Topping the charts with NCTA students and trades

August 20, 2018                                                                                     

By NCTA Dean Ron Rosati, Ph.D.

Exciting news greeted our campus community last week as students arrived at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture for the August 20 start to the fall semester.

At the opening of New Student Orientation on Saturday morning I welcomed nearly 145 new students to our award-winning institution.

The Education Center auditorium was filled with enthusiastic young people ready to launch their collegiate careers as NCTA Aggies.

Our new freshmen learned their college home had been named No. 16 in the Forbes.com report of the nation’s top 25 two-year trade schools.

For a second consecutive year, NCTA was in the highest-ranking two-year colleges evaluated by writer Carter Coudriet reviewed in, “The Top 25 Two-Year Trade Schools: Colleges That Can Solve The Skills Gap.” 

In 2017, based on different methodology than was used in 2018, NCTA ranked No. 27 of the Top 30.

In 2018, NCTA’s ranking climbed to No. 16 in the Top 25.

Coudriet explained that he used federal government data from IPEDS and College Scorecard, along with a salary database, PayScale.

Two-year colleges were evaluated by Forbes in four categories:  post-graduate success, affordability, program completion rate and student experience or retention.

“A school sets students up for success if it sets them up for jobs that don’t just pay well, but that pay well throughout their career,” Coudriet wrote in the methodology over view, “How the Top Two-Year Trade School Ranking is Scored.”

Educating students for long-term success in their careers is the emphasis throughout the University of Nebraska system, of which NCTA is a part.  Not only does NCTA prepare a student for immediate employment, but our college also helps students develop the work habits, values and technical skills needed for long-term success.

The Forbes rating followed a report posted the week prior by Zippia.com ranking NCTA as the No. 1 two-year college in Nebraska for success of graduates in the workforce 10 years after leaving campus.

These types of national ratings, two weeks in a row, give further credence to the story of NCTA’s progress, all accomplished by outstanding work from alumni, current students, staff and faculty.

Curtis residents and our community can be proud of their local institution which provides open access and affordability to its incoming students, and also produces graduates who are among the most successful in the United States.

Career achievement by NCTA alumni documents that a student does not need to attend an expensive college to be a successful graduate.

Congratulations to everyone involved! I applaud your dedication, commitment to the college and its academic programs, and striving for careers in agriculture and animal health.

We will know our final tally for fall enrollment after these next two weeks of taking a few late registrations and solidifying class schedules. So far, it looks like this freshmen class will be our largest at NCTA since at least 2011.

The evening before classes began on Monday, all of our students received an outstanding reception and picnic from the Curtis community. Thank you to the local organizations from Curtis and Frontier County and the many residents who welcomed Aggie students to campus.

We appreciate the warm hospitality and great turnout for the picnic! I heard from a few students on Sunday who indicated part of the reason they came to NCTA was because of the small town friendliness. Thank you all for supporting the college and helping us grow.

Here’s to a great new academic year.  Go Aggies!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Aug. 22 – NCTA Stock Dog Ag Olympics, 7-8 p.m., green space near Ag Hall

Aug. 24-Sept. 4 – Nebraska State Fair, Grand Island

Aug. 26 – NCTA Ag Business Club picnic, 6 p.m., Student Union

Aug. 27 – “The Hookup,” personal safety/sexual assault awareness, 7 p.m. Ed Center. Public program.

NCTA Mission:  The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture is devoted to a statewide mission of preparing students for successful careers in agriculture, veterinary technology, food and related industries. The college provides open access to innovative technical education resulting in associate degrees, certificates, diplomas and other credentials.