NICC Career and Technical Education students join in National Signing Day events

Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Each year, colleges around the country honor new students who are entering a professional career or technical field through the National Technical Letter of Intent Signing Day.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) students enrolling in a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program next fall participated in National Signing Day events, April 20-21. NICC hosted the events at its Peosta and Calmar campuses in partnership with the National Coalition of Certification Centers. 

Each year, colleges around the country honor new students who are entering a professional career or technical field through the National Technical Letter of Intent Signing Day. The event mirrors the NCAA’s National Signing Day for athletes who commit to play sports in college. Seven Peosta campus students and 28 Calmar students participated this year. Industry representatives from John Deere Dubuque Works and Farm Credit Services of America spoke at the events and congratulated the NICC students for their commitment. 

Bruce Bearinger, dean of agriculture, animal science and transportation at NICC, also offered words of praise for the new students and the importance of their commitment to CTE for the northeast Iowa economy. 

“The students who participated in the National Signing Day had the opportunity to meet their instructors, administrators and industry representatives that will work with them throughout their entire career. They were also honored for their commitment to NICC and to the dignity of work,” Bearinger said. “Students with CTE degrees earn top wages and salaries that put money back into our communities, and our quality graduates will become the backbone of revenue, competitiveness, innovation and future talent for growth of a strong economy.”

Students represented a variety of CTE programs at NICC, including Automotive Mechanics, Automotive Technology, Diesel Mechanics, Gas Utility Construction and Service, John Deere TECH, Production & Companion Animal Veterinary Technician, Welding and many others.

Event sponsors included All Seasons Heating & Cooling, Birch Heating and Cooling, Dubuque Screw Company, Ernest Jackson Painting, Gronen on behalf of Four Mounds HEART Building Dubuque program, Michelin, Morrison Brothers, Prairie Farms, ProPulse, Rousselot Dubuque, Inc., Tandem Tire, Thompson Truck & Trailer and Truck Country Technical Institute. Other industry in attendance included Snap-on, North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, Proteus, Trane, Moss Enterprises and College Suites.