Photo credit : Volusia County Schools
Photo credit : St Johns County Schools
Photo credit : St Johns County Schools
“ With the growth that we ’ re having , especially in construction and in healthcare , those are our two major pushes to make sure we have students who have the interest and exposure to those job areas ,” he says .
Like most other districts , Blair says there are always ongoing discussions with community stakeholders and higher-education institutions about job trends . He meets quarterly with Flagler College and Daytona State College , along with CareerSource representatives and the Chamber of Commerce to identify needs in the local economy . It generally takes a year to two years to roll out new programs . “ We want to pass off prepared students ,” he says . With career clusters forming detailed curriculum frameworks , students are deep diving into everything from health science to law , marketing and even pre-apprenticeship programs .
St . Johns County School District
Emily Harrison loves seeing proof that former students are thriving post-graduation .
Recently , a St . Augustine High School student got a job at SpaceX after graduating from Embry-Riddle . That same student wrote a letter for Harrison — director of career and technical education of St . Johns County School District — when she was advocating for student industry certifications .
“ It ’ s gratifying ,” she said of seeing student success . “ It ’ s what we ’ re there for .”
In St . Johns County , nearly 60 % of high-school students are involved in CTE programs . Last year , students earned over 3,000 certifications to get them career ready .
Students often gripe about learning challenging concepts and ask when they ’ ll ever use it , Harrison said . The structured career programs provide that in-depth context by showing students exactly how a particular concept would be used in action on the job .
She explains that it “ provides context for the content we teach in core classes .”
Each career academy has a program of study to guide students in their course selection to create the highest chance of success in postsecondary life . From VyStar ’ s Academy of Business to Stellar Academy of Engineering , students experience everything from guest speakers to job shadowing .
Northrop Grumman Corporation has partnered with the district for 20-plus years to provide students with insights into STEM careers . All of it is done by volunteer employees using their time off to support the schools , says Orv Dothage III , sector manager of Aeronautics Quality Standardization .
“ Not everyone needs a [ college ] degree to enter the workforce ,” he says . “ Home growing the talent allows manufacturing sites to grow a qualified workforce to meet the needs of our industry .”
Emily Harrison
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