practicing laddering skills, wall breaching, ladder tower operations, and low visibility/heavy smoke scenarios, among many others. This exposure to real-world experience, while in a safe and controlled setting, will better prepare Butler fire science graduates for the workforce.

Other Butler students will also benefit from access to the training tower, including our criminal justice and Early College Public Safety Academy students, a program for area high school juniors and seniors interested in exploring career options in fire science, public safety or as emergency medical technicians.

Butler Community College’s partnerships with the city of El Dorado, the El Dorado Fire Department, HollyFrontier and our surrounding communities have made the training tower and learning opportunities a reality. Use of the facility will be shared by our multiple partners, thus raising the level of expertise and preparedness for disaster throughout the communities we serve. We’re now excited that the city of Towanda and Butler County commissioners are also exploring access to the facility. This tremendous investment in quality fire and emergency training can impact all south-central Kansas firefighters and emergency responders with the power of saving lives and property.

Butler’s initiatives to prepare graduates for the workforce in innovative ways don’t just apply to those students who have finished high school. Through Butler’s Early College Academies, high school students have opportunities to solidify career pathways, earn college degree credit, achieve industry-recognized credentials and complete their associate degrees as they finish their high school experience.

Three years ago, Butler began its Early College vision with a Health Sciences Academy in Rose Hill High School with seven students from area high schools. In May 2015, 23 of the 28 Early College Health Sciences students graduated with an associate degree at the same time they graduated from high school, and all 28 of those students advanced through transfer to their four-year institution of choice. Since that inaugural class, Butler has Early College Academies in IT, Engineering Technology and Public Safety with a total of 154 students. The academies provide outstanding learning and career opportunities by preparing these students for transfer or the workforce at a very affordable cost.

As the conversations in south-central Kansas center around workforce development, economic growth and quality of life, Butler will remain a strong partner in providing educational opportunities that position our students for success and strengthen our communities and state.

This story was originally published February 9, 2016 at 2:44 PM with the headline "Kimberly Krull: Butler prepares students for workforce in innovative ways."