According to the federal Department of Education, more than 50 percent of U.S. employers say they cannot find qualified applicants for entry-level positions. It is estimated that American business spends nearly $30 billion each year training and retraining its workforce. The problem seems to be a mismatch between what most students learn in high school and what they are required to know in order to ensure successful careers. The school-to-work movement creates a new form of education for the new economy that links learning with earning. The benefits for business are obvious: training costs are decreased, and entry-level employees coming on board with significant skills are immediately productive. There are many opportunities for businesses to partner with educators to design and deliver programs to shape the emerging workforce. What follows is a brief overview of efforts being made to train Nevada’s high school students for careers.
Northern Nevada
Truckee Meadows Community College and Washoe County School District launched a collaborative project in 1999—the Regional Technical Institute—in answer to the growing training needs of new commercial and industrial businesses. “The Regional Technical Institute will be equipped to serve the technical training and economic development needs of the region,” said David Keebler, TMCC vice president for workforce development and technologies. “Our goal is to train and retrain 10,000 Nevadans annually.” The first phase of the Regional Technical Institute opened in March 1999, and several programs previously housed at Glenn Hare High School moved to the Technical Institute at TMCC’s Edison Way campus. Programs include health systems, building trades, welding and fabrication, math, English, PC repair and networking, and business systems. Washoe County School District is moving most of its technical vocational programs to the new site.
At TMCC’s Technical Institute, more than 200 high school juniors and seniors are completing their high school graduation requirements and also receiving college credit by enrolling in college programs leading to technical certificates and associated degrees. The curriculum, based on industry standards, is competency-based instruction –examinations, rather than length of time in class, determine whether a student receives credit for the class. If he or she can pass a test based on industry standards, credit is given for the course. The program gives high school students a head start toward a post-high school degree. TMCC president John Richardson said, “We’re moving toward seamless technical education from the junior year of high school through the associate degree level in college.”
The Regional Technical Institute will eventually include three buildings: the TMCC Technical Institute, a High Technology Center, and a magnet high school. The 1999 Nevada Legislature approved $5 million to develop a High Technology Center, a fully equipped 36,000 square foot training facility. Fourteen new TMCC programs will be located at the High Technology Center, including courses leading to certification as electronic systems technician, robotics technician and computer network manager.
“During discussions with community and business leaders, we were constantly hearing that the area is not producing enough well-trained people in the computer field,” said TMCC president John Richardson. “Most high school kids today can operate a computer, but we needed people in more specialized fields like programming and networks. We decided to expand the concept of TMCC to include a magnet high school focusing on computer, science and math. By the time we get students here as freshmen, we discover many of them don’t have adequate math skills to go into a computer science program. We could ensure they are prepared by starting them early on the courses they’ll need.”
At the same time, said Richardson, Washoe County School District was looking for a site to house their high school technical programs. TMCC officials decided to see if anything was available near their Edison Way campus, located in an industrial area east of the Reno airport. They found a 130,000 square foot building almost directly across the street that was being vacated. “There’s been a lot of serendipity here,” smiled Richardson. “Everything just fell into place.” In 1998, Washoe County voters endorsed a school bond that included $4 million for WCSD to develop the vocational alternative education school. The building at 380 Edison Way will house courses in such fields as building trades, culinary arts and computer drafting. High school juniors and seniors taking technical classes at the alternative school complete their core education courses at their neighborhood high schools.
“We have had a very positive reaction from the business community,” said Richardson. “When local development agencies talk to firms thinking of relocating to the area, they always react favorably to the idea of the technical center as a training resource for new employees.” Richardson said he hopes to secure funding from the federal government, from private sources and from foundations to expand the programs at the Regional Technical Institute.
Southern Nevada
The Southern Nevada School-to-Work Partnership was formed in 1995 to oversee procedures for preparing students for the workplace. The partnership is comprised of leaders from business, industry, labor, and government agencies, as well as educators, parents, and students. Its membership includes representatives from Clark, Esmeralda, Lincoln and Nye counties. Work-based learning opportunities include job shadowing, internships, youth apprenticeships, work experience, and community service. A total of 848 students in the Clark County School District participated in job shadowing activities during the 1999-2000 school year.
