Career and Technical Education Career Pathways Handbook / Welcome and Introduction

Career and Technical Education Career Pathways Handbook 2023-2024

Welcome Giles County Students and Parents,

It is an honor to serve alongside our dedicated and highly talented 18 Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers here in Giles County to prepare all students to be college and career ready. Career and Technical Education plays a crucial role in developing not only career knowledge and skills demanded by the local workforce but leadership and quality citizenship traits developed through Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs). CTSOs provide opportunities for students to compete from the local to the national level. CTSO information can be found on the links to the left.

Giles County CTE is also ramping up the opportunities for postsecondary credit. Multiple pathways have Dual Enrollment and/or Industry Certification opportunities for students to earn college or industry credit while still in high school. Industry certifications are aligned with the workforce needs enriching a student’s ability to obtain employment with the possibility of earning a higher starting wage.

We anticipate that this Career and Technical Education Careers Pathway Handbook will assist you and your student in planning their high school courses. In conjunction with this handbook, each student has access to Major Clarity. Major Clarity is a program that your student and their counselor can use beginning in the 6th grade to help plan their coursework and identify possible career interests. Students can view interviews and complete simulated tasks associated with specific careers within Major Clarity to determine their top “fit” careers. More information on Major Clarity can be found on with the link on the left of this page. On the links to the left, you will find each pathway offered at the five-county high schools.

We hope you and your student find Giles County CTE to be your student’s elective focus through their pathway to be college and career ready. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at chammond@gcboe.us

Sincerely,

Jake Hammond CTE, STEM, & ROTC Supervisor Giles County Schools

Foreword

The information contained in this publication is intended as a guide in the selection of high school courses. Students should discuss this information with parents, teachers, school counselors and/or administrators. If there are any questions or concerns regarding the registration process, students and parents are encouraged to contact the student’s school counselor or school administrator.

Public Notice

Giles County Schools do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities. The following supervisors have been designated to handle questions regarding the non-discrimination policies: Tommy Hunter (Section 504), District Support Supervisor, Mitzi Jones (IEP/SPED), Special Education Supervisor, and Dr. Courtney Woods (Title IX), Supervisor of Curriculum (6-12). For further information on notice of non-discrimination, visit the U.S. Department of Education website for the address and phone number of the office that serves your area or call 1-800-421-3481.

CTE Programs of Study

Each Career Cluster is divided into a Program of Study that includes four levels of courses that build on each other as the student progresses throughout high school. Each level of courses provides a rigorous, industry-aligned deep dive into the specifics of that career. For example, Career Cluster Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources can be broken down into the Veterinary and Animal Science programs of study. If a student chooses this Program of study, they will take the following classes:

Level 1: Agriscience/ Honors Agriscience

Level 2: Small Animal Science

Level 3: Large Animal Science

Level 4: Veterinary Science and/or Veterinary Clinical Internship

A student must earn two or more credits within a Program of Study to be considered a CTE Concentrator. A third course within the same Career Cluster meets the graduation requirement for an elective focus.

Early Post-Secondary Opportunities (EPSOs)

Early Post-Secondary Opportunities include industry certification tests, Dual Enrollment/Credit courses, or challenge exams that give students the opportunity to earn credit in both postsecondary and career fields. Industry certification test such as OSHA-10 are aligned to courses to help promote student readiness to enter the workforce or attend a postsecondary institution. Dual Enrollment/Credit courses allow students to earn postsecondary credit at community colleges, technical colleges, or universities through class enrollment or challenge exams given at the conclusion of the course. EPSOs allow students to become familiar with postsecondary rigor, save time and money in progression to obtain postsecondary credentials, and make decisions regarding their career choice. CTE offers many EPSOs to ensure all students have the opportunity to be equipped to be college and career ready. Each Program of Study will have EPSOs list to the right of each course.