Workforce was a common theme at Monday’s intergovernmental meeting in Manhattan Monday, with presentations by Manhattan Area Technical College and K-State officials. As we heard last month following the leadership retreat involving area officials held in Overland Park, workforce continues to be the number one concern of many in the Riley, Pottawatomie, and Geary county area.
Roberta Maldonado-Franzen, K-State’s Director of Talent Acquisition, talked about dual career opportunities. Maldonado-Franzen says K-State’s really trying to focus on building partnerships and having a network established.
Maldonado-Franzen tells KMAN they are making progress. A web site currently allows individuals to sign up for job alerts in certain areas of interest.
Manhattan Tech President Jim Genandt also addressed the group, asking for feedback on how his college can assist in the workforce area. While unemployment levels remain low locally, that means some companies are having trouble finding workers. However the tech college continues to have good success with placement of graduates, with a placement rate of over 85% and an average starting salary of $40,000.
Genandt adds there are a lot of ideas and program needs. He also explained the college’s seven million dollar budget is the fifth lowest in the state.
Genandt also told the group the college graduated its 500th registered nurse at the December commencement and the dental hygiene program has had a 100 percent pass rate each year for the past four years.
The intergovernmental group includes representatives from the city of Manhattan, Riley County, USD 383, K-State, Fort Riley, and the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce.
The intergovernmental group includes representatives not only from K-State, but also the city of Manhattan, Riley County, Fort Riley, USD 383, and the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce.
