What is NextSTEP?
NextSTEP is a fast, focused, flexible educational pathway for dislocated workers and other adults seeking career and retraining opportunities.
It is a unique partnership with area workforce centers that aligns college programs and services with workforce center outreach efforts to create seamless educational opportunities.
The college foundation is supporting NextSTEP efforts by identifying additional resources and need-based grants to help dislocated workers financially support their families while they are taking college classes.
The college has restructured the way it delivers technical education to meet the needs of the students. Students told the college what they wanted and the college responded.
What we are doing at Anoka Technical College
We condensed 16 weeks of program curriculum into 8 weeks. Programs include:
- Information Technology
- Supervisory Management
- Medical Assistant
We are offering multiple start times for the academic programs that the workforce center identified as programs that will give people the training and education they need to help the economy recover. Programs include:
- Information Technology
- Supervisory Management
- Medical Assistant
- Machine Trades
We are offering many general education and computer classes online and in the evenings.
We enhanced our college admissions opportunities to include two weekly college information sessions (one in the evening and one during the day), daily walk-in admissions appointments and transition staff that assist new students from their first inquiry to their graduation day.
We worked with area workforce centers to offer free creative job service and career exploration workshops on campus.
