Career Center

Entry Process

Students must take part in an eight-day prevocational evaluation prior to being admitted into the school. Child study teams from the home school submit an application for this prevocational evaluation. The evaluation is free to sending districts and is used to help place students in areas of interest should they enter the school.

Exploration

Upon entering, students take part in an “exploration” program. Students attend the morning session and are placed in four different vocational areas, one per marking period.

Training

Usually the year after exploration, upon receiving a teacher recommendation, students are placed in a training program. They attend the afternoon session, stay in one shop all year, and receive more specialized training in a specific vocational training area that will hopefully lead to further education or entry-level employment.

Programs

Auto Services

This program provides training in repair and tune-up of motor vehicles. General repairs include brakes, shocks, exhaust, tire repair, general maintenance, and vehicle emergency service. In addition to general automotive service training, the program includes the basic fundamentals of auto body.

Baking

Baking students experience skill development that is required for employment in a local bakery, donut shop, or supermarket bakery. Students learn the process of making rolls, pastries, cakes, cookies, and donuts utilizing the equipment found in a commercial baking establishment. Decoration of sheet and layer cakes, brownies, and cupcakes is also incorporated in the curriculum. The students also gain valuable experience while working in the school bakery by selling the items, dealing with customers, and working with money.

Building Services

This program is designed to provide training in the care and maintenance of commercial and institutional buildings and grounds. Training includes instruction in the use of basic hand tools, power tools, and cleaning agents. Building maintenance personnel maintain schools, hotels, hospitals, office buildings, apartment houses, and other commercial buildings.

Building Trades

This program provides students with basic skills and knowledge of the tools and equipment in the construction trades such as carpentry, electrical construction, masonry, plumbing and painting. Emphasis is placed on the skills common to each of these trades.

Food Service

The food service program includes the operation of a full-service restaurant open to the public. Instruction is given in knowledge of equipment, sanitation and safety, basic cooking principles and preparation such as stocks, sauces and soups. Students learn style of service ranging from banquet and buffet to table side and cafeteria. They also learn catering, fast food techniques and salad bar preparation. Through the use of a computerized restaurant system students learn new technology and its practical application. Professionalism is stressed at all times in customer and employer relations.

The Food Service curriculum Includes:

Sanitation & Safety
Tools & Equipment
Basic Cooking Principles
Recipes
Menu selection
Mise en Place
Stocks/Sauces
Soups
Meats, Poultry, Fish & Shellfish
Vegetables/Starches
Salads and dressings
Sandwiches & Hors d Oeuvres
Breakfast Prep
Food Presentation
Basic Desserts
Dining Room & Service

Check our website for this week's Career Center Café menu

Health Occupations

This is a general exploratory program focusing on skills necessary for employment in the health occupations. Employment may be found in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, day care centers, and office buildings. The course places emphasis on such occupations as nurse's aide and orderly, physical therapy, laundry, dietary, and clinical skills. The course also deals with prevocational skills necessary for medical office assistant and receptionist.

Horticulture Floral

Students in the Floriculture shop gain experience in, floral design, greenhouse operations, and interior plantscaping. The students also manage the florist shop, which includes such tasks as taking orders from customers, selling foliage and flowering plants, creating and marketing floral arrangements, nursery stock, and seasonal products. A major responsibility of all students is the growing and marketing of greenhouse crops such as poinsettias, geraniums, and bedding plants. Our students have the opportunity to participate in the State FFA Career Development Events: Fruit and Vegetable I.D., Floral Design, Floriculture, and The Horticultural Exposition (Flower Show), and consistently place in the top of the state.

Horticulture Landscaping

Students receive hands-on experience pertaining to landscape and turf management. Technology use is an integral part of the program. Students are taught golf course and landscape management techniques and receive live work experience on the school's par three golf hole. Students get live work experience maintaining the 12 acres of property on site. Students learn common grasses, weeds, and plants. The students develop the skills needed to manage plant pests, insects and diseases. Students receive extensive training on commercial equipment used in the field. The co-curricular organization FFA plays a major part of teachinng students the skills they need to be successful in agriculture and other related careers.

Marketing Education

This program provides instruction and experience in retail sales as well as marketing occupations. Emphasis is placed on teaching basic skills and providing experience in the many of the routine tasks essential to retail and service centers. The school store, which is part of the marketing education shop, provides hands-on experience for each student. Third year students are placed in local businesses for on-the-job cooperative work experience.

Materials Handling

This program consists of a "live" warehouse situation that handles school district merchandise ranging from one ounce to one ton. The students gain experience in shipping, receiving, storage, record keeping, inventory control, and fork lift operation which are entry-level skills for employment opportunities in a wide range of warehouse establishments.

Computer + Business Applications

The Computer and Business Applications program is designed to introduce students to pre-employment computer and business skills. Instruction is given to prepare the student to the responsibilities in a business office. Students learn how to touch type, format, and print business documents by using Dell personal computers. They use Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint as well as graphics programs. They will also use and maintain a photocopy machine, digital cameras, scanners, projectors, external memory devices and troubleshoot problems. They learn financial skills while using the calculator, spreadsheet software and practice daily business procedures such as creating documents, filing, taking and delivering messages, organizing workstations, and greeting callers. Entry level graphic design and formatting are also included in this class. In the training program, computerized graphics, images, and digital photographs are configured, edited and saved in proper formats and used in documents and publications including the annual yearbook. Business etiquette and professionalism is stressed throughout the Computer and Business Applications program.

Prevocational Evaluation & Career Exploration

This program provides initial short-term occupational assessment and exploratory experiences necessary for a student to begin the process of course selection and vocational preparation. Work samples designed to provide hands-on experience in various occupational areas are selected for each student to complete. As a result of the prevocational experience, the student's interests, abilities, and aptitudes are identified for vocational direction.

Related Instruction

Related instruction provides students with basic skills that are directly coordinated with the vocational shop. The concepts are taught utilizing the tools and materials that are found in the vocational shops and are directly integrated into the shop through various math and vocabulary activities. Job skills, through career awareness and equal opportunity are also stressed in related instruction.

Skills Discovery

Through participation in the skills discovery program, the student will be provided with opportunities to develop the vocational skills necessary to support appropriate occupational decisions. The emphasis is one of skill development in the areas of functional independent living and pre-employment readiness training. The goal of the skills discovery program is to provide students with entry level employment skills that will allow them to become productive young adults and successful members within their community labor force.

Supermarket Careers

The program is designed to prepare students for careers in supermarket operations including theory and hands-on experience. Students will be exposed to grocery, produce, dairy, and frozen foods. Students will be trained in front-end operations including registers and scanners. Many jobs from janitorial to management will be sampled. A major goal of the program is placing students with a cooperating supermarket as a regular employee.

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