Nontraditional career pathways remain an option for many San Antonio students

It’s the time of year when high school students across Texas ready themselves for the next step in their life’s journey. While many will go on to attend traditional degree programs at four-year colleges and universities, a steadily growing number will pursue alternative career paths and training programs.

Deborah Ruel-Schaefer, Career and Technical Education director for Northside Independent School District – the fourth-largest district in Texas – said that her district promotes college career and military readiness, while also exposing students to various career clusters and the post-highschool preparation needed in those clusters and related careers.

More than 150 Career and Technical Education courses are offered to over 30,000 students enrolled in Northside ISD’s Career and Technical Education program.

While many Texas students attend college, others join the military after graduation, join the work force right away, or attend trade school or other nontraditional programs.

“State of Texas and local work force offices have increased communication about High Demand and High Wage careers,” Ruel-Schaefer said. “So the communication is more about preparing for and going into a career field where you will be able to find a job and be paid a living wage. For some careers it will be a college degree, and for others an industry-based credential.”

She noted that the Career and Technical Education program is committed to providing students with programs of study and experiences that will lead to highdemand and high-wage careers – regardless of whether they attend traditional colleges or universities.

Although there are a few hurdles that high school graduates may face when going straight into the work force, or alternative programs or apprenticeships, without attending traditional universities, many of them find the experience rewarding.

“Although we coach and teach students employability skills, the leap from collaborating and communicating with their peers to collaborating and communicating with adults can be a challenge to them,” said Ruel-Schaefer. “They may be working side-by-side with an adult who has the same industry-based certification – as a 17 [or] 18-year-old.”

She added that it’s important to combat the stigmatization and misconceptions surrounding nontraditional paths pursued by some students.

“I believe there is still a stereotype for certain types of jobs, not necessarily [all] non-degreed fields,” she said. “For example, I think there is a lot of respect for medical careers that don’t require a degree like pharmacy technician.”

But, she added, judgment and misconceptions still exist, especially concerning trade fields and hospitality industries.

“I think the stereotypes exist more in the trades and hospitality industries most often,” she said. “They sadly can be seen as ‘dirty’ jobs for folks who can’t do anything else.”

This stereotype is severely damaging, since only about half of Texas students go on to receive four-year degrees within six years of high-school graduation. And many trade jobs which don’t require a traditional four-yeardegree – for instance, plumbers, electricians, pipefitters and heavy equipment mechanics – are vital, necessary roles in the work force today, bringing in a median income of more than $50,000 a year. This is equally true for hospitality jobs ranging from chefs to flight attendants to heads of housekeeping.

At NISD, careers in Health Science are some of the most popular non-degreed, nontraditional professional pursuits among current high school students, Ruel-Schaefer said. “Health Science in NISD has huge enrollment and we are graduating students with many industry-based credentials so they can go right into the work force or can work while going to school.”