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Technical Schools Give Students an Early Shot at Jobs

Posted on: Tuesday, 30 August 2005, 15:00 CDT

Aug. 30--He's put college on hold, yet Dennis Bridgeman already has what most college students are working to get: a good job with good pay and good benefits.

All the 19-year-old had to do was go to high school, where some students are graduating with more than a typical diploma. They leave high school with titles that catch the attention of employers hungry for workers.

Nurses. Accountants. Computer specialists. Electricians. Plumbers. Even real estate agents.

"There's a lot of things that don't require four-year degrees, but most jobs need more than a high school diploma," said Bill Metzger, chief economist for the Virginia Employment Commission.

So technical schools are giving high school students the chance to enter the job market with entry-level skills and certifications at no cost, saving them time and college tuition money.

According to the state employment commission, some offer good salaries for high school graduates, such as $37,000 for electricians, $45,000 for computer support specialists and $48,000 for sales positions in the manufacturing industry.

"There's a stereotype out there that if you don't go to college, you can't make a good living," said Anna

Helmer, a supervisor for career and technical education for Chesapeake public schools. "But we have students coming out and supporting themselves."

During his last two years at Tallwood High School, Bridgeman studied telecommunications at the Advanced Technology Center, a partnership between Virginia Beach public schools and Tidewater Community College.

"It's paying off," said Bridgeman, now a cable technician for BCS Voice and Data Solutions in Virginia Beach. "You learn the basics in the classroom, then you apply it on the job."

Most students attend technical schools during their junior and senior years in high school . They usually split their day in half between tech school and traditional courses at their high school. Some students also have internships and apprenticeships with prospective employers.

"Industry has changed, and we're trying to keep up with it," said the technology center 's assistant director, Ann Marie Garvey, who begins recruiting students as early as the sixth grade .

The Advanced Technology Center offers programs in information technology and engineering. Other Hampton Roads technical schools also provide courses in agriculture, cosmetology, family and consumer sciences, auto mechanics, and the retail and hospitality industries, among others.

"We want to give them options," said Gail V. Bess, career and technical coordinator for Suffolk public schools. "Every student is not made of the same mold."

For students who want to go directly to the work force, "we try to narrow their focus by the end of their junior year," she said. "I want them to graduate with a career in mind."

Technical schools also give students the option to go on to either two- or four-year colleges.

"It's an option, but it's not a forced issue," Helmer said. "These students can succeed with their high school educations."

Most graduates from technical programs are required to complete courses needed for admission into colleges and universities. In some cases, not having a college degree could be a barrier to advancement.

Someday, Bridgeman said, he wants to own a telecommunications company. Without a four-year business degree, he fears he might be out of luck.

For now, Bridgeman enjoys the challenges of his job, such as crawling under houses and installing wires. "But I don't want to be doing this forever," he said.

Bridgeman ironed out a rough sketch of his plans by his sophomore year in high school. Not all students, though, know that early.

That triggered Virginia's Senior Year Plus, a statewide program designed as a last-chance option for students who are not college-bound to pursue technical training for a selected industry certification. Generally, students will train tuition-free at a local community college during the summer and fall after high school graduation.

For Bridgeman, the certification is essential, no matter what the cost or inconvenience.

"There wasn't a lot of down time in high school," he said, "but I've landed a great job. It was worth it, no doubt."

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Copyright (c) 2005, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.

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Source: The Virginian-Pilot

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