In the Clark County School District’s Cooperative Education Program, students earn high school credit for part-time work in a variety of occupations, including automotive technology, electronics, food service, construction trades, and many others. Students can apply skills and knowledge earned in the classroom to actual on-the-job experiences, and employers serve as mentors for future employees. Each student is evaluated on his or her job performance before getting credit for working. Last year, 2,413 students participated in the program.
Almost all Clark County high schools have a Smart Grad program, in which volunteer teams from area businesses provide students with up-to-date information on job requirements, industry needs, and the skills necessary to get a job. They also train students in how to prepare their resumes and interview for jobs, and help organize job fairs.
Clark County School District has paired with Community College of Southern Nevada in several partnerships aimed at integrating high school and community college classes in technical and vocational areas. The district and CCSN operate three shared High Tech Centers, at Western High, Palo Verde High and at the CCSN campus adjoining Foothill High School in Henderson. High school students use the computer facilities at the High Tech centers in the mornings to learn about computer science, AutoCADD drafting, and CISCO networking, among other subjects. During the afternoon and evening hours, community college students have use of the center. Other shared programs include an ornamental horticulture class at CCSN’s Henderson campus, which has a special section in the afternoon for students from Foothill High School. Students receive high school credit for attending the class, and also earn credit from the Community College system, giving them a head start on their college education. This dual credit system is available throughout the state, according to Dr. Andrea Anderson, associate director of high school relations for Community College of Southern Nevada.
The Tech Prep program, started in 1991 with federal funding, has been extremely successful, according to Anderson. Students in their junior or senior year in high school can take competency-based courses in 67 different technical fields and get college credit for classes in which they earn an A or B. A total of 1,069 Clark County high school students received college credit through the Tech Prep program last year. Students pay only a $10 processing fee per class.
Technical Skills Committees composed of representatives from business and industry evaluate the curriculum, facilities and equipment used in the high school and community college programs in southern Nevada. “These committees make sure our programs are up-to-date with what’s happening in each of the 12 fields they cover,” said Anderson. “We want to make sure what we’re teaching fits with what business and industry needs. For example, if the equipment we’re using to train our students has been replaced by something newer, these people let us know so we can make sure our students are ready for the current job market.”
Many Southern Nevada businesses have partnered with schools to help develop programs to train high school and community college students for the workforce. In the automotive apprenticeship program, high school students taking automotive classes work part-time in auto dealerships. The employers set aside part of their salary to pay their college tuition. After graduation, the students can continue their studies at community college and continue working for the dealerships. Sprint has a partnership with CCSN to help train students in its telecommunications program. High school students can benefit from this partnership by attending college classes at the Southern Nevada Vocational Technical Center (VoTech) or the Area Technical Trade Center (ATTC). Cisco Systems has an agreement with the Clark County School District to train high school instructors to teach Cisco technology, which is used for most of the Internet’s routing hardware and software. Students begin to learn the Cisco program in high school and can move on for future studies at the community college level, leading to Cisco certification.
Besides training students in the latest technology and techniques, it is also important to make sure teachers keep up with the ever-changing business world, according to Kathleen Frosini, director of School-to-Work Programs for the Clark County School District. School districts throughout the state encourage teachers to participate in what they call “externships” during summer months. Teachers can earn graduate credits from UNLV or UNR by working with a business or industry partner to learn about current conditions in a specific field. This is especially critical for those teaching subjects such as engineering or computer science, but it can help teachers in all fields keep abreast of current conditions. Guidance counselors and others involved in giving career advice to students can also benefit from getting an inside look at what’s happening in the business world.
Many more efforts are underway throughout the state to prepare students to meet the needs of the 21st century workplace. Employers working in collaboration with local schools and colleges can help improve the quality of our future workforce, and can help themselves at the same time they are helping Nevada students.
To participate in workforce preparation contact:
Washoe County School District: Denise Hedrick, Interim Director, School-to-Careers Program
775-353-5533
Clark County School District: Kathleen Frosini, director of School-to-Work programs
702-799-8462