Post by Okwes on Apr 14, 2008 13:45:59 GMT -5
Utes measure learning
Tribe, technical college team up to offer educational opportunities
Saturday, April 12th 2008
www.cortezjournal.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type\
=news&article_path=/news/08/news080412_1.htm
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e=news&article_path=/news/08/news080412_1.htm>
Construction teacher Bobby Sitton stood in front of a class of 26
attentive American Indian students Tuesday in Towaoc. He was teaching
them about how to build foundations, and the students, who appeared to
age from their early 20s to their 50s, listened with interest, offering
experiences and answering questions when Sitton engaged the class.
[Teacher Bobby Sitton discusses measurement Monday afternoon at the
Construction Technology maintenance training program in Towaoc.]
[Davis Wing checks out a polysquare he will be using during the
Construction Technology maintenance training program in Towaoc.] Sam
Green/Journal Staff Teacher Bobby Sitton discusses measurement Monday
afternoon at the Construction Technology maintenance training program in
Towaoc. [Teacher Bobby Sitton discusses measurement Monday afternoon at
the Construction Technology maintenance training program in Towaoc.]
[Davis Wing checks out a polysquare he will be using during the
Construction Technology maintenance training program in Towaoc.]
The class, a 72-hour construction technology course taught by Sitton, an
instructor at San Juan Basin Technical College, is being offered to Ute
Mountain Ute tribal members and other interested tribal members free of
charge, courtesy of a career and technical education grant the tribe won
in October.
This year the grant funding runs to the tune of $585,853, and the total
disbursed amount will be $2.8 million over five years. The tribe has
started using the money to create a center for career and technical
education in Towaoc, based in the Human Resources building, said Mark
White, who's heading up the career center.
The tribe's first move was to hire White, and the Hesperus
resident's job is to coordinate the center and arrange programs like
the construction class, which started this week.
The construction class is the first course the San Juan Basin Technical
College is teaching out at the center, but it won't be the last,
said Tom Hayden, who is assisting with the class and also teaches at the
technical college.
The technical college will offer the construction course and follow-up
courses in plumbing, electrical skills, and heating, ventilation, and
air conditioning, with the aim of building a home-grown source of
maintenance workers and building trade experts that the Ute Mountain Ute
tribe can draw on for improvements on the reservation, Hayden said.
Thus far, Hayden was impressed with the group, who seemed motivated and
eager to learn, he said.
"These men and women that are in here now are sharp," he said.
Students in the class seemed excited by the opportunity to further their
skills. Hokie Murray, who lives in Towaoc, said he is aiming to use the
education to "come up in the world."
Murray's done construction work in the past, but has no certificates
or formal training. He found out about the class from a friend and
signed up.
Pointing to a construction truck driving by, Murray said that's
where he wants to be someday, the owner of his own construction
business.
"I want to be driving something like that with my name on it, that
says `Murray Construction,'" he said.
Student Melvin Dutchie, also of Towaoc, said his aim was to get a
certificate so he can get better jobs that include more responsibility.
He's also done construction work in the past, and was "just
brushing up," he said.
Dutchie's looking toward getting out of the classroom and into the
workroom — the class starts doing work with tools next week out at
the technical college. A bus provided by the tribe will take the
students over there and back. "On-hand training, that's
what's going to really help," he said.
The building trades courses are just the start of what the career and
technical education grant will provide for the tribe, said White. The
center is also offering an administrative assistant course offered by
San Juan College in Farmington, and will partner more with San Juan
College, San Juan Basin Technical College, and Pueblo Community College
to offer a variety of courses and career counseling, White said.
"We would work with you (American Indians), identify your career
strengths, your training, any prior education you've had, and try to
get a specific plan together for you to achieve your career goals,"
said White.
