New center leading to expanded programming
When the Greene County Career Center Board of Education decided to pursue construction of a new facility, the goal was three-fold.
First, a 21st-century training center that would provide career-technical and academic training for high school and adult students using the most modern technologies for generations to come.
Secondly, we could provide trained workers to fill high-demand jobs in the region in a variety of pathways. Finally, the Board feels strongly that we have an obligation to prepare students for the workforce in order to spur economic growth in Greene County.
We will be expanding programming for our high school students to 22 different areas for the 2021-22 school year. Coming next school year are robotics and automation, and drone and UAS technology. This past year, advanced engineering systems, aviation maintenance and cybersecurity were added. All are career pathways shown to have a shortage of trained technicians.
One strength of career-technical schools is the flexibility to adapt programming to meet job market demands. All of our career-technical programs convene advisory committees to provide guidance on curriculum and report the latest trends in the various industries we serve.
The success of these programs is driven by the input provided from these industry experts. Parents of the new generation of career-technical students are much more aware of career pathways and higher educational choices than ever before. Rather than invite massive debt related to college loans, they are seeking out options that include industry credentials and certifications, workbased learning and a hands-on approach to learning.
Our awareness campaign directed toward high school sophomores and their families this past year was compromised by the COVID pandemic. In spite of our inability to fully promote our new and existing programs and facility, we are seeing a significant increase in applications for the 2021-22 school year. The new facility was built to handle approximately 950 high school students, and at the current pace, we may reach that very soon.
All career-technical schools in the Miami Valley offer tremendous advantages to high school students seeking job-ready skills with an academic foundation that would prepare them for post-secondary options.
Our partnerships with Sinclair Community College and Clark State Community College provide Tech Prep scholarships to our students to further help them after graduation.