February is Career & Technical Education (CTE) Month, and juniors and seniors at Rochelle Township High School have access to 20 different CTE programs at Kishwaukee Education Consortium (KEC) at Kishwaukee College in Malta.
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MALTA — February is Career & Technical Education (CTE) Month, and juniors and seniors at Rochelle Township High School have access to 20 different CTE programs at Kishwaukee Education Consortium (KEC) at Kishwaukee College in Malta.
KEC is a CTE school that provides high school students the opportunity to get a head start on college credits and careers at no cost. Programs offered include senior development leadership, culinary arts, certified nursing assistant (CNA), fire science, emergency medical technician (EMT), sports medicine, cosmetology, esthetics, criminal justice, early childhood education, computer information systems, mass communications, welding & fabrication, construction trades, automotive technology, diesel technology, aviation, medical terminology, barbering, and mental health careers exploration.
Students from RTHS, DeKalb High School, Sycamore High School, Hiawatha High School and Genoa-Kingston High School attend 90 minutes of their school day at KEC or at a designated classroom location in the area.
“KEC exists because there are not enough students at each of our individual schools to warrant all of these programs and teachers for each school,” KEC Assistant Director Dr. Amy Hinz Horn said. “That's why career & technical education (CTE) programs exist here. We're a consortium for those five local schools for the 20 programs. We can have full-time teachers and offer those programs.”
KEC also offers high school students the chance to earn certifications to immediately become qualified for positions such as CNA and EMT. After passing the necessary testing, students can join fire departments or healthcare facilities.
Hinz Horn said the need is growing for skilled workers in trades, which is what KEC has heard from its industry partners in the area. KEC saves students money and time when working their way into those trades.
“If a student wants to be a CNA, they come here as a junior in high school and take our class for a year and take the state exam and can become a certified CNA at no cost to them,” Hinz Horn said. “Why wait two years and spend the time and money when you already know your path and we can help with that?”
Hinz Horn said the workforce has seen a shift towards trades, with less emphasis now on high school students going on to attend four-year colleges and more students having the desire to get into trades. KEC has broken enrollment records for the past three years and expects to break another record next year.
Students at KEC receive hands-on, real-world experience from instructors with past or current experience in their fields. The majority of their 90 minutes of daily class time is demonstration and application of skills.
“Our teachers are industry experts,” Hinz Horn said. “Our culinary arts teacher was in the industry for 18 years. When he talks about his experiences, the kids are glued to it. It also creates unique teaching styles for them because they're not traditional teachers. It makes for really dynamic teaching because they're coming from their experiences in their industry. Some of our firefighting teachers are current firefighters. They're still in the field. It can't be more authentic than that.”
The News-Leader and Ogle County Life spoke with KEC CNA students from RTHS: Seniors Betty Flores, Monserratte Marquez and Gotti Fuentes. Marquez and Fuentes said the course has helped with their social skills while learning how to interact with patients. Flores plans to pursue a career in the medical field.
“This class is a good opportunity for me to get a good feeling and understanding of the medical field, whether I pursue a career as a labor delivery nurse or in radiology,” Flores said. “Whatever it is, I have somewhat of an understanding of medical terms and how to connect with people with those needs.”
RTHS juniors Elly Dalen, Jaicee Ramos, Cammyla Macias and Macy Lewis are currently enrolled in the KEC Early Childhood Education program. Macias said she took the course to get a head start and hands-on experience before college, and Dalen said the class has taught her how to connect with kids on a more personal level.
Ramos said she believes the class is helping her to prepare for after high school, and it’s shown her which age groups she’d like to teach if she takes that career path. Lewis has seen how the KEC course differs from time at RTHS.
“I think this class is beneficial,” Lewis said. “At high school, you have an idea of what you want to do. Here, you get a lot of hands-on experiences and actually see if you enjoy it or not.”
Hinz Horn said the KEC program prides itself on being exploratory for students. Even when students find that their chosen course is not what they want to pursue as a career, that’s considered a success and a time save as students make that discovery when they’re still in high school.
Over 2,100 college credits were earned by high school KEC students last year at no cost to them. Students who take college credit in high school are seven percent more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree.
“The research and data we're seeing is that 70-80 percent of kids say that this is their favorite class of their day,” Hinz Horn said. “75 percent of our kids in their exit surveys say they're staying in this career path.”