Hillsborough County Schools highlights technical colleges, apprenticeships and scholarships for post‑high‑school planning

Deborah Belanti, host of the Hillsborough County Public Schools podcast "More to the Story," interviewed Ansiberto Vallejo, supervisor of Adult and Community Education, about options for students after high school and how families can use district resources to plan.

Vallejo said planning should begin before senior year and, where possible, in middle school. "Believe it or not, it's even more crucial now to start planning early on," he said, describing middle‑school career interest inventories that help students match interests to potential careers and course pathways.

Why it matters: Vallejo framed the conversation around expanding post‑secondary choices beyond four‑year college, stressing that the district’s career and technical education (CTE) programs and technical colleges offer routes to stable jobs with minimal debt. He noted that some technical programs can prepare students for careers in about a year and that district technical colleges provide hands‑on training in fields from health care to skilled trades.

Vallejo outlined how families can get involved and assess options. He recommended visiting the high school and meeting counselors or workforce program advisors rather than relying solely on public websites. "Setting up an appointment, getting to know the programs that are available there, how doable that is for them," he said, is a key first step.

The district currently operates more than 233 sites and four technical colleges, Vallejo said, and the schools offer programs in HVAC, welding, automotive and diesel mechanics, building construction, nursing, dental hygiene and surgical technician training at Brewster Technical College. "Some of our most popular programs are HVAC, welding, automotive, diesel and mechanic," he said.

Financial aid and scholarship guidance figured prominently in the discussion. Vallejo noted the district ran 16 FAFSA workshops last school year, including Spanish‑language breakout sessions for large Spanish‑speaking communities. He cited federal student aid programs and Bright Futures scholarships as key supports and said the Gold Seal Vocational Scholars option within Bright Futures can help students convert CTE coursework into post‑secondary advantage: "If students have the three CTE courses that they met in high school ... they could get the Gold Seal to an AS degree," Vallejo said.

Vallejo also highlighted local apprenticeship pathways and announced an apprenticeship night at Riverview High School on Wednesday, April 29, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., inviting local apprenticeships such as iron workers, pipe fitters and crane operators. He said the event is open to middle and high school students so families can explore hands‑on career routes.

For students unsure of their direction, Vallejo recommended using career inventories like Zello to identify strengths and possible matches. "It's a matchmaker where students could go in, answer a few questions and then that'll kind of get engaged," he said, describing how inventories can start conversations with counselors about training, college and financial aid options.

The interview closed with a reminder to visit the district website for more information. "If you want to learn more about our college and career pathways, please visit our website, hillsboroschools.org," Belanti said.

The district did not announce any formal policy changes or votes during the episode; the segment focused on information, programs and upcoming events for students and families.