An analysis of the reasons students enroll in the Machine Tool Operation and Tool & Die Making diploma program at Waukesha County Technical College

by Biro, Michael A.

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that contributed the greatest to a student's decision to select either the Machine Tool Operation or Tool & Die Making diploma programs at Waukesha County Technical College. The research questions were focused in three major areas: the impact of past participation in technical education courses in high school on degree selection; the influence a person or an event may have had on a student's decision to enroll; and how an awareness of the employment opportunities available for graduates affected a student's decision making process. The intent of this study was to discover the items that had the greatest influence on these students and their decision for electing to enroll into one of these two program areas. This study was conducted through the use of a 13-question survey administered to twenty-one (2 1) first year, full-time students who were enrolled in either the Machine Tool Operation or Tool & Die Making diploma programs at Waukesha County Technical College. Nineteen (19) students responded to the survey. The results of this research study reflect that an awareness of the available employment opportunitiesfor graduates from these program areas seemed to have had the greatest influence on a student's decision to enroll in either the Machine Tool Operation or Tool & Die Making diploma programs at Waukesha County Technical College. Past participation in high school technical education courses and the influence of a person or event did not appear to have a major influence on students' decision to select either of these two program areas. The Graduate School University of Wisconsin Stout Menomonie, WI