Ryan Towns received a certificate in manufacturing from Johnson County Community College. The program is one of several that JCCC offers in Lawrence.
JCCC in Lawrence
Johnson County Community College classes in Lawrence are held at Lawrence Virtual School, 2145 La. Classes are limited to 22 students and begin June 1. For more information on JCCC certificates and classes offered in Lawrence, visit www.jccc.edu/lawrence.
Mike Ryan said he’s had enough with corporate farms and their bottom lines.
“We need to decentralize the food system we’ve got going on,” the 28-year-old Tonganoxie resident said. “In terms of commercial food, there’s not as much interest in consumer welfare as there once was.”
So Ryan decided to take matters into his own hands and learn how to grow his own food.
Last fall, he enrolled in Johnson County Community College classes in Lawrence to earn a certificate in sustainable agriculture. He hopes to complete his training later this year.
JCCC started offering classes toward the certificate last year. This summer, the college will offer classes in Olathe toward the sustainable agriculture certificate, and a certificate in manufacturing out of Lawrence.
“These classes combine to create a good, baseline level of knowledge and skills,” said Loralee Stevens, assistant dean of JCCC’s Community Outreach for Credit Instruction.
Stevens said the certificates were designed so students could earn them in two or three semesters. This helps students save money and gives them a competitive edge in the job market, she said.
Stevens said JCCC worked with area manufacturing companies to develop a curriculum for a manufacturing certificate based on their needs. She said she worked with Berry Plastics, 2330 Packer Road, and Sauer-Danfoss Inc., 3840 Greenway Circle.
“The companies expressed an interest in having employees who met these qualifications instead of hiring people off the street without basic skills,” she said.
Ryan Towns, 19, of Lawrence, enrolled in JCCC last summer to get a certificate in manufacturing. The certificate gave him the opportunity to pursue his love of welding and to work with Sauer-Danfoss as a operations technician.
He has since been laid off, but said it doesn’t bother him.
“When the recession eases out, I’m confident I’ll be able to find a job,” Towns said. “The certificate in manufacturing gives me a competitive edge.”
Ryan, the sustainable agriculture student, is a few credit hours short of completing his certificate, but said the “back-to-basics methodology” he’s learned and the convenience of the classes have been well worth the time and energy.
“The people there understand that people have lives outside their academic responsibilities,” he said.
He said the classes in Lawrence make it easier for people to come from all over for classes.
Ryan will be working in Olathe at the Kansas State University training farm. He said he’ll use the hands-on skills he learns this summer to further develop his home garden so he can start selling at farmers’ markets.
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cknajsmeemaw (Sheila Couchman) says…
good job Mike!
Sigmund (anonymous) says…
"Mike Ryan said he’s had enough with corporate farms and their bottom lines. We need to decentralize the food system we’ve got going on."
If it isn't economically viable its not sustainable (unless you willing to use slave labour, literally)." Centralized sounds terrible and all but economies of scales reduce prices for consumers. There is a balance approach
tolawdjk (anonymous) says…
Wait? Let me get this straight.
He's paying money to get a piece of paper to announce to the corporate world, which he is sick and tired of, that he now hows the basic knowledge to (wait for it) plant a garden?
Humanity....Jumping the Shark since 1995.
mikeryan (Mike Ryan) says…
Who said anything about announcing anything to the corporate world?
tolawdjk (anonymous) says…
"Mike Ryan said he’s had enough with corporate farms and their bottom lines."
If you didn't say it, the paper did for you.
mikeryan (Mike Ryan) says…
I did say it, I just don't really care if they hear me, that's all.
I'm just doin' what I can to opt out.
kthxbi (anonymous) says…
well I think its awsome
tolawdjk (anonymous) says…
Mike,
What I don't get, and I find -highly- ironic, that if you are gung-ho on "opting out", why the hell get a certificate for sustainable growth? Wouldn't it have been easier and cheeper to pop down to the library/intrawebs/localfarmersmarketbraintrust, pick that knowledge base for assistance, then plant what you want, how you want to?
What is the purpose of the certificate? Validation? Ability to state that your produce is raised in a sustainable fashion?
mikeryan (Mike Ryan) says…
Well, I guess our perspectives differ a bit, and that's ok.
In my opinion, "easier and cheeper" isn't necessarily the same thing as "better," which is part of the nature of the certificate, and the purpose of the certificate is to expand my knowledge base. I've really enjoyed it thus far.
justthefacts (anonymous) says…
There are still many people, and a ton of employers, who want "that piece of paper" to prove that someone knows something. We all know plenty of "college educated idiots" so a piece of paper isn't proof of intelligence. However, as the economy tanks, more and more people are realizing that a 2 year certificate program (or less time) will more readily get them a piece of paper that will get them a good paying job. Check out the 9 month welding programs at tech and community colleges; graduates have employers lining up to hire people AND they often make more then a lot of graduate students with 6 or more years of college! http://www.kansasregents.org/institut... will get you to a lot of tech and community colleges web sites. Lots cheaper then the private "trade" schools.
It's interesting to me how many school snobs (parents and kids) are still out there - and the anti-school snobs. People who think everyone should do it "their way." How about we encourage people to do whatever they need to do to get good and satisfying jobs?
Good for you Mike. People who know what they want to do to earn a living, and know they need to have a piece of paper to get them some street cred, are way ahead of the people who just meander around for years wasting time and money!
justthefacts (anonymous) says…
For example: http://www.gcccks.edu/learningopp/joh...
will teach you to work on farm equipment. They can't GET enough people trained to do this work and it makes great money. Plus, the businesses often pay for people to get their certificates!
http://www.cloud.edu/academics/wind/c...
Learn to work on wind turbines - and boom industry in the future.
or pay $2,700 & take 9 months to learn basic welding at KC http://www.kckats.com/skills/welding.htm and make $10-12 starting salary. $25 an hour with experience!
Q: When will people stop being snobby about this kind of education? A: When the recession results in the best/most jobs being in these sectors!!