STEFAN CZAPOROWSKI
Freshmen Complete their Exploratory Program
It’s been several months since the Class of 2016 started their journey at Westfield Vocational Technical High School. As they approach the half-way mark in their freshmen year, they are well on their way to gaining skills within the Career and Technical Educational Pathway of their choice. Asking a fourteen-year old to choose their career path can often prove to be an overwhelming and daunting process. Some students come to WVTHS because their parents or siblings are alumni and choosing a vocation comes easily to them, but others are unsure of their path and instead chose WVTHS because they want to be involved in project based learning, acquire specific skills that make them highly marketable in the workforce, and or to make their college experience more relevant to their career interest. Regardless of the reason students chose our school, our Student Services Director and Guidance Counselors work with them every step of the way.
The Exploratory Program is a new venture for students who are transitioning from a traditional academic setting from their elementary and middle school years, and it begins with mandatory two day safety training. This training is required under the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and students are exposed to eleven specific areas of safety centered on the following career technical programs now offered: Allied Health, Automotive Technology, Business Technology, Collision Technology, Computer & Networking Technology, Construction Technology, Culinary Arts, Electrical Wiring, Graphic Arts, Manufacturing Technology, and Ornamental Horticulture. Upon completion of the safety training, students travel to each shop in the school for a One-Day experience. During this time, they get an overview of the shop dynamics, career and college opportunities, and general information regarding the program curriculum should they choose to enter that program.
Upon completing their One-Day exploration, students then choose four shops in which they will be spending a full week. During the One Week Explorations, students are evaluated by the shop teachers in five areas: conduct, willingness to follow instruction, task completion, workmanship, personal safety, overall safety habits, and attendance and punctuality. “The great thing about the exploratory program is that it is student driven. Ninth grade students have the power to begin to shape their future and develop skills by choosing a program of study that interests them,” says Mr. Rob Ollari, Director of Student Services. “A career and technical education is often the turning point in a student’s education. They become engaged in all aspects of their chosen program and find the relevance in their academic classes and how the two areas of studies align or connect,” he continued. During the One-Week Exploratory, students begin to realize what each program is all about. They get a chance to see how the shops operate, what is expected of them, evaluate working conditions, learn tools of the trade, and many other characteristics associated with each shop.
Their Exploratory Program culminates at about the mid-point of the freshmen year as students then select their top two programs of interest. The final shop selection is driven by student interest along with student performance during shop and academic week, attendance, safety, and behavior. Most students are accepted into their first choice however there are situations where the number of students interested in a program are higher than the amount of spaces available. In those cases, the Director of Student Services and guidance counselors meet individually with students to discuss other options. In the meantime, the student is placed on a wait list for the next available opening. As one may imagine, students do change their minds. For that reason, all freshmen have the ability to further explore another shop on an individual basis if there is space available in that particular program.
It’s important to remember that students who graduate from a career and technical school will earn their diploma by meeting the state competency requirements, earn necessary credits for graduation, receive extensive skills in a program area which will allow them to enter into the workforce at competitive wages, and also have the academic foundational skills to enter college.
Stefan Czaporowski
Principal
Westfield Vocational Technical High School
