The new addition of block scheduling at HC has brought many benefits to students, including the ability to fit eight classes in their schedule. With these two extra classes, Career and Technical Education, or often referred to as CTE, classes were introduced. CTE classes are a part of structured pathways that allow students to explore different career options and gain skills that can be applied into jobs and careers beyond high school. Some of the pathways offered at HC include Management and Entrepreneurship, Teaching and Learning, Hospitality, Allied Health, JROTC, Engineering, Travel and Tourism, and Computer Programming. Ciera Bowman, college and career readiness coach at HC, shares what these pathways and classes offer.
These classes exist to “bridge the gap” between academic learning and real-world application. Unlike a regular elective class, CTE provides specialized training for a specific career. This helps students get an early feel for careers that interest them as well as supplying them with skills that can be applied beyond the classroom.
“In each pathway, there are at least 4 CTE elective classes, including Work-Based Learning. In total we have about 40-45 classes, including some dual credit and AP options,” Bowman said.
There are a multitude of benefits from CTE pathways and classes, including higher graduation rates, increased employability, a smoother transition from school to careers, and increased engagement. Students involved in CTE are more likely to finish high school, with studies indicating a 93% graduation rate compared to the 80% national average. It also allows students to develop skills such as critical thinking, communication, and reliability which are essential in all sectors.
“Some may think CTE pathways aren’t rigorous, but they are a purposeful part of our program expansion, designed to prepare students for the demands of the modern world,” Bowman said.
While some may believe that CTE classes are “non academic”, these courses require high level critical thinking and real world application skills. Whether students are designing engineering projects, solving medical scenarios, or developing business plans, CTE allows students to explore careers early. This helps them rule out job options before college and save time and money. It also supports the Four E’s: Enrollment, Employment, Enlistment, and Entrepreneurship, through college credit, job skills, leadership, and hands-on experience. It also strengthens scholarship opportunities, helping students stand out on college and work applications. Overall, the goal is for HC students to have a competitive advantage and become future-ready.
“Through our CTE pathways, you can take dual credit classes and earn both high school and college credit at the same time. Starting in 9th grade [when available], you can take up to two free college classes before you graduate,” Bowman said.
This is significant because it allows students to save money for college. For example, completing five dual-credit courses gives you 15 college credit hours saving thousands and potentially allowing you to skip a semester. These credits transfer to Kentucky colleges, and often beyond, and count toward your major. For example, classes like EDU 202 in the Teaching and Learning pathway give those who want to pursue education a strong head start.
Since these pathways are specialized to specific careers, the teachers teaching each class typically must have some kind of background in the career, depending on pathway & class being taught. This ensures all students are getting information that will actually help them and they are getting this information from a reliable source.
“Depending on which pathway determines what qualifications each teacher has to have. For example, in ROTC, the instructor/teacher has to have a background in the military and in teaching, for Allied Health, the teacher has to have background and experience in the healthcare field,” Bowman said.
Bowman, as well as all CTE teachers, are constantly looking for ways to improve and expand the CTE pathways and classes. One way they are doing this in the upcoming years is adding new pathways. These include Early Childhood Development, Pre-Law, and Engineering Design.
“Our plan as a school is to ensure our expansion isn’t just about more options. By adding Academies, our CTE pathways can expand into more specialized focuses such as Physical Therapist, EMT and or Nurse/Doctor versus being very broad,” Bowman said.
To conclude, the addition of CTE classes into students’ schedules at HC is extremely beneficial, and all the teachers, including Bowman, are working hard and looking forward to expanding these pathways in the future.
