Career training opportunities thrive at Watertown High School through the Career to Technical Education (CTE) program. The CTE department has over 85 career classes in agriculture, business marketing and IT, family and consumer sciences, health sciences, and technology education. Watertown High School has all six Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) the state of Wisconsin offers which include FFA; Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA); Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA); Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA); Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), and SkillsUSA. The CTE department also offers students work-based learning opportunities through the School to Career program, which includes the Youth Apprenticeship program through the Department of Workforce Development and the Cooperative Skills program through the Department of Public Instruction.
During the 2023-24 school year, the School to Career program saw 118 students participate – a record number in its 33-year history. Through partnerships with over 90 local businesses, the School to Career students were able to gain employment and real-world technical skills in career pathways, and were awarded a certificate from the state to use towards an adult apprenticeship or college credits.
Of the 118 students participating last school year, 80 were seniors with a 100% graduation rate, two of which were valedictorians. The average GPA among these students was 2.84, with 4.0 being the highest GPA and 0.886 the lowest. The average wage of students participating in the program was $13.23/hour with $21/hour being the highest wage earned.
The program recently received a $52,000 Technical Incentive Grant through the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. This funding is awarded to support and strengthen quality CTE programming that is proven to mitigate workforce shortages through training, certifying, and connecting students to local jobs in their community. According to Family Consumer Sciences Teacher and School to Career Coordinator Sarah Tarpey, the funding formula is based on the number of students that graduate with an industry-recognized credential such as a Certified Nursing Assistant License or Youth Apprenticeship Certificate.
Tarpey said the funding received each year is used to facilitate projects and purchase much-needed supplies and equipment. This year, the funds will be combined with the remaining grant money from the 2022-2023 school year to purchase a van for the CTE Department for industry tours and travel to CTSO student competitions.
She said the Technical Incentive Grant funding has also enabled the CTE department to grow. With these funds, teachers were able to build a new greenhouse at Watertown High School and purchase major equipment like the technical education department’s Boss Laser. It has also paid for updated RealCare babies to help train family consumer science students to care for infants, and phlebotomy practice kits for health sciences students. Furthermore, grant funds have been used locally to fund CTE equipment repairs, pay for student certifications, and to help pay for registration and bussing to school-related events that students cannot afford.
In addition to grant funding, the CTE program receives incredible support from local businesses and organizations through the gift of equipment, training, sponsorships, and apprenticeship opportunities. For more information regarding the CTE program or how to become involved, please call Tarpey at (920) 262-7500 or email tarpeys@mywusd.org.