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HIGHLAND HIGH SCHOOL
TECH PREP PROGRAM
Tech Prep is a program that puts education to work for
a student’s future. It combines academic and technical
education to give students the skills they need for both
entry level jobs and advanced positions. Businesses are
seeking a technically qualified work force that has skills
in communication, computation, problem solving, and critical
thinking. Tech Prep provides students the opportunity
to apply classroom learning and discover how it can work
for them.
Tech Prep is a program that prepares students for post
secondary education, such as college, technical school
or an apprenticeship. Tech Prep begins in high school
and requires at least two years of additional education
beyond high school. It provides planned sequences of courses
from secondary through post secondary education, including
the opportunity for work site learning.
Highland High School’s Tech Prep program offers:
-Pathways Career Course for freshmen and sophomores;
-Job Shadowing Opportunities for freshmen, sophomores,
juniors, and seniors;
-Internships for juniors;
-Apprenticeships for seniors.
The Pathways Career course is a nine-week class offered
to freshmen and sophomores in conjunction with their driver
education class. The pathways career class offers students
the opportunity for self-evaluation and exploration into
their own interests and talents. They are given the resources
to learn how to search for colleges and technical schools
that will meet their future educational needs. Students
research careers that interest them. Students compile
all of their information into a career portfolio. They
will continue to update their portfolio throughout their
educational career at HHS.
Once during each nine week quarter, all HHS Tech Prep
students are given the opportunity to pick a profession
in which they would like to job shadow. The shadowing
day can be for half of a day or for the entire school
day. The students see first hand what it is like to work
in the profession that they hope to enter some day.
Tech Prep students who are juniors are given the opportunity
to work for 45 hours in a career in which they have an
interest. The 45 hours can be paid or non-paid and must
be completed after school hours and weekends. Successful
completion of the requirements of the internship earns
the student one-quarter (0.25) high school credit for
their time at the work site.
Tech Prep students who are seniors may qualify to participate
in an apprenticeship. Eligible students take HHS classes
part of the day and work in a career environment of their
choice the other part. Seniors in apprenticeships earn
high school credit and a paycheck for their time and effort.
They will also receive the observation time many colleges
require from incoming freshmen.
Additional information is available from the Highland
High School Tech Prep Coordinator,
Mr. Larry Jones, at 618-654-7131. (Revised September 2,
2005)
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