By Kaitlin Ritchie
On Monday, December 5 from 6-7:30 p.m. the school district will host a Career and Technical Education Roundtable Night at the high school in the Minnie Blair building. Parents, community members, and business/industry partners are all welcome to attend.
“The event will kick off with a meal served as people arrive, then follow with a short overview of the existing programs in CTE and Work-based Learning at CCHS and CCMS along with results of our most recent end-of-program assessments,” said Superintendent Dr. Summer Stephens.
Participants will be able to share ideas and input through a series of questions during a roundtable discussion. The event will wrap up with tours of the existing programs and their spaces, where parents, community members, and business and industry partners can join in the event and provide input and ideas to help promote and continue to grow the CTE programs in the district.
The school will be engaging students in a variety of ways in the coming weeks. “I want students to know what CTE programs we offer and fully understand how these programs can help them learn skills that will put them on a path towards a career in specialized industries and to be life ready. They will be set up for success right after graduation,” said CCHS Principal Tim Spencer. The CTE programs at the high school are important because when students can link traditional lessons to real-life applications that apply directly to the student’s future careers, they are more invested in their learning and education. This helps them see the value of learning and motivates them to want to graduate. “Whether students go on to enroll in college, apprenticeships, or certification courses just depends on the pathway they choose, but when they leave CCHS, they should have an idea of how to reach their career and life goals,” said Spencer.
After the 2021 legislative session, districts were provided with the flexibility to reach out to stakeholders in ways other than the advisory committee structure that had been required. The district has used surveys to gain input from various stakeholders, shared information with families and students regarding programs of study in the district, and provided professional development opportunities to our staff. The district currently has seven staff members dedicated to providing the 20 programs of study offered at CCHS.
The programs of study are two to three-year course sequences that have prescribed standards for each level. In addition to the coursework, students take an assessment of content knowledge as well as a workplace readiness assessment as they finish the program’s required courses of study. These students can also work to earn dual credit from Western Nevada College, Truckee Meadows Community College, and the University of Nevada-Reno in some of the programs. In addition, students can use these credits earned in our high school courses to earn Nevada’s College and Career Ready Diploma.
Overall, by offering CTE programs the district is giving students a better chance to succeed in any path they may choose. The goal of this event is to spread awareness to the stakeholders and encourage students to explore career options. “We want to give them the skills to succeed and by introducing them to high-demand, high-paying jobs, our CTE programs are well-equipped to help students be successful after high school,” said Stephens. Too many students graduate without knowing what they want to do. But at its root, CTE is career-focused and getting these young students to think about their future proves to be beneficial for all students. “The earlier students begin to explore their future story options, they find their passion and begin to use school as a tool to accomplish their goals. We are thrilled to have the programs available to help them,” said Spencer.
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