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Canyons officials describe hands‑on CTE pathways, internships and 701 industry credentials on district podcast
Summary
On the district podcast Connect Canyons, Canyons School District CTE leaders outlined hands‑on Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, employer partnerships that place students in internships and externships, and district outcomes including 701 industry credentials and higher graduation rates for CTE completers.
On the Connect Canyons podcast, Canyons School District CTE leaders described the district's Career and Technical Education programs, employer partnerships and student outcomes, saying the hands‑on classes and local internships are helping students move directly into jobs or industry certification programs.
Janet Goble, director of CTE for Canyons School District, and Stephanie Morgan, CTE coordinator at Alta High School, told host Frances Cook that CTE in the district encompasses most high‑school electives outside fine arts and is organized into pathways and capstone programs at the technical education center (CTEC).
Goble said CTE pathway completers — students who take multiple classes in a pathway — show higher graduation rates in the district, citing a 97.8% graduation rate for completers compared with a district average of 87.5%.
“The students are engaged, they're working, they're building,” Stephanie Morgan said of CTE classrooms, describing examples that range from woodworking projects that incorporate geometry to robotics students who build and program their own machines.
District leaders described multiple routes from classroom to work. Students complete internships and externships tied to their pathway: business students have interned at Universal Business Insurance, health‑career students complete CNA externships at CTEC to meet state certification hour requirements, and other placements have included Murray Municipal Justice Court. Officials said some industry partners hire students directly from internships and, in some cases, pay for further college education.
Goble and Morgan also described Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) such as DECA as a key part of the program, with competitions and leadership experiences that district staff say build presentation and problem‑solving skills. Morgan said 283 district students from five high schools competed at the state DECA conference and 47 have already qualified for the April national competition in Orlando.
Officials described employer partnerships that target “middle‑skill” jobs — positions requiring a high‑school diploma with technical training rather than extended college — and highlighted a local diesel industry partnership that offers weekly job shadows and potential hiring pathways. Goble said some employers will fund college degrees for students who move into management.
The podcast also highlighted the district's focus on industry‑recognized credentials. Goble said students earned 701 industry credentials in the previous year, ranging from Microsoft and Adobe certifications to cosmetology licenses and EMT credentials.
Speakers noted the district is expanding facilities and programs, including a planned innovation center intended to broaden hands‑on learning and employer engagement. They said the work aligns with a district goal of making students “college and career ready.”
The podcast episode closed with information about contacting district communications; the program listed communications@canyonsdistrict.org as a contact for suggested topics and feedback.
