For high school students, college is often held on a pedestal often leading to the expectation that the next step should be to attend a university. Though colleges can offer an exceptional opportunity for expansion of knowledge, some students might find a more hands on approach to learning better able to foster their needs.
Vocational technical institutes offer an alternative to college that prepare students to enter the workforce in less time than the traditional university. Locally, Western Area Career and Technology Center (WACTC) provides opportunities for students from around the Pittsburgh area to learn trades such as cosmetology, mechanics and welding starting as early as high school. Through interactive classroom settings WACTC supplies the resources needed to thrive in skills of all sorts.
High school students enrolled in WACTC attend half a day of regular school, leaving after they finish their core classes. They then commute to WACTC where they focus their studies on their specific interests. Everyone at the school follows a different schedule once they arrive that aligns with their program of interest. For cosmetology students, this involves either being in a classroom to discuss theory, or being in the salon to put what they have learned into practice. On the other side of the building, carpentry students start their day practicing on their machines which they do up until the time they leave.
Those that attend the center learn techniques relevant to their prospective career as well as gain valuable work experience. WACTC students are enriching their skills in ways that are not provided by a full day of standard high school classes.
“It allows me to be more hands on. Rather than sitting all day in a classroom I’m doing things that I like,” stated senior Alex Cada, a carpentry student at WACTC.
In addition to the quality education he receives, he as well as the other students of the center are given a leg up in finding a career after their time spent studying at WACTC.
“Several of our students go into apprenticeship programs which are all paid, so they’re earning a paycheck while sharpening their skill sets,” noted James Purtell, principal at WACTC.
The amount of field experience that students obtain participating in these apprenticeship programs is a factor that sets them ahead of their peers in the job market. There are several programs that allow vocational technical students to be in the workforce years before others their age will even be eligible to apply for a job.
The quality of a WACTC student’s education is determined by the student’s willingness to first and foremost engage with what they learn. WACTC provides a space for students to practice their craft. Having the option to spend their days learning skills exclusive to their potential career path and interests is a game changer for students who do not see academics as their primary priority for the future.
Vocational technical institutes allow students to finish their education and be on the track for success in a time frame shorter than what is involved for customary college degree while also saving tens of thousands of dollars in student debt. Becoming involved in vocational technical centers like WACTC is as easy as having a conversation with a parent, and a school counselor.
