UMFK and St. John Valley Technology Center develop new computer science credit agreement

UMFK

(Courtesy of Don Eno)

(Courtesy of Don Eno)

The University of Maine at Fort Kent is pleased to announce a new articulation agreement with the St. John Valley Technology Center.

FORT KENT, Maine  – The University of Maine at Fort Kent is pleased to announce a new articulation agreement with the St. John Valley Technology Center.

High school students who successfully complete the Advanced Technologies program at the St. John Valley Technology Center in Frenchville and who enroll at UMFK will now be starting their pursuit of a college degree with up to six college credits already earned.

This is possible due to a new articulation agreement between UMFK and the St. John Valley Technology Center.  “The agreement is focused on the computer sciences,” states Scott Voisine, UMFK’s dean of community education. “Students who enter UMFK upon successful completion of the SJVTC Advanced Technologies Program will earn three credits toward their degree. Students who complete the SJVTC Advanced Technologies program as well as the TestOut IT Fundamentals Pro Certification credential offered at SJVTC will earn six credits.”  There is no charge for these earned credits.

UMFK and STVTC have a long history of credit articulation agreements and collaboration in the field of nursing and healthcare. “Partnering with UMFK in additional fields like Information Technology and Computer Science are great steps for establishing strong educational and career pathways for students,” states St. John Valley Technology Center Director Kevin Lavoie.  

This new agreement helps connect more local high school students to another UMFK major and to an ever growing workforce sector. The Maine Center of Workforce Research and Information shows a projected 7.9 percent annual growth rate in the number of computer technology related jobs in the next decade. Nationally, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an overall growth of 13 percent in computer and technology related jobs from 2020 to 2030.  

About this agreement, Dr. Dawn Susee, assistant professor of computer science at UMFK says, “UMFK and the St. John Valley Technical Center are building bridges by making it easier for students in the St. John Valley to transition from high school to college and to pursue careers in computer technology.”

The agreement went into effect on Sept. 1. For more information about UMFK’s Computer Applications and/or Cyber Security programs, contact the UMFK Admissions Office at 207-834-7500 or at www.umfk.edu/admissions/.