Building A Diverse Workforce: Washburn Tech
Photo by EMMA HIGHFILL
Before taking the helm as dean of Washburn Tech two years ago, Gary Bayens served 30 years with Washburn University as a professor and department chair following a career in criminal justice. In his role now, Bayens is not only an administrator for technical education but an advocate too. He engages with representatives from businesses, the Joint Economic Development Organization, Greater Topeka Partnership, Kansas Department of Commerce, public/private partnerships and other entities focused on enhancing workforce development in Shawnee County and throughout the state. After a dip during COVID-19, Bayens said enrollment is up to1,250 this fall. He said the legislature’s recent passage of the $10 million Kansas Promise Act has helped invigorate interest with wider availability of additional scholarships. Pell grants and other forms of financial aid offered through the Kansas Board of Regents have also driven participation. Enrollment comprises about 60percent high school students and 40percent adults.
“Our programs are for anyone who wants to forge a new career path and work hard for a certification that could change their quality of life,” said Bayens. “Wherever you look in the labor sector, employers are competing for workers. Our graduates typically get certified in less time with less debt than a traditional college degree and can start making good money from day one in a high-demand, high-wage position.”
Washburn Tech offers eight divisions with 39 mostly two-year programs. Two of the school’s biggest divisions encompass health care and business and industry, yield in partnerships with Stormont Vail, Mars, Goodyear and other major employers in the region.
“Each program has eight to 10 advisory board members working in the field who provide input, but we’re not just hearing from large companies,” said Bayens. “Small business owners, especially in the plumbing and HVAC trades, callus seeking help in advertising and filling positions too.”
Bayens said Kansas is fortunate to have governmental support for cultivating and keeping a well-trained workforce with initiatives that include registered apprenticeship and internship programs.
“These types of programs are beneficial because students have the opportunity to make good money and gain experience, and employers get to evaluate their skillsets while they’re still in school,” said Bayens.
He said technical education students often include older workers, and even in a few cases retirees, who’ve spent decades in a particular field and now want to pursue a new challenge. It’s an itch he identifies with.
“I left criminal justice after 22 years and decided to go back to school to get a Ph.D and teach,” he said. “Sometimes you reach a point in a career where you want to try something different. Our programs can get you started and get you launched quickly.”
