Carson High to celebrate CTE Month with Governor Sisolak Thursday

Students and educators at Carson High School will celebrate national Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month in an invitation-only event with a special visit from Nevada State Governor Steve Sisolak, Thursday, Feb. 7 at 8:45 a.m. in Senator Square at Carson High School. Event seating begins at 8:30 a.m. with the Governor’s address at 8:45 a.m.

Governor Sisolak will issue a formal proclamation declaring the month of February as CTE Month, urging all citizens to become familiar with the services and benefits offered by CTE programs in this community and to support and participate in these programs to enhance individual skills and productivity.

They will join others across the state and nation recognizing the work-based learning initiative, where students and families are invited to meet with regional employers and post-secondary educational institutions to explore careers in CTE fields. CTE Month also provides CTE programs an opportunity to demonstrate how CTE makes students college-and-career-ready and prepares them for high-wage, high-demand career fields.

“The activities planned over the next month will illustrate the rigor and relevance CTE courses offer our students,” Amy Freismidl, Carson City School District CTE administrator, said. “By partnering with the business community, CTE programs are investing in students and providing them with the latest technology and skills that will prepare them to become successful employees and future leaders.”

CTE encompasses 94 percent of high school students and 13 million postsecondary students in the United States and includes high schools, career centers, community and technical colleges, four-year universities and more. Out of Carson High School’s 2,240 students, more than 1,700 are enrolled in CTE courses.

"CTE is a big part of Governor Sisolak's plan to prepare students for the highly skilled jobs moving into the state," Freismidl said. "Our programs at Carson High School represent 6 of the 16 national career clusters and include courses in agriculture and natural resources; business and marketing; education, hospitality and human services; health science and public safety; information and media technologies and skilled and technical sciences."

CTE is a major part of the solution to myriad national economic and workforce problems, such as high school dropout rates, a weakened economy, global competitiveness and massive layoffs, she continued. At a time when opportunity for employment is so critical, CTE programs in every community are ensuring students are equipped with the skills to successfully enter the workforce. Nevada’s CTE students also experience a higher graduation rate than non-CTE students: 98.25 percent.

Opportunities in Career and Technical Education at Carson High School

CTE offers students cutting-edge, relevant, rigorous courses that prepare students for high-wage, high-skill and high demand careers. Additionally, CTE provides students with opportunities beyond the classroom through membership in Career and Technical Student Organizations, project-based learning, and work-based learning:

Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) are an integral part of all CTE curricula. They provide opportunities for students to cultivate leadership and professional skills, possibilities for students to become involved in their communities via community service and attend and compete in regional, state, national and international events at student leadership conference. Carson High School has four active CTSO chapters:

— FFA for Agriculture and Natural Resources students

— HOSA for Health Science and Public Safety students

— FBLA for Business and Marketing students

— SkillsUSA for Information and Media Technologies and Skilled and Technical Science students.

CTE engages in project-based learning which promotes critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration skills, which align to employability skills.

Career and Technical Education engages community partners who provide opportunities across the Work Based Learning Continuum for our students, including guest speakers in classrooms, industry tours, mentoring, job-shadowing and internships. Community partners provide students the opportunity to connect classroom learning to authentic business/industry experiences.

Contact Amy Freismidl, afreismidl@carson.k12.nv.us for more information about Carson High School CTE programs. For more information about Work-based Learning in the Carson City School District, contact Yette De Luca, ydeluca@carson.k12.nv.us.