CTE Tuesday: Recognizing top CTE students from GCPS high schools

Archer, Berkmar, Brookwood, Central Gwinnett, and Collins Hill high schools

There was a time, not too long ago, when a high school diploma was enough for most young people entering the workforce, but that’s simply not true today. The vast majority of students will need some form of postsecondary study beyond high school, whether that’s a certification program, a trade school, a two-year technical college, or a four-year university degree or beyond. And that’s where GCPS’ cutting-edge, rigorous, and relevant Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs come in, preparing students for a wide range of high-wage, high-skill, in-demand careers. In fact, high school students involved in CTE have real-life opportunities to explore the world of work. As a result, they are more engaged in their studies, perform better in the classroom, and graduate at higher rates.

Every year, the school district recognizes an outstanding CTE student at each high school. From among this group of top-performing students, a CTE Student of the Year and two runners-up are selected, each receiving a scholarship award. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be celebrating five local school CTE Students of the Year every week on CTE Tuesday. And, before the end of school, we’ll share which of these 25 students is the 2019-20 CTE Student of the Year!

To get it started, congratulations to our top CTE students from Archer, Berkmar, Brookwood, Central Gwinnett, and Collins Hill high schools!

About CTE

Hands-on, real-world experiences are the best way to explore future careers, and that’s exactly what more than 45,000 GCPS middle and high school students find in their elective career and technical education classes!.

A variety of course are distributed across the county in areas with most high schools offering courses in engineering, audio video technology & film, business/marketing, and computer science. Many have health science and JROTC, as well as the teaching as a profession pathway as an option. Specialized programs expand career-focused offerings, including those offered through Maxwell HS of Technology and the Grayson HS Technical Education Program. (Registration is now open for the 2020-21 school year for Maxwell and Grayson.)

Through “connections” classes, middle school students are introduced to various career-related skills in subjects like engineering, business, marketing, technology, and family and consumer science, with an expanding focus on computer science.

Gwinnett students can test drive a possible career by pursuing a Career Pathway, a concentration of three or four designated technical and/or academic courses that offer a seamless path to postsecondary work in college or technical school in a designated field. In Gwinnett, close to 60 Pathways fall under 17 broad Career Clusters, ranging from Engineering and Marketing to Advanced Academics and Hospitality and Tourism. CTE students can graduate with an industry-specific certificate, credential, or endorsement as well as workplace experience through our Work-Based Learning programs.

Most, but not all Pathways are available in traditional Gwinnett high schools, Maxwell, or the career and technical education program at Grayson. Students attending an Academy high school— currently Berkmar, Central Gwinnett, Discovery, Lanier,  Meadowcreek, Shiloh, and South Gwinnett— take both core and elective courses reflecting one of the available Pathways.

Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) are co-curricular student organizations that give students an opportunity to fine tune their related career skills, further develop their capacity as leaders, and compete with peers to gain regional, state, national, and even international recognition.