“The Career Tech program at Hamilton High School is special for many reasons. First and foremost is the fact that Hamilton High School is the only comprehensive high school in this area,” he said. “No other high school offers Career Tech students a wide variety of career fields and beautiful, first-class, state-of-the-art facilities without sending students off-site.”
When education is discussed these days, costs and quality become the first mentioned items in the conversation. Hutzelman feels that the HHS program covers both issues with a passing grade.
“Another huge advantage of CTE is that students can earn state licenses while in the programs at no cost to them and can enter the workforce upon graduating,” he said. “Examples are the Ohio State Board of Cosmetology state license, the State Tested Nurse Aide license in Health Careers and the CompTIA A+ Certification in Information Technology. The Cosmetology License alone could cost approximately $25,000 if a student attended a school for Cosmetology after high school.”
He added that a third plus for CTE students is that they can earn numerous college credits while in the CTE programs, once again at no cost to them or their families. College credits can be earned for Sinclair College, Cincinnati State, Miami University and any other public university in Ohio.
The program continues to grow and currently there are nine Career Tech programs at HHS: Automotive Technology, Carpentry/Construction, Cosmetology, Engineering Design, Exercise Science, Programming & Software Development, Health Careers, Information Support & Services and Teacher Academy.
“All the programs are focused on preparing students for the work force and help students get ready to be successful in post-secondary education or training,” Hutzelman said. “All of the programs are junior/senior programs. However, sophomore classes are also available in Automotive, Carpentry, Engineering Design, and Programming & Software Development.”
Currently there are 536 CTE students, which represents nearly one-third of the students at HHS.
“Career Tech is a ‘hot’ topic in Ohio currently. Gov. Kasich has made it a point of emphasis as has the state legislature,” Hutzelman explained. “Performance Indicators and CTE report cards are here to stay as accountability for student progress become paramount. The initial CTE reports for HCSD have been very positive.”
Hamilton’s CTE program has been constantly looking at ways to connect with the community.
“Carpentry constructs shelters, tables, and benches for city parks along with storage sheds, bunk beds, and handicap ramps for schools and community members,” Hutzelman said. “Automotive is available to work on city patrons’ vehicles and Cosmetology has ‘client days’ where individuals can come in to get their hair done. Minimal charges exist for work done by CTE students.”
CTE school officials are now focusing on student recruitment and student retention for all of its programs.
“A special point of emphasis recently has been to increase non-traditional enrollment in our programs,” Hutzelman said. “Specifically, this entails attempting to recruit more girls for Automotive, Carpentry, Engineering Design, and Information Technology. It also means getting more boys in Cosmetology and Health Careers.”
Residents can contact the CTE office at 887-4509 to schedule work from students in the program.
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