Pa. tech school has a waiting list

ESPY, Pa. (AP) — There’s more to the Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School than auto shop and woodworking.

There’s a lot more.

With an ever-growing curriculum that now includes classes in computer technology, marketing and even health care, more students than ever are flocking to the school, located between Bloomsburg and Berwick.

There’s even a waiting list of nearly 200 students to get in.

Why do so many students want to go there?

It’s because a lot more jobs today require technical training, but no a college degree, said administrative director Cosmas Curry.

“Parents and students see the school as a place to get the best of both worlds an academic background and a career and a technical background to have the knowledge and skills to perform jobs or if they want to go to college,” he said.

Danville School District students make up the second highest number of students attending the school, with a 20 percent jump in just the past four years. Danville has 120 students enrolled, up from about 100 in 2004.

The school has a great success rate with 75 percent of students finding jobs immediately after graduation. Students from the school’s computer technology, draft and design programs are most likely to further their education, Curry said.

Programs where there is a high demand for employees include health occupations, automotive technicians, computer technology, electricians and carpentry and construction. “These are jobs where they can earn a living to sustain a family, and in most cases, the jobs can’t be outsourced,” Curry said.

Danville school board member Steve Schooley attributed a large part of the school’s success to partnerships with local firms, including heating and ventilation contractors, welding shops, auto repair garages, electrical contractors and floral retailers.

“They [graduates] are high in demand. Another big plus is that many students graduate with various certifications which make the students more marketable after graduation,” he said.

Students in health occupations graduate as certified nursing assistants. Auto technician graduates are certified by the National Auto Technicians Educational Foundation, and electrical program graduates are certified by the Association of Builders and Contractors.