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Workforce with some advantages when it needs certain teaching or training aids. "In addition, we don't want to say that it gives us 'bragging rights,' but we have a sign in front of our building that says 'AED Accreditation' and shows the logo," he said. "This helps, because we are the only college in California with this accreditation. In addition, AED doesn't have a strong presence in the West in general, so we like to play up the fact that we are one of the very few schools in the West with this national accreditation." While many community and technical colleges struggle with funding challenges for their programs, not all do. "With the energy boom that is taking place in the western part of the state, we are reaping the financial benefits even though we are in the eastern part of the state," said Richman at North Dakota State. "The state is supporting us with salary increases for faculty and staff, and it recently granted us $10.3 million for a 65,000-square-foot addition to our diesel facility, which will give us a total of 125,000 square feet dedicated to diesel technology." Reedley College also seems to be faring well. "For as broke as California is, we are still funded fairly, and we still seem to get a lot of grant money," said Wenter. "Our program has been treated very well, budget-wise, and we really aren't lacking for very much." Some community and technical colleges find it difficult to attract qualified instructors. "Last year, we advertised for a full-time position and only had two applicants," said Central Arizona College's Hurt. One reason for the challenge, he says, is that the starting pay for instructors in the program is about 50 percent less than what they can make as diesel technicians. "The people we target as instructors are those who have at least five years of technical experience and a minimum of an associate's degree." North Dakota State College of Science appears to be in a better position here. "I know that my colleagues around the country have been challenged in this area," said Richman. "However, we have been very fortunate. While the number of qualified candidates in this pool has gotten smaller, we have still been able to find the people we need – those who have had real-world experience, which is what we look for. Once we get them, we teach them to be excellent teachers. We hired one or two last year, and we hired another two this year." Dealers and colleges alike all emphasize the importance of dealer and manufacturer involvement in diesel programs at the community and technical colleges. According to Paul Anderson, human resources technical recruiter for Ziegler CAT (Minneapolis, Minn.), his company If it weren't for dealer support and investment in students, program funding would be insufficient, says Roy Achemire, division chair, Heavy Equipment and Vehicle Institute, at the Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology (Okmulgee, Okla.) got involved in this area in about 1990. "At the time, our vice president of product support said he was tired of constantly advertising for people and not getting any results," he said. "He suggested partnering with a school, and I was given the responsibility of developing that program." To date, Ziegler CAT has helped three colleges become AED-accredited and is now working with a fourth. "We also try to bring in up to 10 students from each college every year to intern with us," said Anderson. "At any one time, we might have 20 or so interns." The dealership also provides up to three semesters of scholarship money for their interning students, as well as some money to take class trips. "We also help the schools with curriculum development and instructor development," he said. "And we work to recruit high school students to the program. In fact, last year, I probably talked with about 600 high school students in Minnesota and Iowa." Augie Sacadat, senior technical communicator for KirbySmith Machinery (Oklahoma City, Okla.), knows that dealer involvement is critical. "The programs need support," he said. "For example, they need equipment and tooling to work with hands-on in class. These days, we are involved in Tier-4 engines with high-tech emission control systems. If you're teaching students on a 1950 Cummins diesel engine, though, it won't work." Dealers and manufacturers can provide the program with the detailed, specialized written information on their latest high-tech equipment. And, according to Sacadat, the students also need access to jobs after graduation, which the dealers can provide. For some educators, industry's involvement is the lifeline to their programs' success. "For us, state funding has really stayed flat or declined," said Roy Achemire, division chair, Heavy Equipment and Vehicle Institute, at the Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology (Okmulgee, Okla.). "If it weren't for the dealers, we wouldn't have enough funding." (continued on next page) December 2013 | Construction Equipment Distribution | www.cedmag.com | 49