Caroline schools seek apprenticeships for students
By Ed Simmons, Jr.
cpreporter@lcs.net
Opportunities for Caroline students wanting to find jobs straight out of high school will be greatly increased if Cathy McConnell's plans work out. She's Caroline's new Director of Instruction, and despite a school budget that's taken millions in cuts she's looking at ways to expand Caroline's Career and Technical Education offerings.
"There's so much more that we'd like to offer if we had the funding," she said at her office on the second floor of the Bowling Green Annex last Thursday.
For example in Agriculture, Caroline currently offers classes only in Landscaping, Turf Grass Management and Horticulture. Potentially though there could be classes in Agriculture Business Management, Agriculture Power Systems, Operating the Farm Business, Veterinary Science and a host of others if funds were available.
Another example is Trade and Industrial Education which currently offers only Cosmetology and Criminal Justice. There could though be classes in Aircraft Pilot Training, Automotive Servicing, Electricity, Firefighting, Masonry, Diesel, Welding and Plumbing, naming only a few.
And in Marketing, Caroline offers no classes. But there could be offerings like Entrepreneurship and Real Estate.
And in Medical Services, now offering only EMT, Caroline students could take Nurse's Aide, Pharmacy Technician, X-Ray Technician, Surgical Assistant, again naming only a few.
"We'd like for our students who aren't going to college to be able to serve an apprenticeship and qualify for a certificate they could use to step right into a job," she said.
The school budget however has been crippled by state cuts, with more on the way. And dual enrollment classes at Germanna Community College presently offer only academic subjects.
McConnell said she sees a way to help students who want to work by partnering with Caroline businesses to set up apprenticeships. The schools would design a course for the year's work.
Students could study and learn a variety of skills, she said, such as barbering, farming, working in a restaurant, insurance work, marketing and sales, working for a veterinarian and the building trades.
She's inviting Caroline businesses to call her office at 804-633-5088, or contacting her by e-mail at cmcconnell@caroline.k12.va.us.
She's also inviting businesses and parents to take the CTE Community Survey on the school website, www.caroline.k12.va.us. It's found in the left hand column on the bottom.
"There's so much expansion that's possible. We're looking to tie into the community," she said.