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Trussville highlights Career Academies and work-based learning at board meeting
Summary
Administrators outlined 10 Career Academies at Hewitt Trussville High School, growth in work-based learning and new programming including a Modern Manufacturing Center and Broadcast Production Academy; district leaders reported student participation and earnings from cooperative education.
Trussville City Schools administrators detailed career and technical education (CTE) offerings and work-based learning statistics during an administrative report at the board meeting, highlighting expanded academies and connections with local employers.
The presentation matters because the academies and work-based learning are central to the district’s college-and-career readiness strategy and supply a local workforce pipeline for area employers including automotive and manufacturing partners.
Joy Young, presenting on the HDHS Career and Technical Education Department, outlined 10 career academy programs at Hewitt Trussville High School: Modern Manufacturing Center for Excellence (a new program), Broadcast Production Academy, Computer Science Academy (including AP courses), Business Leadership Academy, Biomedical Sciences Academy (Project Lead The Way), Sports Medicine Academy, Engineering Academy, Hospitality and Culinary Arts Academy, Electrical Construction Academy, and participation in the Academy of Craft Training (an off-campus partnership in Birmingham). Young said the cooperative education program currently lists 147 students working for 106 employers, and that students have logged almost 30,000 hours and earned about $363,000 in one semester.
Young and others said many of the programs lead to industry-recognized certifications and dual-enrollment credits; the Electrical Construction Academy leads to NCCER certifications and the Culinary program offers ServSafe certification and Jefferson State dual enrollment for third-year students. The Academy of Craft Training places juniors and seniors off campus for day-long instruction and employer interviews; successful completers can be offered full-time positions with benefits after graduation.
Board discussion noted the programs’ local employer ties and student outcomes. A board member and other administrators described students returning to speak with current students and cited examples of graduates employed in trades and professions. The presentation emphasized that many students participate in more than one program and that an estimated 60–70% of high school students are involved in at least one academy-related activity.
Administrators said the academies are supported by teachers with relevant industry experience, industry partners (examples named in the presentation included Mercedes-Benz, Honda and local manufacturers), and district leadership. The district will continue to promote industry certifications, cooperative education placements and dual-enrollment opportunities as part of its career-readiness strategy.
