PORT ALLEGANY — Public recognition of students’ achievements at the Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center in Port Allegany increases their confidence and self-esteem, while encouraging lifelong learning that can lead to jobs, many of which are more in demand than some of those requiring a college degree.
Much of the public is unaware of the recent changes in career and technical education. Today’s highly technical and rigorous coursework in vocational education, with its hands-on instruction, is providing challenges required to compete in the workforce and changing the assumption that this curriculum is an alternate option for less capable students.
At the Career and Technical Center, outstanding students are recognized with membership in the National Technical Honor Society and participation in the SkillsUSA program.
Founded in 1984 in South Carolina as the National Vocational Technical Society, the NTHS now serves more than 3,800 member secondary and postsecondary schools in all 50 states and other locations outside the U.S.
The National Vocational Technical Society’s mission is to “honor student accomplishments and leadership, promote scholastic excellence and increase career opportunities for technical students.”
Career and Technical Center Director James Young said, “to be eligible for NTHS membership, students, in addition to maintaining at least a 3.0 grade point average in their respective districts and achieving a 93 percent average — an ‘A’ average here — must also exhibit good attendance and behavior and be recommended by a teacher.”
According to Young, “We’ve been inducting about 16 students a year. Our next induction ceremony is May 2.”
The Career and Technical Center has been competing in SkillsUSA for five years, ever since Young was appointed director. This is a national student organization that develops employability, participatory and leadership skills to complement the students’ occupational skills developed in technical education classrooms or work-based learning sites.
“As part of SkillsUSA, we send about 20 students to a leadership conference in Erie every year in December,” Young said. “During the day, they participate in breakout sessions that include the topics of leadership, team building activities and the SkillsUSA program. At noon there is a luncheon and for some of the students this is their first time sitting for a formal lunch in a large dining room.”
Every three years this conference features a speaker. Nick Scott of Scott Enterprises, owners of hotels and a water park in that city, has been a repeat speaker.
In addition, 20 students attended the SkillsUSA District 10 competition in January at the New Castle School of Trades where they vied with students from 13 other CTE schools in their respective trade disciplines. Seven Career and Technical Center students advance have advanced to the next level, the state finals in Hershey in April, where they will compete in four competitions, including welding fabrication and welding sculpture.
Those students are Robert Gamet, welding sculpture; Payton Tilley, Braden Southward and Julian Watson, welding fabrication; Danny Eschrich, restaurant skills; Derrick Butler, internetworking; and Lynnea DeStasio, basic health care skills.
