CTE Program Ignites Career Possibilities

Career Possibilities and Earnings Potential For High School Students

Students at Fort Campbell High School entering their junior or senior year of high school have a unique window of opportunity to participate in one of DoDEA America’s most advanced Career and Technical Education courses: the Firefighter Candidate Program.

Offering hands-on training with the installation fire department, the instruction allows students to accumulate as many as 150 hours they can use toward obtaining firefighter certifications following high school graduation. Hours are accumulated through both classroom instruction and practical application using much of the same equipment as their firefighter advisors.

“It really is an incredible program that allows students to explore career possibilities and accumulate hours toward certifications,” said Fort Campbell High School Assistant Principal Jamie Romero. In addition, the candidate program allows students to learn the importance of other character-building attributes, Romero added.

After enrolling in the course, a panel of firefighters and fire officers serve as advisors to the students. All firefighters hold fire officer and fire instructor certifications in accordance with the Department of Defense Fire and Emergency Services Certification Program and are subject to a background and criminal investigation. The advisors mentor and coach the Firefighter Candidates during training drills and accompany candidates on program-related field trips.
“We’re so thankful for our amazing installation partners,” said Romero. “We just want to see the program continue to grow, and for our parents and students to know we’re always looking for ways to expand opportunities for all of our students.”

Each February, DoDEA celebrates Career and Technical Education Month. According to the Association for CTE, benefits of CTE programs include:

• Postsecondary CTE programs lead to careers in high-demand occupations. About 77% of employers from in-demand industries report hiring an employee because of knowledge and skills gained from their CTE experience.
• CTE concentrators are slightly more likely than non-concentrators to enroll in postsecondary education and are just as likely to earn a degree or certificate.
• CTE is associated with higher levels of student engagement and reduced rates of dropout. In fact, the average high school graduation rate for CTE concentrators – students who take multiple courses in one CTE program area – are 94% compared to the national rate of 85%.

Parents and students are encouraged to use the SchooLinks tool to examine CTE and other academic programs as they consider college and career readiness.