Career Technical Education

Career Technical Education Services

Student Organizations | (top)

Nationally affiliated student organizations are an integral part of classroom instruction in each Career/Technical program. These organizations help students develop an understanding of all aspects of industry and technology in their program area, while learning teamwork and leadership skills. For more information about student organizations, click below:

• DECA/Delta Epsilon Chi - http://www.deca.org
• Family, Career and Community Leaders of America - http://www.fcclainc.org
• Future Business Leaders of America - www.fbla-pbl.org
• Future Farmers of America- http://www.ffa.org
• SKILLS USA- http://www.skillsusa.org
• Health Ocupations Students of America - http://www.hosa.org

Career Clusters | (top)

Though the K-12 years are vitally important in any person’s life, once out of high school everyone is faced with complex personal choices in regard to designing his or her future. Academic Career Pathways (ACP) have been created to help students begin preparing for those choices. The goal of ACP is to provide students with more in-depth knowledge and experience in their areas of interest, knowledge and experience that can help students to transition more successfully into two- and four-year colleges, advanced training programs, or the workforce.

The excellent academic reputation of Auburn City Schools is well known, so ACP will not affect core academic courses at the junior high and high school levels nor will it be a traditional vocational or technical program. Instead, ACP will redefine elective course offerings to provide students with the opportunity to concentrate in an area of interest through their choice of electives, beginning for some students as early as the Ninth Grade.

Based on the university model, student choices for elective courses will be arranged into majors. To complete a major, a student will be required to take three designated elective courses between the Ninth and Twelfth Grades. The majors are organized within four pathways: Arts and Humanities (Majors: Graphic Design, International Baccalaureate, Performing Arts - Instrumental Music, Concert Choir, Theater, and Visual Arts - Photography, Art); Business/Marketing (Majors: Business Administration, Accounting, Communications, Construction and International Studies); Engineering & Industrial Systems Technology (Majors: Industrial Systems Technology, Pre-Engineering, and Agriscience; Health and Human Services (Majors: Military Science and Health Science).

In addition to the courses designated for a major, lists of related courses will be provided to counselors and students so that students can create an enriching elective course experience related to their interests throughout their high school years. Similar programs around the country have resulted in increases in students’ motivation toward and satisfaction with their junior high and high school careers. Also, these programs have found that students who had the opportunity to better know their interests before committing to university majors or careers had more successful transitions into college and the workforce.

The intent of ACP is to allow students to experiment with their interests, not to compel them. Accordingly, majors will be strongly recommended but will not be a requirement for graduation. Students who complete a major will have greater personal awareness and the advantage of in-depth knowledge and experience in an area of interest that they can pursue after high school. One aspect of the mission of Auburn City Schools has always been to prepare students for their futures beyond their K-12 years. The purpose of ACP is to continue this mission through a combined academic and elective focus that will result in more successful and satisfying transitions for students beyond high school. The Academic Career Pathways in Career Technical Education can be found on the following docment.

• Career & Technical Career Clusters

Business and Industry Certification | (top)

In 1998, Alabama business and industry persons developed a certification process that establishes and maintains a quality accountability system for the improvement and enhancement of Career/Technical Education (CTE). Business/Industry Certification (BIC) promotes program improvement that enhances the preparedness of Alabama’s students for society and tomorrow’s workforce. Alabama is the only state in the nation to require all CTE programs to certify to industry standards, either BIC or national certification. The Alabama Department of Education (Department) determines the appropriate certification for all programs.

The BIC process is certified to ISO 9001:2000 standards. The ISO 9001:2000 certification is process-based and recognizes organizations that link business objectives with operating effectiveness. It indicates that CTE demonstrates effective implementation of BIC documentation and records management; has the commitment of top management to local career/technical programs; has established clear policies; conducts good planning and implementation; performs good resource management; and has efficient process control, measurement, and analysis. The ISO certification ensures that the BIC process is quality-orientated, consistently administered, and focused on customer satisfaction.

The purpose of BIC is to provide programs that are up to date by industry standards so that students will be equipped for postsecondary studies and for entry into the workforce.

Advisory Councils | (top)

The CTE program can be more effectively organized and conducted with the advice and counsel of voluntary business representatives. They offer important public relations potential and external support of educational policies. There should be a systemwide career/technical education advisory council and a program advisory committee for each CTE program in each school.

Advisory councils are popular with businesspersons and business groups because of the opportunity afforded to present their views to education officials before action is taken. Advisory councils experience a high approval rating from the public at large because of the added assurance that the public's interests are protected. Because CTE prepares students for specific career objectives, the close cooperation of individuals in the business community is needed. Educators need the assistance of business to ensure that the educational program is up-to-date and the occupational preparation is useful. Educational programs designed to meet the manpower needs of the community, state, and nation should be planned in accordance with current employment trends. Many desirable benefits accrue when interested and qualified laypersons participate in the planning and evaluation of CTE programs. The advice and counsel of a representative advisory council enables educators to maintain relevance in their programs.

Specifically, a career/technical education advisory council can advise on employment needs and trends; job placement; job standards; and desirable habits, traits, and attitudes.

As the name implies, the services of an advisory council are always advisory. It is the obligation of the LEA to make the decisions and conduct the CTE program.

Interest Inventory (Career Recomendations) | (top)

Each student in Career Technical classes completes an interest inventory to assist them in finding a career that may match with their interests and strengths. Auburn City Schools has contracted with Career Cruising to deliver this service. Instructions for completeing this inventory follow.

• Open a new window with Career Cruising site by clicking the following link. Click Here
• Log in on the top left using auburncity as the username and careers as the password.
• Click on Career Matchmaker near the top left.
• Fill in the First and Last Name.
• Click on "Start a new career Matchmaker Session".
• Read the instructions and press start.
• Answer the first 39 questions as honestly as possible.
• Click on "Answer more questions to improve my results" near the top right.
• Click on "Choose a Level of Education"
• Choose the level of Education you realistically expect to achieve.
• This should give you a good list of possible careers that match with your interests.
• If completing this for a Career Tech class:
• Cllck "Save to my Portfolio"
• Click on "Create a new Portfolio" and fill in the resulting form and click "Create Portfolio"
• Click on "Printer Friendly Version" near the left side.
• Click on "Printer Friendly Report"
• Print this report and turn in to your teacher.