Clay County highlights CTE expansion, reporting jump to over 3,200 industry certifications
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Summary
District CTE supervisors told the board that industry certifications rose to more than 3,200 from about 1,900 the prior year, with 120+ CTE teachers, 31 programs and growing employer partnerships—efforts officials said prepare students for both college and careers.
Clay County District Schools officials outlined growth in career and technical education (CTE) programs at the Feb. 5 school board meeting, telling trustees that industry credentials and employer partnerships are expanding across the district.
Alice Polk, a CTE supervisor, said the district now counts “over a 120 career and technical education teachers” and “31 distinctly different programs” including health science, welding, automotive and advanced manufacturing. She reported that the district documented “over 3,200” industry certifications this year, up from about 1,900 the previous year.
Polk described a range of partnerships that support hands-on learning: the Board of County Commissioners and Clay County Fire & Rescue send a firefighter and equipment to Orange Park High School; Baptist Clay recently hosted Clay High students for clinical rotations; the Clay County Utility Authority and VyStar provide internship and work-based learning opportunities.
Polk also said roughly 1,100 students were enrolled in CTE programs at the junior-high and high-school levels—about 60% of secondary students by her math—and that the district runs work-based placements, some paid. She noted the district held a large career fair with more than 80 business partners and approximately 300 seniors attending.
District leaders framed these developments as part of a regional workforce strategy: Polk said early exposure in junior high and coordinated advisory boards help align programs with industry needs. The presentation also pointed to state grants that funded equipment and facility upgrades enabling new programs, including recent openings in advanced manufacturing at Oakleaf and Orange Park High Schools.
What happens next: The district will continue freshman expos and high-school CTE showcases this month, and staff asked the board to support ongoing partnerships and potential grant-funded upgrades.