Northern helps meet need for industrial tech teachers

From Montana State University-Northern

This summer, Montana State University-Northern has launched a new program to help meet the growing need for industrial technology teachers in Montana. 

The program is designed to help teachers who are teaching under a temporary teaching license to get the courses they need to become a fully licensed teacher.

Teachers who teach specific skills like welding, automotive, carpentry, plumbing, drafting, machining and electrical need specific endorsements to prove they have the knowledge and skills needed to teach those courses. 

“This is a very exciting opportunity that MSU-Northern has to meet the educational needs of Montana,” Northern College of Technical Sciences Dean Dave Krueger said. “This is our first year to run this summer program. We currently have 10 highly motivated and talented teachers who are enjoying the program. It is important to note that teachers can enter the program at any time, so we are hoping that this program will continue to grow into a very popular and dynamic feeder for industrial technology training in Montana.” 

“Montana, like many states, suffers from a shortage of qualified industrial technology educators,” he added. “Institutions like Montana State University-Northern must work closely with our state’s secondary schools to provide appropriate educational training for teachers in order to prepare the next generation of a skilled Montana workforce.”

Northern’s program features a three-year course rotation that is specifically designed for current industrial technology educators who need to work on appropriate Montana secondary teacher licensure, renewal, or for those who just need to brush up on the latest technologies used in their industry. All courses will be offered over two weeks each year sometime in the early summer and will have components of online learning and hands-on labs.

This summer, teachers are learning the fundamentals of electrical and welding. Next summer, they will have classes in basic rigging, carpentry, machining, lab management and CAD. The third and final year in the rotation will focus on automotive engine repair, CAD/CAM applications, industry foundations and teaching methods.

To earn a Montana teaching credential, people must complete the required amount of undergraduate coursework from an accredited college or university, pass the standardized tests and pass an accredited certification program. Montana has two main types of certifications for classroom teachers: the Class 2 Standard Certificate for beginning teachers with a bachelor’s degree who have completed an accredited teacher preparation program, and the Class 1 Professional Certificate, which requires three years of successful K-12 teaching experience and a master’s degree. Both certificates are renewable every five years.

Montana also offers a Class 5 alternative license, which lasts for three years while a candidate completes a valid teacher preparation program and or the requisite coursework. These are available for candidates who might meet some, but not all, of the requirements for other licenses.

People with a Class 5 License sign a plan of professional intent, agreeing to complete their deficient requirements within three years. Class 5 licenses cannot be renewed or reinstated and students are restricted to one Class 5 license in their lifetime. The licenses are most typically used when someone has a bachelor’s degree in an endorsed area and needs to complete a teacher prep program or does not complete renewal requirements.

Northern’s Industrial Technology program is a dual track degree for people seeking employment in the technical fields of industry or for people pursuing teacher licenses in industrial technology education.

Students will enroll in either the industrial technology track with a major in industrial technology and a minor in a field of their choice or enroll in the technology education track, which prepares the graduate for teacher licensure. The teacher education student takes the necessary education courses in lieu of a minor.

For more information or to learn more about Northern’s College of Technical Science, people can visit http://msun.edu .