CTE Education pays off

Vo c at i o n a l U p dat e

Collinsville ARea Vocational Center

Recently the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released a publication discussing the benefits of Career and Technical Education (CTE). As educators in CTE fields, we know first hand the benefits CTE provides to our students and to the community but statistical data helps us to communicate those benefits to students and parents. According to the ISBE publication, a person with an associates degree or two year credential will earn, on average, over $5,000 a year more than a person with just a high school diploma and a person with a CTE-related degree or credential will earn between $5,000 and $15,000 more than a person with a humanities or social science associate degree. These increases in projected earnings are a result of not only the current needs in the job market but also stems from the career self-efficacy, academic engagement, academic motivation emphasized in many of the CTE student organizations. These organizations enhance essential leadership and technical skills through rigorous programming and competition opportunities.
For more information, view the ISBE publication at http://www.isbe.net/career/pdf/CTE_fact_sheet.pdf

B u i l d i n g T r a d e s i s Bac k
Building Trades is once again one of the course options offered at CAVC. After the program was cut in 2009 due to financial constraints, many of the members of the community have been working diligently to bring it back. The Building Trades program was one of the crown jewels of CAVC. Between 1973 and 2009 eighteen houses were constructed around the Collinsville area. These houses not only offered quality homes to many residents but also provided the building blocks to successful careers for many of the students. This year, the first class includes sixteen students. The curriculum will progress through a variety of topics including framing, plumbing, electrical, roofing, tiling, painting, concrete and blue print reading. All of the legal requirements and building codes will also be covered. CAVC Director, Dr. Tricia Blackard stated, We are so excited about the return of this program. The first year curriculum typically centers around the acquisition of basic building related skills while the second year includes a large scale project off of the school campus site. We are not sure exactly what that second year project will include. We have looked into Habitat For Humanity, new construction, as well as building rehab. A lot depends on the housing market in the spring and what types of projects are financially viable within the community. No matter how you look at it, it is a win for our students and a win for the area vocational center.

CAVC Car Cruise

Saturday, April 12, 2014
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Participation cost free Admission free

Food will be provided by CAVC Food Service Face Painting provided by CAVC Child Care Traffic direction and monitoring provided by CAVC Law Enforcement Dash Placards provided by CAVC Machining Plus so much more!

Aggreko Provides Jobs for CAVC Graduates

As in years past, Aggreko has once again hired graduates from the CAVC automotive program. This year, three graduates from CAVC were hired by Aggreko. Alex Davis, Pablo Rodriguez, and Jacob Whittaker all met the rigorous testing procedures, including passing assessments for Aggreko as well as the Oklahoma State University Test. CAVC instructor, Aaron Schuster stated Only our strongest students are able to meet the assessment criteria Aggreko uses in their hiring process. We typically have one or two who can pass the tests but this year we had a bright group. In addition to passing the tests, students must prepare resumes and complete the interview process. The final component is teacher recommendation. Even the students who dont qualify benefit from going through the interview process stated Mr. Schuster. Mr. Schuster further indicated Aggreko has hired more than a dozen graduates over the years. Currently there are eight former CAVC students working full time for the company. Aggreko is a global generator company that provides reliable temporary power for events such as the Olympics, the U.S. Open and Berret Jackson Auto Auction. In addition, they provide emergency power for natural disasters throughout the world.