HOLT CAT posted on April 22, 2024 18:22
Originally posted on CBSNews.com. Click Here to read the full story.
IRVING — Interest in career prep programs has skyrocketed in the past decade, and school districts across North Texas are working to meet the demand.
Over the past 12 years, Grand Prairie ISD has gone from 11 Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs to more than 30, with enrollment increasing by approximately 10 percent every year.
"CTE, career and technical education, is no longer your mom and pop's vo-tech school, and we're trying to get that message out to folks that it's not the same as it was 20, 30, 40 years ago," said Aniska Douglas, the chief of CTE and Innovative Programs for Grand Prairie ISD.
About 5,000 students in the district are currently enrolled in CTE courses. GPISD offers more than 30 career pathways, from automotive and graphic design to the culinary arts and health sciences.
"Our goal is to meet demand with supply," Douglas said. "So all of the jobs and careers that we're aiming towards are high skill, high demand, high wage professions."
Some students go straight into the workforce after graduation, while others continue their education in college. CTE gives them options and real-world experience.
"I'm just like, 'whoa, if I didn't have this opportunity, who knows what I would be and what steps I would be taking,'" said Elizabeth Cardenas, a senior at Dubiski High School.
The 18-year-old started interning at the HOLT CAT facility in Irving in her junior year. She hopes to get a full-time job with the company as a technician when she graduates high school.
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