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Students describe hands‑on gains as district expands apprenticeships, CTE and dual enrollment
Summary
Board heard updates on a Trust Automation apprenticeship (19 participants) and a district secondary‑engagement report showing gains in CTE participation, dual‑enrollment partnerships with Cuesta College, and targeted efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism and expand middle‑school athletics opportunities.
District staff and students on Monday highlighted expanding career‑technical education (CTE) pathways and a local apprenticeship that program leaders say is building employment skills for high‑school students.
Mr. Black, who presented the Trust Automation apprenticeship update, said the district’s partnership has 19 apprentices across multiple high schools and that Trust Automation employees are mentoring students on skills from quality control to soldering and wire‑connection work. "We're learning how to solder — opportunity for a career, and a future job opportunity," apprentice Ariel told the board, summarizing the hands‑on training.
Student apprentice Alan Rodarte said the cohort has completed several projects and is “on our third one, making a Tesla coil,” and apprentice Natalie said the apprenticeship offered a supportive workplace after a negative prior job experience. Quinn Washburn described attending the employer site two days a week and learning how companies like Trust Automation operate.
In a related presentation, Mr. Neff gave the district’s secondary student‑engagement report. He said California’s rebranding of career pathways into clusters has been adopted at the state level and will be reflected in district reporting; district metrics currently show roughly 68% of students at the college‑career preparedness mark and about 35% completing a CTE pathway. Mr. Neff also pointed to a recent $75,000 allocation for computer lab equipment and hands‑on class upgrades at Morro Bay and other sites.
The report covered dual enrollment through a CCAP MOU with Cuesta College, which allows students to earn college credit through high‑school courses, and described work to reduce chronic absenteeism at several middle‑school sites via social‑emotional and PBIS interventions. Trustees asked staff to pull additional data on whether CTE participation correlates with better attendance and on the demographic breakdowns for Athletics for Achievement; staff agreed to follow up.
District leaders said one key policy change — elimination of a 300‑hour CTE requirement that had stretched some pathways to five trimesters — should make pathway completion more attainable under trimester schedules and boost completion rates.
Trustees thanked students and company partners for the apprenticeship participation and asked staff to return with more data on outcomes and subgroup participation as programs expand.
