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Milford High School Senior Marina Breton, left, and Milford Middle School student Isabelle Campbell, explore career pathways. (Photo Courtesy Milford High School Applied Technology Center) -
At Milford High School’s Applied Technology Center, students may choose among 12 career pathways including Carpentry. (Photo Courtesy Milford High School Applied Technology Center)
The New Hampshire School Administrators Association is highlighting the important role of career technical education in preparing students for the workforce and meeting the ongoing need for highly trained employees statewide.
At Milford High School, the Applied Technology Center serves about 300 students who take classes in one or more of 12 career pathways: Accounting, Biotechnology/Biomedical Science, Business Technologies, Carpentry, Computer Science, Culinary Arts, Graphic Arts, Health Science Occupations, Marketing, Precision Machining, Pre-Engineering, and Video Production. The Center is one of 28 in New Hampshire, which are supported by the state and the U.S. Department of Education.
Milford students, graduates, and faculty shared their success stories before the state Board of Education on Thursday, May 9.
Junior Payton Burke said that at 15 she has moved frequently and is grateful that the Center’s CTE programs allowed her to discover her love of engineering and design.
Burke is pursuing a double major in both engineering and graphic design and serves as an engineering ambassador. She loves that she entered not a career path but a community.
“The program aims to enrich the lives of students both inside and outside of the classroom, and it encourages them to specialize in their own passions and skills, rather than what is most profitable,” Burke said.
Burke and other CTE students have the option to pursue dual enrollment at one of three colleges, earning up to 19 college credits that will accelerate their path toward a degree. Students also earn important third-party industry certifications and credentials while at ATC.
The state projects that the health care, science, and construction/manufacturing fields will see significant job growth in the coming decade, meaning that the Center and other CTE schools are a key driver for local economies by preparing students to enter high-demand, high-paying fields upon graduation.
This school year the center launched CTE After School, which allows Milford Middle School students to explore CTE offerings and potential career pathways.
Sixth-grader Isabella Campbell has attended multiple sessions of the after-school exploratory. This year’s pathways included video production, machining, and carpentry. Campbell learned how to woodwork, created key chains, and baked cupcakes. She will be attending CTE classes at the High School.
“I find great reassurance in knowing that I have so many opportunities and options in store for the future as a middle schooler that is still discovering myself,” she said. “I’m able to sample different choices of the future and uncover talents and joys that I had not known I had had or enjoyed before. Overall, it is an exciting, fun, and an awaited experience that I am always excited for.”
Samantha Belcourt, the Center’s Career & Technical Education Director, highlighted the numerous work-based learning opportunities that provide additional opportunities. Students may participate in unpaid or paid internships, during which they work alongside mentors and gain additional tools and skills.
“As we celebrate the success stories of our students, it’s evident that career technical education plays a pivotal role in shaping their futures. The Applied Technology Center at Milford High School, along with other CTE schools across New Hampshire, not only equips students with valuable skills but also fosters a sense of community and passion,” Milford Superintendent Christi Michaud said. “Our commitment to providing diverse pathways, industry certifications, and work-based learning opportunities underscores our dedication to preparing students for the workforce demands of tomorrow.”
NHSAA Executive Director Mark MacLean said: “The NHSAA is truly appreciative to have the opportunity to spotlight the creative, personalized, unique, and engaging projects, partnerships, choices, and activities happening in New Hampshire’s public schools. Showcasing and celebrating the diverse accomplishments and experiences of students is a great reminder of our mission to champion all children.”
About the NHSAA
NHSAA serves public school leaders in roughly 288 public school districts throughout New Hampshire. The Executive Director, Executive Board, NHSAA staff, members, and volunteers collaborate to move the Association toward the organization’s vision, mission, and resolutions.