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Career center posts near-80% placement rate; students earn industry credentials and state awards
Summary
At the board meeting, Career Center leader Mister Rudy reported 2024 post-secondary placement near 78%, 328 industry-recognized credentials and more than 14,000 work-based learning hours; staff highlighted SkillsUSA state and national results and noted gaps in nontraditional program participation.
Mister Rudy, speaking at the EXCELSIOR SPRINGS 40 school board meeting, reported that follow-up data for students who graduated in February 2024 showed the career center’s positive placement rate was near the district target: roughly 78 percent of concentrators continued in education, entered the workforce in their field or joined the military.
Rationale for the figure and why it matters: the career center measures ‘‘positive placements’’ as a primary performance indicator tied to Perkins federal reporting and local program success. Rudy told the board the center aims for an 80 percent placement rate so graduates are prepared either to work in their trained fields or continue related education.
Rudy told trustees the center recorded 328 total industry-recognized credentials (IRCs) and related technical assessments last year and tracked more than 14,000 work-based learning hours, including internships and field experiences. He said about half of concentrators continue their education and half enter the workforce, noting that some concentrators are accidental (students who take two courses in a strand but do not pursue an IRC).
Rudy discussed Perkins performance measures used for federal accountability. He said the consortium and district meet several Perkins targets, though the “nontraditional program concentration” — a measure of gender balance in fields where a gender is underrepresented — remained below the state goal of roughly 25 percent at both the district and consortium levels.
Enrollment and staffing: Rudy said current year enrollment at the career center is 211 students, a rise from the prior year, and that the center is fully staffed for the first time in three years after several retirements and subsequent hires.
Rudy reviewed outreach and program-improvement plans, including recruitment activities, industry partnerships that supply internships and advisory feedback, professional development for instructors who transitioned from industry to teaching, and exploration of additional skills-trades programs. He framed skills-trades growth as an antidote to automation and AI, saying those jobs are less likely to be replaced by AI.
Student achievements highlighted at the meeting included Madeline Throckmorton (third place in state job skill demo and the Missouri State ‘‘Breaking Traditions’’ award), Mason McConnell (national champion in motorcycle service technology), and Adrienne Crawley (elected a SkillsUSA state officer). Rudy said two students advanced to national competitions.
Next steps: Rudy said the career center will continue recruitment and seek grant and partnership opportunities to expand training and keep IRC offerings current with industry needs.
