For students who want a career in construction trades such as welding, masonry, carpentry or heating and air conditioning, which are high demand and high paying jobs, there is a short cut to do that.
Junior or senior year students in Fort Scott High School and Uniontown High School have the opportunity to get a head start on these jobs, said Kris Mengarelli, Fort Scott Community College’s Director of the Career and Technology Center, CTEC.
“CTE courses prepare students with the technical, academic, and employment skills needed for life after high school,” from CTEC’s Facebook page. “The courses hone critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills—all valuable tools needed to succeed in today’s workforce.”
“Starting in the fall of 2023, we are….offering carpentry basics, OSHA 10 (certification training) and introduction to craft skills for high school and college,” he said. “This is typically for juniors and seniors. It’s a two-year program to get a certificate.”
“The teacher will be Michael Casner, a Fort Scott High School teacher,” he said. “He’ll be teaching dual credit classes for those three classes at the high school. Uniontown will be able to send students over to attend those classes as well. The schools will coordinate what works best.”
The target student is any interested in the trades for a career.
The State of Kansas is offering an Excel in CTE Initiative, for high school juniors and seniors for free college tuition on approved technical courses offered at Kansas technical schools and community colleges.
“The state looks at where there is a lacking workforce,” he said.
The main purpose of the bill is to stimulate growth in Career and Technical Education at both the secondary and post-secondary level in Kansas, according to https://www.ksde.org/Agency/Division-of-Learning-Services/Career-Standards-and-Assessment-Services/CSAS-Home/Career-Technical-Education-CTE/Excel-in-CTE
“There are some small fees that fall back on the student, but not significant,” Mengarelli said.
Following the classes for dual high school and college credit, students will have a nationally recognized certificate,” he said. “Students who want to go into construction, this makes them employable just out of high school.”
CTEC is located in Crawford County.
Destry Brown, Fort Scott’s Superintendent of USD 234 was a “key player in getting CTEC started in Crawford County,” Mengarelli said.
Brown was formerly a superintendent of schools in Pittsburg, in Crawford County and is currently superintendent of schools for Fort Scott.