How an Industry-Sponsored Model Drives Enrollment in this Technical Program - Dr. Rod Flanigan, President of North Dakota State College of Science

Funding, filling programs, and finding partners in industry - these are three challenges facing technical colleges across the country. And a great solution to all these challenges: industry-sponsored programs.

North Dakota State College of Science has an incredible Diesel Technology program that partners with the biggest brands in agricultural equipment like John Deere, Case, Komatsu and Caterpillar to offer hands-on, career-relevant learning on the latest equipment being used in the workforce today. Through this program, students are sponsored by a dealer to work through the courses on brand-specific equipment, ensuring a pipeline of skilled talent that's experienced on the right technology for those dealerships.

In this episode, we sat down with NDSCS president Dr. Rod Flanigan to dive into this program and how successful it's been.

Discover the power of industry partnerships in building a technical program that benefits the college, learners and employers alike, and get advice for how to launch a similar program in your own institution!

3 Big Takeaways from this episode:

1. Industry-sponsored programs benefit students with career-relevant skills and experiences:The industry-sponsored diesel program benefits students by providing them with valuable hands-on experience, access to state-of-the-art equipment, and opportunities for professional development through internships and sponsorships, ultimately preparing them for successful careers in the field. They get access to the same equipment from the biggest brands they'll encounter in the workforce, and they get assistance from their sponsor while going through their education.
2. Industry-sponsored programs benefit the college with funding, filling programs, and finding friends in industry: With these strong partnerships with industry, colleges can get access to the latest equipment, a pipeline of dedicated students, and the added benefit of having a reputation for career-relevant programming.
3. Industry-sponsored programs benefit employers with a pipeline of skilled workers: When a student is required to be sponsored by a company in order to be admitted into a program, and when they're supported through the program financially and otherwise by that company, and when they're confident in finding employment upon completion of that program, there's a fostering of brand loyalty that just can't be beat. These companies will benefit by having a pipeline of skilled technicians who learned on their specific equipment and are work-ready to add value to the organization.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Learn more about NDSCS's Diesel Technology Program
• Learn more about North Dakota State College of Science

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