Fort Hays State, NW Kansas technical colleges enter partnership to help students advance

HAYS, Kan. (KWCH) – Fort Hays State University welcomed Governor Laura Kelly to town Wednesday morning for a ceremonial signing of the strategic affiliation bill. The bill aims to keep students in Kansas and provide them with a path from their undergraduate years to starting a career.

With the signing, FHSU, Northwest Technical College and North Central Kansas Technical College will begin their affiliation program.

“It allows these three entities to go into a voluntary alliance so they can provide better services for the students in this area,” said the governor.

The Center for Applied Technology is home to Fort Hays State’s technical programs. With the strategic affiliation bill, Gov. Kelly hopes more students will be taking those programs.

“It offers just all sorts of flexibility and nimbleness that we’re going to absolutely have to have in education in the future,” she said.

FHSU Chair of Applied Technology Kim Stewart said flexibility is key.

“They can take a welding certificate program at NCK tech and then they have the chance to take a second-year program at Fort Hays,” said Stewart.

He said the affiliation will provide students with more opportunities and allow them to advance in their field much easier than before.

“The beauty of that is that students now have the opportunity to build on what they have already accomplished at a technical college, with their skill set or skill development. and now they can move on to other activities such as management in the case of construction management,” Stewart said.

The affiliation is set to begin in the fall 2024 semester.

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