By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Not only did U.S. Senator Jerry Moran get a chance to congratulate Scott Donovan Friday on his retirement from Eagle Radio in Great Bend, he also had the opportunity to tour Barton Community College.
Moran said one of his focuses while he has been in office is keeping rural Kansas around longer, and the senator believes community colleges are a good way to do that.
"I think for a long time, we told our kids to be a success...go away," said Moran. "Go away and hopefully come back. When they go away it doesn't always work that way. We often train them for things for which there are few opportunities for them in rural Kansas. With our community and technical colleges, I think the focus has shifted."
Moran said finding a place to educate and train students in rural areas of Kansas is key to keeping students in our hometown. Junior colleges, even high schools, are working harder to create specialized training to get young adults ready for the workforce.
"My visits to Great Bend High School have demonstrated the emphasis that's placed on technical and career education," said Moran. "That's changed over time. We're trying to make sure we're meeting the needs as an education system of students who may not want or need to go off to a university.
Moran was able to tour the new agriculture complex on the Barton campus that will train students to become Case New Holland technicians and include space for the CDL program, crop protection and animal science programs.
"We should be focusing a lot of attention on technical and vocational education," added Moran. "Community colleges are a valuable asset."