Students and technical education coordinator say industry credentials boost work‑based learning
Technical education coordinator Austin Holper told the De Forest Area School District board that industry‑recognized credentials (IRCs) are expanding through CTE courses, youth apprenticeships and Madison College partnerships; three students described how certifications (CNA, ACCT, Microsoft Office) translated into paid work and college credit. The board praised the momentum and discussed tracking outcomes.
The full story
Austin Holper, the district’s technical education coordinator, told the De Forest Area School District Board that students are increasingly earning industry‑recognized credentials (IRCs) through in‑house CTE courses, youth apprenticeships and partnerships with Madison College and MATC. Holper said the district benefits from the Act 59 technical incentive grant, which provides funding for each graduating student who earns an IRC, and cited growth in credentials: 49 earned by the class of 2024, 92 by the class of 2025, and an estimate of about 125 for the class of 2026.
Sign up to keep reading.
Your free newsletter brings you what your city council, county, and school board discussed and decided.
Keep reading for free
Create a free account to finish this story and see the video, transcript and key details.
Continue with GoogleContinue with emailAlready have an account? Log in