State grant to enhance programs at FCCTI
Some programs at the Fayette Career and Technical Institute will be receiving a boost thanks to a $41,000 matching grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
The Joint Operating Committee, on Monday, approved the school to obtain sealed bids for the purchase of a CNC lathe with a programming system for the machine production program and an electronic turn key module for the diesel mechanics program. The updated pieces of equipment will enhance each of the programs and help give students better opportunities in the future to obtain certification in their areas of study.
“Having this equipment will better prepare them to pass exams,” said Dr. Cynthia Shaw, assistant director for the school.
The equipment grant, part of $1.64 million awarded to 25 career and technical schools across the state, is meant to assist in the training of students preparing to enter the workforce.
“The goal of the Equipment Grant is to provide the resources schools need to ensure Pennsylvania’s students are familiar with the equipment they will encounter in the workplace,” Ron Tomalis, Pennsylvania secretary of education, noted in a press release regarding the grant.
Shaw said the new equipment will allow the students to become familiarized with the latest technology available today.
In a related matter, the committee also approved Dr. Edward Jeffries, executive director to move forward with an additional program. The vo-tech will soon offer a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Safety inspection mechanic training program. The program is state approved and will be offered to both high school and adult education students, according to Jeffries.
“This is a rigorous program and it will be an asset for our students,” he said.
In other business, the committee approved a contract for professional services with the Pennsylvania School Board Association (PSBA) to provide policy review and required updates for the policy manual at an approximate cost of $2,167.
Jeffries explained the vo-tech completed the first half of its policy review with PSBA five years ago, and the school is required by law to update the policy manual.
Approval was also given on Monday for the health occupations instructor and for five students to attend a student competition in Harrisburg in April at a cost of $2,639.
In personnel matters, the committee approved:
n The hiring of Cheryl Duncan as a financial aid consultant for the licensed practical nursing program at a rate of $25 per hour.
n Advertising for a per-diem registered nurse for the licensed practical nursing program to assist in the obstetrical rotation at Uniontown Hospital, the rate is not yet known;
n Adding Brian Yantko to the substitute list for the 2012-13 school year.