Trades school’s interest on rise
Published 10:45 pm Monday, April 19, 2010
EVERETT — Student interest in trades and technology is up at the Sno-Isle Tech Skills Center.
Applications are still being accepted through Thursday, but the vocational school that serves two counties has received hundreds of more inquiries than a year ago.
“It’s very encouraging,” said Steve Burch, the Sno-Isle director.
Sno-Isle, which is run by the Mukilteo School District, offers a variety of courses to students from more than a dozen school districts. It’s one of 10 centers around the state with job- training programs that would be too costly to offer at individual high schools.
In 2004, Sno-Isle had nearly 2,000 applications and enrollment of more than 1,000 students. The student count has dropped to the low 800s in recent years.
Burch believes several factors are causing the increased interest, including new programs being offered. They include aircraft service technician training, auto body collision repair and DigiPen game programming. Popular existing programs, such as cosmetology, firefighting and medical assisting, are being expanded.
Sno-Isle also will have new and expanded classrooms as part of a major construction project. The campus will be reunited into one location after a fire last May burned down part of the school.
A chance to get employable technical skills in a struggling economy also could explain growing student interest, Burch said.
Sno-Isle will have room for 1,150 when construction is finished.
Pressure to pass a state math test also pulled down enrollment in recent years. Burch thinks Sno-Isle now has been able to convince high schools that a math class it offers meets the needs of students who have not passed the exam. Students must continue taking math through their senior year if they don’t pass the test, once known as the WASL but known called the High School Proficiency Exam.
Karen Coulombe, who teaches electronics and robotics, has seen a rise in the number of students requesting her class next fall.
She attributes part of the jump to the new course offerings. In her case, students initially interested in game programming discovered her class and signed up.
“The draw of video games played a part,” she said.
Linda Garbo, Sno-Isle’s assistant director, said it will be nice to get the school back on one campus and reopen Le Bistro, a student restaurant that serves the community.
“We are looking forward to the whole thing, all of us being together again in the fall,” she said.
Sno-Isle has a final interview session set from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday for students interested in the programs at the two campuses. Students can bring their applications with them.
Students interested in cosmetology, welding, precision machining, diesel power technology, auto tech, fire service, construction trades, auto body, robotics electronics, criminal justice, aircraft assembly, veterinary assisting and fashion merchandising would report to the main campus at 9001 Airport Road, Everett.
Those interested in DigiPen, dental assisting, medical assisting, nursing assistant, culinary arts, computers, servers and networking and computer web programming would visit the temporary west campus at 11323 30th Ave. W., Everett.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com.
