There was cause for celebration Thursday night at ShoWare Center in Kent as Renton Technical College awarded 1,296 degrees and certificates in its 2011 commencement ceremony.

The degrees and certificates were spread over 55 programs, which included 218 GED certificates and 19 high school diplomas. The programs with the most graduates were the nursing assistant, licensed practical nurse, registered nurse associate degree and the Nursing International NCLEX Preparation RN program with 208 students graduating.

This was the last class of the licensed practical nurse program, which will no longer be offered as a formal program at RTC. It will become a part of the RN associate degree program. Wednesday night in a special candlelit ceremony, the LPN program had its last pinning ceremony. Twenty-four students participated.

The official LPN program is going away because of changes in health care and the job market, said Heather Stephen-Selby in an email. She is the dean of Allied Heath and the director of nursing at the college.

“Employers in the Puget Sound are hiring and supporting clinical access for students for RN programs and not LPN programs in acute care, which is required as a learning experience according to state law,” she said.

Students have the option to complete the first four quarters of the RN program and write for the LPN license nationally starting in fall 2011.

Thursday night saw the first graduates of the medical coding specialist online program, which started fall quarter 2010.

Michael Greenwood, a senior manager at The Boeing Co., was the guest commencement speaker, along with student speaker Michael Satfich, graduate of the medical assistant program.

The board of trustees attended as well as RTC Foundation President Andee Jorgensen.