Five career and technical education programs housed at Maxwell HS of Technology and Berkmar HS are the latest Gwinnett programs to earn industry certification. The recently certified programs from these two schools are:
Auto Collision (Collision Repair and Refinishing) at Maxwell— taught by Paul Kable and Sam Melaragno— earned industry certification from the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) and National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation. In this course of study, students are exposed to all areas of collision repair and automotive refinish, including safety, refinishing, metal repair, plastic repair, automotive construction, and estimate reading and writing.
Construction at Maxwell— taught by Michael Mahaffey— earned Construction Industry Certification from the GaDOE and Construction Education Foundation of Georgia. In this area of focus, the program prepares students for careers in the field of construction and equips them with basic knowledge to function safely on or around a construction site.
Culinary Arts Program at Maxwell— taught by Amanda Williams— earned Culinary Arts Industry Certification from the GaDOE and Georgia Chef. This curriculum prepares students for positions as chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers who prepare, season, and cook a wide range of foods— from soups, snacks, and salads to entrees, side dishes, and desserts.
Early Childhood Education at Maxwell— taught by Jennifer Mundy and Karey McFall— certified by the GaDOE and Georgia Early Childhood Education Foundation. The ECE program is designed to prepare students for careers in working with young children.
Construction at Berkmar— taught by Patrick Mahaffey— earned Construction Industry Certification from the GaDOE and Construction Education Foundation of Georgia. This program explores all aspects of the construction industry, focused on building, maintaining, repairing, and improving structures.
An industry-certified program represents the apex of program quality. Only those programs that have successfully undergone rigorous reviews by leaders from business and industry are recognized with this distinction. Industry certification provides many benefits for the student, the school, and the community. Most importantly, certification shows that a program is contributing to the development of a highly skilled future workforce. Schools that pursue industry certification receive a special grant provided by the Georgia legislature and are certified for a five-year period.
“We are so proud of our programs that have gone through the industry certification process,” says Tim Hemans, director of Academies and Career and Technical Education. “By achieving this level of distinction, our teachers continue to showcase the great work that is going on in our district Career and Technical Education programs.”
Currently, 18 CTE programs around the district have successfully completed the process, undergoing rigorous reviews by leaders from business and industry to earn industry certification:
Auto Maintenance and Light Repair— Maxwell HS of Technology
Audio Video Technology and Film— Meadowcreek HS
Auto Collision Repair— Maxwell HS of Technology
Construction— Berkmar HS and Maxwell HS of Technology
Culinary Arts— Grayson HS Technical Education Program, Maxwell HS of Technology, and North Gwinnett HS
Early Childhood Education— Maxwell HS of Technology
Engineering and Technology— Duluth HS and Shiloh HS
Graphic Communications and Design— Maxwell HS of Technology
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration (HVACR)— Maxwell HS of Technology
Marketing— Brookwood HS, North Gwinnett HS, Parkview HS, and Peachtree Ridge HS
Welding and Metalworking— Maxwell HS of Technology