The Collins Career Center has just celebrated its 28th year of service to Lawrence County and the Tri-State.

Former State Senator Oakley Collins, champion of education issues, saw the need and understood the importance of technical education when he sponsored legislation creating the Collins Career Center.

That need for career technical education has never been more evident.

Statistics show that 75 percent of all jobs require some post-secondary education with most requiring career technical education.

According to the 2000 census, 65 percent of employment needs require career technical education. In fact, the United States Department and Labor indicate that of the top 30 occupations that will experience the largest job growth in the next 10 years, 20 will require career technical education.

That is good news for folks in Lawrence County and the Tri-State. The Collins Career Center is the premier institution for career technical education training in southern Ohio. The adult education department of the Collins Career Center offers training in long-term career preparation programs, short-term skill courses and customized training for local business and industry on site or in our facilities.

Furthermore, the Collins Career Center is accredited by the North Central Association on Schools. In fact, the programs at Collins Career Center have numerous accreditations and certifications that would be too long to list.

What does all that mean in real life terms? Let's look at some programs offered at Collins Career Center and see.

The statewide average salary for the two-year respiratory therapy program offered at the Collins Career Center is $40,019 and a radiological technician should expect to earn $37,419 once graduating from the program offered at the Collins Career Center.

These allied health type jobs are in high demand not only in the tri-state area, but in all the country as well.

Health careers not your preference?

Consider HVAC mechanic and installer. According to the United States Department of Labor, the Ohio statewide average salary is $35,000 and a certified welder averages $33,000 per year.

All these programs and more are offered at the Collins Career Center.

All the programs offered by the Collins Career Center should be seriously considered especially when bringing into mind the astronomical rising tuition at colleges and universities and the fact that the average starting salary after receiving a bachelor's degree in the thirty thousand dollar range.

Even more, the Collins Career Center remains to stay on the cutting edge of career technical education and work diligently to fulfill the employment needs of the tri-state area. We pride ourselves in being the lead agency workforce development in the Huntington-Ironton Empowerment Zone and continue to be an important force in economic development for the area.

The Collins Center is currently developing additional programs to be offered in the fall of 2005. If you are interested in attending, want to know more in regards as to what is offered at the Collins Career Center, or have a suggestion as to what programs you would like to see offered, please feel free to contact myself or the school at (888) 999-7601. We look forward to seeing you at the school.

Matt Ward is workforce development coordinator at Collins Career Center.