Sylvania Schools Career Tech Program

Sylvania Schools Career Tech program offers 14 Career Technical programs that provide Sylvania students with UNIQUE workforce development activities to prepare them to be competitive in the workforce. At a recent Sylvania Schools Career Tech stakeholders meeting, students shared their experiences in the program. Julie Sanford, the Assistant Director for Teaching & Learning, shared many of the programs and accomplishments with stakeholders.

​Career Tech students make up over half of the student body in the Sylvania School System. They meet the academic benchmarks set by the federal government with almost 100% proficiency in both reading and math and the majority of students are earning college credit too. Sanford shared this example, “In Career Tech this year, we have 265 students earning an average of 5 credits per student.”
 
Each Sylvania career tech student has the unique opportunity to participate in job shadowing, internships, and early job placement positions around the Toledo region. Career Tech students can be found in local businesses, salons, hospitals, engineering firms, and elementary schools building workforce readiness skills and learning firsthand what a career in the field requires. These experiences help students grow into workplace demands.

​Rachel Baer, a senior at Southview, is currently enrolled in the Horticulture program. Through the program, she was introduced to the FFA, of which she is now the Sylvania Chapter President. The FFA has allowed her to participate in Career Development Events. Last year, she was the State Champion in the Job Interview Career Development Event, providing her with the opportunity to compete nationally at the 89th FFA National Convention and Expo. Says Baer, “My time at convention in Indianapolis was undeniably one of the most valuable experiences of my life. I gained knowledge through competition. Being able to interview well is a skill I will use the rest of my life.”

---

​Nathan Podolsky, also a senior at Southview, has been in the Programming Career Tech program for two years. His favorite part of the program was recently working in a developer called GameSalad which makes prototypes for apps. As a final stage of this project, he was able to play everyone’s game and give/receive critical feedback to improve each project app. Southview is one of only 10% of high schools that have this kind of program, and Podolsky feels it sets him apart in his college applications.

Jacob Bartlett, a senior in the Business Technology Program at Northview High School, feels that the program has specifically prepared him in three ways for higher education. First, he feels that he has confidence in his skills. Second, it has developed his ability to network in the community. He has met professionals and gained access to an established network in the community. Says Bartlett, “It [the program] gives us, seniors in high school, a foot in the door of the business world before we even leave high school.” Third, Bartlett says that the Business Tech program has given him enough experience and a foundation on which he can build. He reflects, “We as students are well versed before leaving high school and well prepared to take ourselves as students to a higher level of education and performance because of the Career Tech programs and for me specifically the Business Technologies Program at Sylvania Northview High school.

When in Business Tech students participate in an activity called BPA or Business Professionals of America. With this, students are given tangible results through realistic competitions at regional, state, and national competitions.

The Sylvania Career Technical Education program prepares students to be college and career ready through a rigorous academic and technical curriculum all while helping them builds skills to compete in a rapidly changing global society and economy.  For more information, please visit http://sylvaniaschools.org/our-school-district/administration/career-tech