Iowa Lakes Community College Trustees convened at the Administration Building in Estherville late Tuesday afternoon for their regularly scheduled monthly board meeting.
Erin Latona, Executive Dean of the Estherville Campus, began Tuesday’s meeting by introducing Doug Zemler, Electrical Technology Program Coordinator at Iowa Lakes. Zemler earned his Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree from Southwestern Community Technical College and holds many specialized electrical licenses and certifications, including a Class A Master Electrician License (Iowa), Class A Journeyman Electrician License (South Dakota), and Certified Electrical Safety Compliance Professional. Zemler has been an instructor at Iowa Lakes since 2008, teaching credit and non-credit programming options.
“The Electrical Technology program at Iowa Lakes prepares students to develop core and specialized skills required to enter the workforce. Industry trends show a need for skilled electricians, with projections of increased demand of over 20 percent in the next ten years,” said Zemler.
Iowa Lakes offers the opportunity for students to gain real hands-on electrical experience while earning an AAS degree in Electrical Technology. In addition to classroom time learning electrical fundamentals, students also can explore courses like Introduction to Business and Technical Communications, which allows students to expand their skill set and prepare them for future opportunities such as owning a business.
“Upon completion of the program, students acquire 2,080 hours of on-the-job training that contributes to the typical 8,000 hours required by most states before they may take the electrical examination,” said Zemler.
Also at Tuesday’s board meeting were Iowa Lakes Electrical Technology students Jonathan Ramirez, Hawarden, Iowa, and Luke Huber, Bancroft, Iowa. Both students are in their first year at Iowa Lakes.
Ramirez shared, “I spent a lot of time looking around at other electrical programs in the state, and once I visited Iowa Lakes, explored the campus, and met with Doug, I knew that Iowa Lakes was the ultimate best choice.”
“I chose Iowa Lakes because I heard many great things about the program and liked that it was close to home. Once I got on campus, and after talking to Doug, I knew that I had to come here because everyone cares about me as a person, my goals, and my future,” said Huber.
When asked about enrollment in the program, Zemler shared, “Enrollment has been great, and we have been seeing an increased interest from across the state and continue to see more and more students wanting to specialize in technical programs like what we offer here.”
When the students were asked what they liked best this term, they shared, “We enjoy the hands-on learning opportunities we get to experience in the lab, and we look forward to the opportunity to complete our internships as part of the program.”
To learn more about the Electrical Technology program offered at Iowa Lakes Community College, visit www.iowalakes.edu.
Kyle Norris, Executive Dean of the Emmetsburg Campus, received approval to move forward with a revised grant application to the Palo Alto County Gaming Development Corporation.
The next meeting of the Iowa Lakes Community College Board of Trustees will be held on Wednesday, December 14, 2022, at the Administration Building, 19 South 7th Street, Estherville, Iowa, at 4:30 pm.
Original source can be found here.
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