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Manhattan Tech was built for the ones who get after it. The ones who show up early, stay late, and keep the world running. For 60 years, the College has trained people to step into high-demand careers in healthcare, the trades, and technical fields. And for the last 10 years, Dr. Jim Genandt has led the charge by helping Manhattan Tech grow stronger, smarter, and more connected to the community it serves.
When Dr. Genandt arrived in 2015, the College was still flying under the radar. Manhattan Tech had good programs and great people, but too few outside its walls really knew what it could do.
“Back then, we weren’t being invited to the table,” he said. “Now, businesses, schools, city leaders, they call us. They trust us. That didn’t happen by accident.”
Today, Manhattan Tech is a key player in workforce development across the region. From employer partnerships to high school pipelines to adult education, the College plays a vital role in building the skilled workforce its communities rely on.
Manhattan Tech has always been committed to its mission: to train students for real jobs in essential industries.
The College has expanded its healthcare offerings, launched high-tech training programs, and opened the doors to a state-of-the-art Advanced Technology Center. But the real strength of Manhattan Tech lies in its people.
“Most folks don’t realize how talented our faculty are in their trades,” Genandt said. “They’ve lived the work. And they bring that experience straight into the classroom.”
It’s a campus culture built on effort and going above what’s asked. Faculty and staff go the extra mile for students through tutoring, encouraging, and finding solutions when life gets tough. They don’t give up unless a student gives up on themselves.
“Success isn’t always an A,” Genandt said. “Sometimes it’s a student who was failing, but works hard, passes, and walks out with a job. That’s a win.”
Unlike larger institutions bogged down by red tape, the College moves fast and stays focused. Manhattan Tech isn’t answering to bureaucracy, it’s answering to the workforce.
“We have the freedom to be innovative,” Genandt said. “We don’t get stuck in processes. We build programs that match what employers need, because that’s the mission.”
In his ten years as president, Dr. Genandt has helped move Manhattan Tech from quiet potential to regional leader. But he’s the first to shift the spotlight.
“People give me credit,” he said, “but it’s the employees, the board, the partners; they do the lifting. I just paint the vision.”
He sees his role as temporary, but the mission as permanent.
“I’m a steward of the position. Someday, someone else will take this job, and I hope they’re better than me. My job is to make sure they inherit something strong, something ready for what’s next.”
Looking ahead, he envisions the College becoming the Mid-America Technical College and Training Center, a hub for high-quality training, deep employer partnerships, and continued community impact.
“We’re already good at what we do. If we keep growing and stay focused, we’ll keep delivering exactly what Kansas needs.”
After 60 years of building and 10 years of steady, determined leadership, Manhattan Tech isn’t slowing down. The College is the workforce solution. Not just for today, but for the decades ahead.
“We don’t have problems, we have opportunities,” Genandt said. “That mindset matters more than anything.”
And it shows. From the classrooms to the labs to the shop floors, Manhattan Tech is built by people who believe in the work. People who believe in second chances. And people who believe in the future.
Manhattan Tech is proud of where it’s been. But it’s even more proud of where it’s going.
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