Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Career And Technical Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves CWCTC satellite Innovative Technologies program; director says students can earn post-secondary credits and industry credentials
Summary
The board approved a CWCTC satellite program that will deliver computer science, AI, robotics and drone coursework locally; CWCTC executive director said students could earn up to 31 community-college credits and several industry certificates.
The Southmoreland School District board voted to approve a satellite Innovative Technologies program with the Central Westmoreland Career and Technical Center (CWCTC) at its Jan. 21 meeting.
CWCTC Executive Director Jason Lucia told the board the program is part of a consortium effort to extend CTC services back into sending districts and said participating Southmoreland students would be able to earn community-college credits and industry credentials. Lucia said a student completing the program could leave with as many as 21 community-college credits and an additional 10-credit cybersecurity certificate, and that students would have opportunities for TestOut industry credentials, IBM and Microsoft AI-related credentials and the FAA Part 107 drone-pilot certification.
Why it matters: The program would allow students who cannot attend full-time at CWCTC to take career-technical courses in their home school, Lucia said, and would include work-based learning and paid pathway discussions with the Department of Labor and Industry.
Implementation: Lucia said the program would be taught by CWCTC-certified instructors (the institution requires industry experience and CTC certification) and would package computer science, AI, drone technology, robotics and automation into a set of electives that students could take across grades 9–12. He said the district and CWCTC are in early stages of document development and asked the solicitor to prepare implementing agreements.
Ending: The board asked the solicitor to draft implementing documents; CWCTC will continue partnership planning with the district.
