“ I CAME TO THIS SCHOOL
WHEN I WAS 16,” says Administrative Director Keith Yohn of the Franklin County Career & Technology Center( FCCTC) in Chambersburg.“ It had a huge impact on my life. If you had told me that one day I would be back here teaching, let alone the director of this school, I’ d have laughed you out of town.” But Keith showed early promise, and while still a student, a teacher encouraged him to go into vocational teaching. After graduation, Keith worked for Waynesboro’ s Landis Tool and other machine shops, later returning to FCCTC in his current role.
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Training for the Future
Bridging the Gap Between High School and Post-School Careers, The Franklin County Career & Technology Center is a Major Educational Resource for Career and Technical Training.
by Cheryl M. Keyser + photos by Chris Jackson
“ I CAME TO THIS SCHOOL
WHEN I WAS 16,” says Administrative Director Keith Yohn of the Franklin County Career & Technology Center( FCCTC) in Chambersburg.“ It had a huge impact on my life. If you had told me that one day I would be back here teaching, let alone the director of this school, I’ d have laughed you out of town.” But Keith showed early promise, and while still a student, a teacher encouraged him to go into vocational teaching. After graduation, Keith worked for Waynesboro’ s Landis Tool and other machine shops, later returning to FCCTC in his current role.
The FCCTC has opened its doors to many students like Keith, preparing them to meet the demands of careers in technologies such as mecatronics— a combo of electronics and robotics— to more timeless vocations like culinary arts and cosmetology.“ Our emphasis is on skill building, getting certification in a field and immediate marketability,” says FCCTC Assistant Director Sandra Traynow.“ We train [ students ] for a skill they can use.” With some 700 secondary-school students and another 300 adults enrolled in more than 30 fields of study, FCCTC stays on top of all areas of business. Keith works with local groups like the Franklin County Area Development Corporation to analyze what high-priority occupations will need trained employees and programming developed just for them. Fulfilling such a role is how the FCCTC was born.
SKILLS YOU CAN USE In 1963, community leaders in business, agriculture and education established the countywide school. Some four years later, construction on the Franklin County Vocational School, as it was then known, began. Originally, the school served as an alternative to a strictly academic education— a feeder school for
local manufacturing and business that drew students from all over Franklin County. But today, students can learn a number of vocational skills, from cooking to welding. While there are classes for adult learners, the majority of FCCTC students are in the 10 th through 12 th grades. Are they mature enough at that young age to choose a future career? Keith says yes.“ The students go through a rigorous interview process and are aided by counselors who work with them to find out their likes and strengths to help them make the right decision.”
When Jim Diller, a former electronics student now working in the computer industry, attended FCCTC, courses were divided into a six-week marking period“ with three weeks of vocational work and three for academics.” Now, students spend an entire 90-day semester, all day long at FCCTC, then return to their sending school district for their academics. This format seems to be working, as the school has a number of student success stories— from Kevin Weller, construction manager on the building renovation, to Don Frankenfield, who supervises the Capstone Cooperative Education Program. Don studied carpentry at FCCTC and worked for a local builder. Similar to Keith, Don’ s former instructor asked if he had ever considered teaching. Attracted by the challenge, he joined the faculty and went back to school to obtain his teaching certificate.
The coop program places students in work environments, such as with child care programs or construction companies. Before graduating, students are tested on their abilities with an exam prepared by the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute( NOCTI).“ This is a three-hour written and a three- to six-hour, hands-on test,” says Don,“ and there is no way to prepare for either. Even the instructor never sees the exams beforehand.” This combination of real work experience and stringent testing keeps employers returning to FCCTC for new hires.
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