Thursday, November 3, 2016

What Is Possible? New Role for High School

What if you could finish half of college in high school?
·         By JEREMY JONES jones@hutchinsonleader.com
 Nov 2, 2016




·         Staff photo by Jeremy Jones
U.S. Sen. Al Franken’s staff visited the Hutchinson Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism this past Thursday to speak with local educators and business leaders about their plans to connect students to careers by adding more
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Some say the best way to learn is to do.
It seems Hutchinson High School may take that to heart. Business leaders, representatives from Ridgewater College and Hutchinson School District educators met with staff of U.S. Sen. Al Franken this past Thursday, and laid out plans to build a connection between students and job openings in the area. Among those plans is the intent to create a business within Hutchinson High School called Tiger Manufacturing.
“It’s going to make real products for real customers,” said Miles Seppelt, Hutchinson’s economic development director.
With the school’s upcoming career and technical education facility slated for completion by this time next year, its sections — automotive, woods, machining, robotics and manufacturing, and computer drafting — may each play a part in the business. Students interested in information technology can contribute as well, as the business will need a website, and students in the school’s business academy can help with human resources and interviews.
The products to be manufactured haven’t been nailed down yet, as the concept is still being designed, but work may include cabinetry, welding jobs, screen printing and similar projects.
“It’s not going to be like a business. It’s going to be a real business,” Seppelt said. “They’re going to make real products, sell to real customers.”
That means students will need to form a board, and provide leadership.
“It’s going to add relevance to their course work,” Seppelt said. “There will be no more ‘Why do I need to learn this?’”
Hutchinson High School Principal Patrick Walsh said that such a program will likely take shape in the 2018-2019 school year, when staff and students will have had time to familiarize themselves with the new technical education space and the evolving school building, and form a plan among contributing departments.
Tiger Manufacturing represents one of many ways Hutchinson students are witnessing a shift toward career-oriented education, and a bond between the schools, local businesses and Ridgewater College.
Seppelt said interest has grown because many students still seek four- and six-year degrees, while jobs that call for two-year degrees or certifications account for the majority of open positions. He said the trend is national, but he sees the need for skilled workers locally as well.
When visiting local manufacturers, “They ask me if I have five people with me because they’ll hire them right now,” Seppelt said.
In the past few years, Hutchinson High School began offering TigerPath, where students can take classes of increasing difficulty and explore the skills and experiences of various careers. Business leaders have teamed up with the school by seeking to add internship and mentorship opportunities. Engineers employed by local manufacturers regularly help out with school events, such as STEAM Family Night at West Elementary, and with extracurricular actives such as the Robotics Club. More than 100 students are enrolled in a welding class at Hutchinson High School this year.
When the school district needed a knowledgeable welder to fill in for three months, 3M donated the time of an employee.
“That’s the kind of support we have in the community,” said Superintendent Daron VanderHeiden.
Daryl Lundin, a technical education teacher, said the ties between manufacturers and the school district have given him more chances to see what those businesses do, and what skills they need.
“If you don’t get out to the business, manufacturing community, it’s hard to know if what you are doing is serving students,” he said. “(The partnership) helps with that.”
District 423 and Ridgewater College want to strengthen existing ties as well. Many students use the Post-Secondary Enrollment Option to take college classes, and high school shop classes are invited to use college facilities. Jeff Smith, a technical education teacher at Hutchinson High School, said the chance to use more modern equipment at Ridgewater builds excitement for him, and the staff.
“It allows me to take my excitement, our excitement, and turn it over to the kids,” Smith said. “If they see the teacher is excited, they get excited.”
Many students take PSEO and advanced-placement classes for college credit. Franken’s staff were told that by aligning curriculum between Ridgewater and District 423, educators can give students more options to get an early start on credits that are expensive after high school. Walsh said some students already take advantage of “articulation agreements,” which allow college credit in Ridgewater for specific work in the high school. Students who take drafting one, two and three are eligible for up to 11 credits at Ridgewater, for example. But the regulations for such programs change regularly, Walsh said, and must be renewed.
“We are looking to make these connections more explicit,” Walsh said.
In coming years, students may also see growing options to gain skill certifications they can use in the job market.
“When we get where we want to go, it will be possible for students to get half of their college done before they finish high school,” Seppelt said.
Hutchinson residents will see these programs take shape in the next few years in the high school’s career and technical education area, which will come together amid high school renovations. Thanks to more than $1.2 million in contributions from local partners, it will be equipped with modern machines that students see now at Ridgewater College, and in manufacturers, as part of a plan to show students what manufacturing looks like today.

“It’s exciting for me, having been around for 22, 23 years,” Smith said, “ … seeing our community step up and place the importance on this program.”

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