Open house showcases skilled trades at NMU

Students had the opportunity to look at a wide range of programs offered at the Center for Innovation and Industrial Technologies at Northern Michigan University Wednesday afternoon.

At the inaugural open house, booths were set up with information, and students could take a tour of labs to see what kinds of work each program encompasses.  With vocational education becoming an alternative to college, the open house let students see what other options are available to them.

“Skilled trades are in demand and we foresee that they’re going to be in demand for the next five or six years and the foreseeable future,” CIIT director Robert Eslinger said.  “And we’ve, both through our interactions with students as well as interaction with the community, we know there’s not a lot of people who know what goes on down here (at the Jacobetti Complex).  The intent (of the open house) is to try to bring more attention to the programs that exist down here and the facilities that we have.”

The CIIT has 21 programs for both NMU students and even some high school students can study.  They offer one and two year certificates, associates degrees and four-year baccalaureate degrees.  More information on the programs offered at the CIIT can be found here.