Career & Technology A look at how this program prepares students for the future

Career & Technology … Preparing for the Future

by Sally Andrews Director of Community Relations Vidor ISD

Students in welding created these planters and FFA students planted them for a local nursing

Step into the Career and Technology Education building … or any building at Vidor High School where CTE courses are held … and you will see something that is definitely not your traditional classroom setting. Students may be measuring blood pressures or learning to listen for pulses in nursing class; absorbing skills on how to make an arrest, handcuff a perpetrator or make a traffic stop; or they may be testing chemicals in a pharmacy tech class. Construction Trades students may be building fire boards for homecoming, creating a table or a clock case or crafting a hope chest for display in a SkillsUSA competition. Future Farmers of America youth might be working with animals or learning to judge dairy or livestock. Cosmetology students may be cutting or coloring hair or giving a manicure, and business courses are sure to be learning a variety of computer applications. Why? To prepare students for the future, including the workplace.

CTE Director Penny Singleton says, “Probably at least 40 percent of the students in CTE courses go straight into the workforce. Some have tested to be food handlers, while others have passed an auto repair test or earned their Certified Nurse’s Aide designation. We have had students get a Cosmetology license then work doing hair while getting a college degree in something totally different. We send kids out of here with skills that can last a lifetime.”

Singleton, who was recently named Career and Technology Education Director of the Year for the State of Texas, has been doing this for a long time … almost 20 years now. “I love what I do and I love watching the students move into careers because of what they learned here.” Students may learn animation or child development, interior design or culinary arts. They can take a medical terminology course or horticulture. There is a wide array of business courses offered. Veterinary Medicine Applications and Animal Sciences are popular choices for those going into such fields. Teacher Tiffany Sanchez says, “I believe that not all students are college-ready by the time they leave high school. It is not the fault of the students, nor the teachers; they are just not able to make it in college. The CTE program allows students to incorporate hands-on training to prepare for life after high school. Many students graduate from high school certified in a trade that will allow them to go straight into the industry. I teach four different courses: Principles of Law, Law Enforcement 1, Law Enforcement 2 and Correctional Services. By the time my students graduate, they should have received five different FEMA certifications and be CPR trained. They should also understand how the court systems are run, basic law enforcement techniques such as handcuffing, arresting, traffic stops and basic jailer (corrections) techniques like fingerprinting, booking in an inmate and cell searching. By learning these techniques, my students should have an easier transition into the law, public safety, corrections and security career pathways.

I believe the Director of CTE, Penny Singleton, has great knowledge of the needs of our students and their futures. She is always encouraging our department to expand and enhance opportunities for our students by reaching out to professionals in the

Students in welding created these planters and FFA students planted Welding Culinary Certified Nurses' Aide training

field to come speak to our classes so the students can explore different paths in our areas.”

Suzette Ross has been teaching in the CTE department for quite a while. She adds, “I like working in the CTE department because I wake up each day knowing that the hard and soft skills that I have acquired over my years of working in both profit and non-profit businesses can now be passed on to my students to assist them in their years to come. I teach Business Information Management, Principles of IT and Career Prep (Work-Study). Mrs. Singleton has many contacts throughout the Workforce Commission and local colleges so I am able to coordinate knowledgeable guest speakers to visit my classes.

The knowledge and skills that my students walk away with will assist them as they continue through their years as a student and as they approach life after high school. They acquire computer skills in both Microsoft Suite and Google products, learn interview and job search techniques, as well as various college and career readiness insight. Certification in Computer Technology or Career Safety is also available to provide proof of their abilities and enhance the students’ resumes.”

Leslie Sparks teaches Ready, Set, Teach 1 and 2 (Instructional Practices in Education and Training & Practicum In Education and Training) and Principles of Human Services (PHS).

She says, “I love that RST gives students the opportunity to see what being a teacher entails. I’ve had several students go through the program to go onto college and become teachers and coaches. These classes have also been eye-openers for some. They saw that teaching was a lot of work and said they were fortunate to discover early in their education career that teaching was not for them.

In my PHS class, students learn about everyday, reallife skills. I call it the Sampler Platter Class. They get a little bit of most of our Family and Consumer Science classes. They’ll learn about nutrition, how to prepare a dish or two, cooking terminology, financial responsibility such as how to write a check, credit and how to build it, interior design, some child development and even a little hand sewing in order to repair clothing. Moms will be glad to know they’ll learn how to operate the washer and dryer as well.”

Upon completing course work, students may test in NCCER (construction), CNA (nurses’ aide), Cosmetology, AWS (welding), ASE (auto service), culinary, pharmacy tech and even as a FEMA Emergency Manager. Competitions include SkillsUSA, Wildlife Management, rice and dairy judging and the culinary arts students participate in the Texas Barbecue Cookoff for Students. CTE students also compete in UIL Accounting and Computer Applications, as well as many Criminal Justice competitions.

Offering courses to build lifelong skills shines a spotlight among many other opportunities at Vidor High School. Students who do not plan to attend a two-year or fouryear college are excited about the chance to learn a skill that can provide not only a living but a career to love and enjoy.