Highlights from the HACTC - Oct. 25

Hello,

On our recent inservice day, instructors spent time calling all of our students who graduated last year to find out what they are doing now. Here's a quick snapshot of some responses:

• Finishing up a training program at Wyoming Tech.
• Working at Alliance Mechanical
• In college studying business
• "With the $650 scholarship that I got from the HACTC, I was able to buy tools so that I could start as a carpentry apprentice."

A big part of what we do here is launching students' journeys, so it's pretty exciting to us when these launches are successful.

As I was sitting down to write this, a student who graduated two years ago rang the doorbell and was coming to visit their teacher. That student is furthering their career in the trades through higher education and internships in their field. They were incredibly excited to share stories and pictures about what they are doing with their instructor. It's inspiring to see our graduates pursuing their dreams and reaching new milestones, both in their careers and education. We're proud of the impact the HACTC has had on their journeys and look forward to celebrating even more successes.

Warmly,

Erika Schneider

November 4 - No PM Classes, Early Release

November 5 - No School, In-Service Day

November 11 - No School, Veterans' Day

This month, many of our students took part in the Fall Leadership Conferences of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and Future Health Professionals (HOSA). At the FBLA conference, students participated in workshops about topics like the stock market, workplace communications, mental health, and job interviews. The students who took part in the HOSA conference learned about the organization's core values: learning, leadership, service, and innovation. They also chose an area of interest with a hands-on activity, from learning about careers while practicing sutures to taking part in a nursing "escape room."

11 HACTC students presented at Women Can Do, a trades and STEM career exploration day for high school girls and gender-expansive youth. As representatives from our Autobody, Customs, & Motorsports, Building Trades, Industrial Mechanics & Welding, and Natural Resources programs, they demonstrated tasks like using a tile saw and proper PPE and led participants in activities including spraying "paint" on a fender and welding coat hooks to pre-cut animal shapes. An additional 15 HACTC students attended as participants and got to try out activities like heavy equipment operation, IV setting, and flight simulations.

The HACTC Career and Technology Exploration program combines classroom learning in English, math, and art with with rotations through each of our programs so students get exposure to a variety of career options. This class is for high school sophomores, and we offer both a morning and afternoon option. So far this fall, students have been practicing algebra, bulking up their vocabulary, and working on line drawing and shading. They took learning style inventories and started writing reflections on how they feel about the results and what impact it might have on their learning. Next, they'll begin reading The Hunger Games. A recent favorite activity was a field trip to the pumpkin patch at Riverview Farm, where they began sketching focused on light and shadow.

As part of their career exploration work, CTE students took the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). This test can help them discover specific areas of skill, which they will combine with interest inventories to help identify rewarding career options. For program rotations, students have now shadowed Cosmetology, Building Trades, and Medical Assisting & Phlebotomy. They were excited that they got to try some hands-on experiences, especially with electrical work, siding, framing, and planning stairs in Building Trades. While visiting Medical Assisting & Phlebotomy, they learned how to properly don and doff PPE to keep themselves protected from contamination (ketchup). The students are all looking forward to trying out the other programs as the year goes on, though many already have an idea of which they'd like to enroll in next year.

As in many of our programs, level I Industrial Mechanics & Welding students started out the year completing several safety trainings and tests. From there, their first project was to begin practicing drawing, measuring, and cutting and bending metal as they made dust pans. Next, students created their own stool seat designs that include scrollwork. They used the patterns to bend, bevel, and weld their stools together. Level I students have also been practicing a lot of math, especially geometry like finding circumference and volume, and conversions, and now they're putting that knowledge to use as they learn the intricacies of using Auto CAD to create blueprints and models.

Level II students have done a variety of work on trailers, including making fenders, rewiring electronics, painting, and repairing drum brakes. They learned how to design components for the trailers using Auto CAD, and then went on to ordering parts, making the components, and assembling the trailers. These skills are in high demand among employers and can be used in everything from building bridges to manufacturing.

Recently, level II students took the American Welding Society (AWS)'s Certified Welder exam, and for what instructor Carl Speer says is a first in his career, every one of them passed and received their certification!

Autobody, Motorsport, and Customs instructor Shawn Cassidy stayed up overnight cooking pork in a smoker made by a class two years ago out of spare parts, including an old air compressor, wood stove, and firebox. He and Special Needs Coordinator Kara Hall put together a barbecue picnic for AMC students and HACTC staff.

37% of CTE program graduates earned at least one postsecondary industry credential within their program.

- Vermont CTE