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Vo-tech classes offer alternatives for local students
by Jenna Crowe
and Breanna Hatch
Tiger Tribune
Editor's note: The professional technical education department at Mountain Home High School identified the following story as a way to inform the local community regarding these programs and how they benefit students at the high school.
Professional Technical Education programs, previously known as Vo-tech, provide students with enough skills and training to enter the workforce in a technical field after graduating from high school.
Each program has introductory courses followed by more advanced courses in which students gain advanced skills each year.
For those at Mountain Home High School, going into the workforce or starting college with advanced skills is easier than ever with PTE classes, according to PTE Idaho. Classes have to align with college classes and topics.
While in high school, students may earn credits for both high school and college. If they choose the college route, students are then able to take higher level classes than what they took in high school. This, in turn, leads to opportunities to earn certificates, associate or bachelor degrees.
Auto mechanics
The automotive classes, taught by Lynn Knudson, include Auto I, II and III. The program progresses through three levels of automotive technology.
Auto I covers basic car maintenance, including airing up tires and checking oil. Auto II students learn how to work on engines, transmissions, clutches and nearly all parts of repairing a vehicle.
Auto III students perform live work, actually repairing vehicles and can completely rebuild engines, transmissions and more. These students are required to take two periods of the class each day to meet PTE requirements.
Health occupations
There are three different courses available in the program: Health Occupations, Medical Terminology and Certified Nursing Assistant, CNA taught by Karen Brescia. Both Health Occupations and Medical Terminology are prerequisite classes for CNA. Once students complete the course, they are able to be certified as a CNA. Students can earn their CNA certification before graduating from high school, and are therefore ready to be employed in the medical field.
"I am currently in Health Occupations, and I plan to take the Medical Terminology and CNA course next year," said junior Elisabeth Stephens. "I have already applied for the CNA program, and I hope that I get in."
A CNA is a healthcare professional who provides health care services to patients and facility residents. They are also referred to as nursing aides or orderlies.
The primary tasks of a CNA includes taking the patients' vital signs, transferring the patients from a bed to a wheelchair, dispensing medications and documenting events and other activities related to the patient.
"My experience was really rough but enjoyable," said senior Linea Dalzell. "Getting up for clinicals is brutal, but it is so worth it. I learned so much and am confident that health care is what I want to do."
Family consumer science
Within the field of family consumer science, there are four main courses currently offered: Teen living, nutrition and foods, parenting and child development and fashion design and merchandising I.
In the coming years, Mountain Home High School will offer four new courses: Entrepreneurship, fashion design II, culinary arts and early childhood education and educational assistant.
"At the moment, I do not have any certifications available besides the Idaho food safety license," said Christine Lee, family consumer science teacher at the high school.
Teen living covers topics including relationships, careers and personal development. Nutrition and foods covers basic nutrition and eating disorders and cooking skills.
Parenting and child development covers knowledge of parenting readiness and prenatal care. Fashion design and merchandising II discusses an introduction to the fashion industry as well as the art of hand sewing.
For students interested in this field, teen living is a foundation class that will assist students as they continue. Nutrition and foods, parenting and child development as well as fashion design and merchandising I are classes that in the coming years will allow advancement in specific courses.
"I have chosen to provide the classes that I think touch on a variety of careers, and also information students need to lead better, empowered lives," Lee said.
Business
Students in Business Computer Applications II can now become certified through Microsoft Specialist. Within this program, students can be certified in Word, Excel, Access and Powerpoint.
There are three different levels of certification -- regular, expert and advanced. These certifications can pad a student's resume, and they may receive college credit for these certifications.
Students in the school's Mouse Squad program may also receive certifications through Microsoft and Computing Technology Industry Association, or CompTIA. The association has four IT certification series that test different knowledge standards from entry-level to expert.
These certifications include IT Fundamentals and Security+. IT Fundamentals is designed to help students learn more about the world of information technology.
It's ideal if they're considering a career in IT or if they work in a field that requires a broad understanding of IT. Security+ validates foundational, vendor-neutral IT security knowledge and skills.
According to CompTIA, this certification is an important stepping stone of an IT security career. Through Microsoft, Mouse Squad students can be certified as a Microsoft Technology Associate, and they can also be certified in Intro to IT.
"We are working on expanding what we are offering," said Dan James , computer teacher at the high school. "We are looking into having more IT-based classes."
Welding
Welding teacher Larry Mullaley, teaches repair and maintenance courses at the high school. The industrial mechanics and maintenance program is divided into three different sections from an intro level, intermediate and advanced class structure.
"Industrial mechanics is designed to prepare students with skills in shop safety, shop practices, basic and intermediate welding, basic machine shop and introduction to design that is used in metal work," Mullaley said. "(The class also teaches) trouble shooting, equipment installation, maintenance and repair for a variety of systems found in industrial operations."
Upon completion of the three courses, the student is trained in the basics of Shielded Metal Arc Working, or SMAW. Students will also learn Gas Metal Arc Welding and Tungsten Inert Gas Welding.
Basic welding skills that can be used in the majority of most post-secondary professional technical programs for the work force are learned in Mullaley's classes.
"I do not think students need to be certified in welding when leaving high school. They can go to a post secondary program (at) CWI, CSI or ISU to get more training and (become) certified," Mulalley said.
Journalism
In the journalism program, students can take either journalism, yearbook or photography. If they advance in those classes during high school, they can be qualified for a job as a graphic designer, writer or photographer.
Journalism teachers Travis DeVore and Susan Martin teach yearbook, photography and journalism as well as other core English classes.
"I was in photography for three years and have been in yearbook for four years. I like the creativity. They provide opportunity to think outside the box," said senior Kambri Smith, who plans to pursue a career as an art major and study photography at Boise State University.
Students who stay in the journalism program progress in their skill over the years. For example, first-year students in journalism write articles for the school paper, but by their second or third year in the class can become section editors and then editor-in-chief.
Likewise, yearbook students are given more responsibilities as they progress in the program.
Photography students begin in Photo 1 their first year then progress in the difficulty of work and assignments each year. Advanced photography students often get free lance work taking family photos, senior photos, weddings and sports photos.
"I've had several students graduate from high school and get immediate employment in the graphic arts or photography field," Martin said.