CTE Certifications at Union County High School

By Helina Bailey

Work based students at Union County High School deserve special recognition for their hard work and dedication. This semester the program has eighty-seven students enrolled and working towards their industry certifications. For readers unfamiliar with the program, which receives its certifications through Express Employment, it is a wonderful opportunity for high school students to get a leg up in the work force once they graduate.
As a west coast transplant from the foreign state of California, I continue to be in awe of this remarkable program. Chatting with the school’s CTE (Career and Technical Education) director, Bryan Shoffner, I gained a better understanding of the program’s purpose. Unlike the woodshop, ceramics, and home ec. classes offered at my high school, Union County High School equips their work-based students with necessary skills to enter into highly competitive technical fields post-graduation. The students not only gain knowledge and experience in their fields, but they are afforded the opportunity to pursue state (and nationally) recognized industry certifications at no cost to themselves. These certifications give them a competitive edge when entering into the work force.

Students who decide to take this route will graduate with their high school diploma in addition to whatever industry service industry certifications they went after. They are not limited to one certification and are able to pick up multiple certifications during their high school career. One such student in the medical oriented programs received her CNA certifications in December and is now working on her Medical Assisting Certificates.

Debbie Sharp, a registered nurse and teacher at the school, explained that their CNA program boasts a high level of success when it comes to students entering the medical field after high school. Former students have gone on to pursue careers in physical therapy, nursing, phlebotomy, but the sky is the limit. CTE students still have access to TCAT programs after high school if they would like to further their education and be eligible for higher paying positions in the medical field.

Most long-term care facilities and hospitals require their CNA’s and Medical Assistants to be eighteen years to work but this has not stopped ambitious students from acquiring this certification early. In December eleven students graduated from the CNA program and a handful were only seventeen. Although they will have to wait to be hired and start working in the field, they are setting themselves up for success.

In addition to the CNA graduates, Union County High School also saw students graduate from their Office Management cluster. Mrs. Lana Booker had eleven students receive their Express Employment Business Office Technology Certificates. Of these eleven students, five are freshman, two are seniors, one is a junior, and three are seniors. These motivated teenagers are forward thinkers, setting themselves up for success by acquiring computer and business skills. Some of the programs they have become proficient in include Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, Access, and Outlook. Here is the list of students who completed this industry certification: Lenay Guthrie, Kaden Stinnett, Phoenix Henderson, Jackson Haggard, Ian Setzer, Chase Odum, Johnathan Crawford, Tanner Jones, Austin Graham, Alex Romero, Caleb Brook.

(CNA graduates from left to right Aiden Gwaltney, (Alexis Lutrell moved before certification exams) Rileigh Collins, Chloe Stubblefield, Alexis Shepherd, Toni Anna Moyers, Maddy Loope, Alaynah Cummings, Alexxus Miller, Jordyn Brantley, Gabby Vandergriff, MaKenzie Murphy. Photo Credit: Union County High School Facebook)