MTC works to fill underutilized programs, meet business needs

Five of the lowest-enrolled programs at Manatee Technical College are also the jobs businesses are clamoring to fill the most — and MTC is trying to entice more students for them.

Plumbing is one of the most notable. Right now, instructor John Kenney has six students enrolled in his program. He’s fielding almost daily phone calls from companies looking to hire. One of his students already has a job offer, and he won’t finish the program for another month.

“I could put 20 students to work before Nov. 1 if I had them,” he said last week inside his classroom, an open-aired space at the State Road 70 campus.

Shared with the masonry program, the plumbing training facility features mock kitchens, bathrooms and utility room set-ups for students to practice. Kenney partnered with the carpentry program when the building first opened to build the mock areas, to help better replicate the experience for students.

There’s toilets, of course, kitchen sinks and a washing machine. Pipes and parts are everywhere.

But it’s not loud. With only six kids enrolled right now, Kenney’s program is small — ideal for one-on-one instruction, but not so ideal for businesses clamoring to fill open spots.

It’s a problem Doug Wagner, the district’s executive director of adult, career and technical education, is trying to combat.

Practical nursing, welding, automotive service technology, cosmetology and culinary arts — staples of a technical school — are the highest enrolled programs so far this year. Even in some of those industries, particularly automotive service technology, MTC can’t keep up with the industry demands for workers.

But the lowest enrolled programs — plumbing, building trade and construction design technology, legal administrative services, industrial technology and a night-only nail specialty program — are all also high-demand fields.

What does it mean when these industries are struggling to find qualified workers? The experience for the customer changes because the services and the labor of the plumber are in high demand

“It’s economics at that point. You’re going to be paying $600 to fix a leaky faucet instead of today paying $200,” said Stewart Moon Jr., vice president of Air & Energy, one of the companies Wagner says is struggling to find qualified workers. Air & Energy works on air conditioning, plumbing, electrical and home automation systems.

A case study in plumbing

Right now, Moon has three or four plumbers, meaning there are often conversations on how to balance handling service calls for customers and taking on new construction projects. He’d like to hire at least two more plumbers right now.

“I’m turning down plumbing work all the time,” he said. “I can’t leave guys on long-term jobs and tell Mrs. Jones I can’t get to your water leak.”

Moon understands that plumbing is not a “glamorous” job, but workers can start anywhere between $12 and $14 an hour — and the pay only goes up. When there’s not as many licensed plumbers working, those who are working are going to be making that much more money.

The top-paid field worker at R.T. Moore mechanical contractors made $150,000 last year, says Littlejoe Hayes, the company’s vice president of field operations. The company, headquartered in Indianapolis, has offices in Fort Myers and Lakewood Ranch. Hayes says he’ll need to add 20 to 25 workers locally to fit the company’s projected growth for the upcoming year.

“The biggest thing, it’s a little less glamorous,” Hayes said. “I think that’s a big miss.”

Kenney agrees.

“It’s not fashionable. People generally don’t have a high opinion of plumbers,” he said. “On average, we’re older, we have to work in awkward positions. People think you can’t make a lot of money.”

That may be why his enrollment is low. But Kenney knows the demand is high, evident by the calls he gets from businesses. This year’s class enrollment is particularly low. He usually has 12 to 18 students come through the program each year. When they leave MTC, they’re ready to start working for a company and to prepare for the state licensing exam.

The state licensing exams, which allow people to be certified apprentices or master plumbers, require four years of experience, letters of recommendation from employers and proof of certain types of training. Once a master license is obtained, a plumber can open his or her own business.

That’s what Micah Dickerson, owner of Practical Plumbing, did after 15 years in the industry. He mainly works alone, calling on a colleague he knows from the industry if necessary. While attending State College of Florida — then called Manatee Community College — Dickerson grew frustrated spending money on a degree when he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life.

“I had some plumbing experience, I knew a trade,” he said. “I decided to go all in and got a full-time job.”

Just in case, Kenney keeps his license current but hasn’t worked as a plumber himself for the last two years, focusing on teaching the next generation.

The hypothetical that Moon described, paying $600 instead of $200 for a leaky faucet, is starting to happen, Kenney said. And that may help drive interest and enrollment up.

“It’s getting to that point,” he said.

MTC, industry response

What’s happening in plumbing is happening in other MTC programs — even some of the highest enrolled programs, like automotive technicians.

“We don’t turn anybody away. We’ll run the program day and night and weekend. Instructors, those are easy to find,” Wagner said. “We could fill this building up.”

Overall enrollment is up, Wagner reports. In the 2015-16 year, MTC enrolled 4,739 adults and 166 high school students in the various programs. The instructional hours offered increased 11 percent in the last year.

Most students who walk in the doors of MTC know what program they’d like to enroll in, but counselors at MTC work with students to help guide them toward a career they’ll enjoy. A series of questions helps narrow down a field of focus. Those who don’t like being outside, for example, probably won’t do well enrolling in the construction program.

“We do try to steer them in the right direction,” Wagner said.

MTC hosts tours to help introduce local high school students to the variety of programs MTC offers. MTC is also hosting an open house and career fair in December that may help introduce students to programs and careers they may be familiar with, mostly targeting those not yet enrolled.

MTC reaches out to potential students in a variety of ways, including on PANDORA Radio, a mobile streaming site popular with younger people. Brochures and information are in each of the six high schools and students can dual enroll with MTC while still in high school. MTC brochures, updated each semester, are available around the county, too.

“There’s so many opportunities here,” Wagner said. “The jobs are plentiful and there are excellent jobs and you can make an excellent living.”

This story was originally published October 14, 2016 at 5:34 PM with the headline "MTC works to fill underutilized programs, meet business needs."