Albany Tech passes enrollment milestone
Record enrollment for Albany Tech
September 18, 2009 (WALB) - Classes for the fall quarter at Albany Tech don't start for another week, but already the school has reached record enrollment.
More than 3,300 students had enrolled for the fall quarter. That's the largest group of students ever to enroll at Albany Tech, and you can bet one of the reasons for the growth is the struggling economy.
Catherine Hytower isn't a traditional college student, she fits better into that traditional worker category, the only problem is, she can't find work. "I've been looking for a job, but jobs are hard to find."
She went to the unemployment office and they sent her out to find a better education. "They told me to go to Albany Tech and try to take up a trade."
A skill set, that she can use to sell herself to an employer. "I've always like to do my own decorating."
Now, she'll learn how to decorate for others, by taking an interior design course. But it could be a challenge.
"Learning is a little something different for older people and that's my category." A category Ontario Paige says he's seeing more and more of in his classes. "A lot of people are enrolling school trying to find a better way for educational purposes so they can go ahead and find better jobs."
So many people, in fact, the school is having to turn students away for some programs. "We weren't thinking we would have this influx this quick, maybe in another two quarters, we'd be at the level that we're at right now," Joe Dan Banker, Vice President of Academic Affairs.
But the school is adjusting, expanding the numbers than can accept where possible. "We've tried to stagger classes, tried to bring people in at various time to try to increase the number that we can carry."
To carry folks like Catherine into the job that they are looking for. Albany Tech expects around 200 additional students to enroll Friday. Enrollment continues for the first few days of classes.
School officials want students to know that if they want to keep their place in class, they better show up, or someone else may take their place.
Four trade programs that are already capped at Albany Tech:
* Air Conditioning Technology
* Welding Technology
* Automotive Technology
* Business Administration.
Students interested in those programs can still contact an advisor to see if a similar area of study is available.
By Karen Cohilas
Catherine Hytower isn't a traditional college student, she fits better into that traditional worker category, the only problem is, she can't find work. "I've been looking for a job, but jobs are hard to find."
She went to the unemployment office and they sent her out to find a better education. "They told me to go to Albany Tech and try to take up a trade."
A skill set, that she can use to sell herself to an employer. "I've always like to do my own decorating."
Now, she'll learn how to decorate for others, by taking an interior design course. But it could be a challenge.
"Learning is a little something different for older people and that's my category." A category Ontario Paige says he's seeing more and more of in his classes. "A lot of people are enrolling school trying to find a better way for educational purposes so they can go ahead and find better jobs."
So many people, in fact, the school is having to turn students away for some programs. "We weren't thinking we would have this influx this quick, maybe in another two quarters, we'd be at the level that we're at right now," Joe Dan Banker, Vice President of Academic Affairs.
But the school is adjusting, expanding the numbers than can accept where possible. "We've tried to stagger classes, tried to bring people in at various time to try to increase the number that we can carry."
To carry folks like Catherine into the job that they are looking for. Albany Tech expects around 200 additional students to enroll Friday. Enrollment continues for the first few days of classes.
School officials want students to know that if they want to keep their place in class, they better show up, or someone else may take their place.
Four trade programs that are already capped at Albany Tech:
* Air Conditioning Technology
* Welding Technology
* Automotive Technology
* Business Administration.
Students interested in those programs can still contact an advisor to see if a similar area of study is available.
By Karen Cohilas
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