Students enrolling at Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College in the fall with have two new program options available to them, according to Dr. Wheeler Conover, dean of academic affairs. Both of which will lead to associate degrees. The programs include:

• Associate of Science Degree in Pre-Engineering; and

• Two-year Diploma in Industrial Maintenance Technology

Conover noted that pre-engineering had previously been available at SKCTC, but had been discontinued because of a lack of interest, and “the problem,” he said, “might have been because it was available on only one campus.” Now the program, offered over the college’s Instructional Television Network (ITV), will be offered to students on each of the college’s five campuses.

“Our hope is to reopen the pipeline between Southeast and four-year institutions that offer engineering and engineering technology degrees,” Conover said, noting that the college had several students who had completed a baccalaureate degree in the field at the University of Kentucky.

One of those students is Jeff Simpson of Cumberland who enrolled in the pre-engineering curriculum at Southeast in the mid 1970s. He would eventually transfer to UK where he earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. Today, he is affiliated with S&S Services of Harlan County.

“I think it’s wonderful the college will once again offer an associate’s degree in pre-engineering,” he said. “The program provided me with an excellent foundation and allowed me to get two years of a quality and affordable education right here at home. All the courses I took at Southeast such as calculus, physics and chemistry easily transferred to the university, and I felt I was well-prepared once I began my engineering studies in Lexington.”

Industrial Maintenance Technology, which will be offered on the college’s Harlan Campus, will include courses in electricity, heating and air conditioning, welding and carpentry, according to Conover, and will be designed to prepare individuals to function in environments where multi-skilled maintenance personnel are needed.

“Graduates of industrial maintenance programs are much in demand in our region and throughout the country,” Conover said, “and they can command very competitive salaries.“