West Central offers courses in the following Career and Technical Education (CTE) areas:
- Agriculture
- Architecture & Construction
- Business & Marketing
- Education
- Health Sciences
- Cosmetology
- Manufacturing
Some of these courses offer dual credit or industry certification opportunities. At the end of the 2018-19 school year, 81 percent of graduates were earning college credit or a career credential while the state average was 68 percent. This data speaks volumes to the opportunities given to students at West Central.
Many of the CTE courses continue to grow each year. In the 2019-20 school year, many new courses were added with high enrollment numbers. Between the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years, four courses had over a 100 percent increase in their enrollment:
- Health Science Education I
- Introduction to Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
- Introduction to Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics
- Preparation for College/Career.
During the 2020-21 school year, West Central offered 29 CTE courses which helped to create 10 career pathways for students to pursue. West Central collaborates with local businesses and agencies to provide work-based learning, job shadowing, and internship opportunities to students.
These collaborations are valuable, as they allow students to connect what they are learning, in all their courses, to the real world of work. Local businesses and industries then have the opportunity to recruit students for full-time employment after graduation.
The following West Central CTE teachers had this to say about their programs:
Jennifer Johns, RN, BSN - Health Science Education – “I am very honored to teach all my CTE classes, especially the Certified Nursing Assistant class. The CNA class gives the opportunity for students to not only graduate with their high school diploma but also a CNA license and they can begin working upon graduation. The CNA course is not intended for a student to stop their education but to be able to work in the healthcare field while pursuing their education in healthcare. I also factor in that sometimes college is not the right fit for everyone or right at this time. This allows a student to be ready for the workforce and begin preparing for the world of work. I am bringing in over 17 years of emergency room experience, and I continue to keep up with my skills as an ER nurse and house supervisor at Pulaski Memorial Hospital. I enjoy having a part in educating our future healthcare workers.”
William Amsler – Welding Technology - “Teaching welding at West Central is gratifying because I am able to watch students develop skills that could possibly support them for years to come. It is amazing to watch the students that have struggles in a traditional classroom setting excel in a hands-on classroom environment.”
West Central High School is a member of the Indian Trails Career Cooperative. Indian Trails serves over 3,500 students, in 10 high schools, across five counties.
