RANKEN CUTS THE RIBBON

Ranken Technical College held its grand opening on Friday, April 26th to officially kick-off their customized workforce development programs.

David Ranken opened the school in 1907 in St. Louis as the first technical college in the state (third in the United States) to provide more training in the trades. Ranken currently has five locations which manage thirty-seven programs.

The Ashland campus currently provides flexible day and evening programs in Carpentry & Building Construction Technology, Industrial Maintenance Technology, Fabrication & Welding, and Information Technology and opened its doors for students in January 2024.

Ranken accepts A+ accreditation and is working closely with the Southern Boone School District to offer dual enrollment for high schoolers. The college maintains a 98% job placement rate, meaning that 98% of graduates are hired into a position related to their field of study within the first six months after graduating.

The Carpentry & Building Construction Technology program teaches how to build from blueprints to finish, and builds tiny houses. The first tiny house was on display at the event and will stay on campus as a showpiece, but future ones will be donated or sold. Students have the option to earn an associate’s degree or certificate.

The Industrial Maintenance Technology program moves students into a paid internship after four weeks and allows students to finish with an associate’s degree or certificate. The IMT job market is expected to grow much faster than the average for all other occupations (Ranken).

The Fabrication & Welding certificate program earns students their American Welding Society Credentials in as little as a year (in day classes) as they work with trained industry professionals.

Finally, the Information Technology coursework will earn students an associate of technology degree and a portfolio of skills. Ranken reports that over 418,000 new job openings are created every year in the IT field.

Contact Ranken at admissions@ranken.edu or visit www.ranken.edu/centralmo for details.

Photo credit Southern Boone Schools. Leticia DenHartog contributed to this article.