CATEC February 2023 Newsletter

There are lots of ways to know what is happening at CATEC. Keep in touch with us to know what our students are doing and all the ways we are working to improve our local workforce.

High School

• Call us (434) 973-4461
• Visit us www.catec.org
• Download our app CATEC, VA
• Follow us at CATECHighSchool (Facebook), CATEC High School (YouTube), @CATEChs (Twitter), @catechighschool (Instagram), @catechighschool (TikTok)

Adult Education and Apprenticeship

Are you an adult interested in continuing your education? CATEC's Adult Education and Apprenticeship Program offers +100 in-person and online classes. Scholarships are available. Keep in touch with this program to learn more:

• Call us (434) 973-1945
• Visit us: https://www.catec.org/page/adult-education-and-apprenticeship-programs
• Follow us at CATEC Adult Education and Apprenticeship (Facebook), @CATEC_Adult (Twitter), @catec_adult_education (Instagram)
• Read through Course Catalog Options

Dear CATEC Families,

As we wrap up February, we are looking forward to many exciting things at CATEC this spring. February is Career and Technical Education Month, a time to celebrate and advocate for the benefits of CTE programs. Here are just a few researched-based benefits of CTE:

• CTE is playing an increased role in our nation’s workforce future.

• 60% of companies report they have difficulty filling their job openings.

• There are more than 30 million jobs paying $55,000+ that don’t require a four-year college degree.

• 27% of young workers with professional certifications and licenses earn more than those with a college degree.

With these important facts in mind, please mark your family calendars for additional schoolwide events taking place this spring:

• May 1-5 Interview Week
• May 16 Signing Day
• June 1 Completers' Ceremony

Sincerely,

Stephanie Carter

CATEC Director

March 2- CATEC Technical Eats food bus running out of CATEC parking lot

March 17- no CATEC, Advisory Board Meetings

March 21- CATEC Center Board Meeting, 6 pm

March 30- CATEC Technical Eats food bus running out of CATEC parking lot

March 31- no CATEC

Trying to figure out what class to register for next year? Interested in learning about dual-enrollment opportunities? Have a concern you'd like to discuss with a counselor? Visit Ms. Wilson and Ms. English in the Career and Counseling Corner!

CATEC values making sure students graduate with the technical skills and workplace skills necessary for entering the workforce. CATEC has implemented a "CATEC Students Are Professional" mantra to ensure students understand what it takes to be successful in our building and in the workforce. Students are expected to act in accordance with industry standards and practice the 22 21st Century Workplace Readiness Skills for the Commonwealth.

In February, students practiced skills related to diversity, critical thinking, creativity, and math. Additionally, students participate in monthly Career Development sessions where they practice skills needed to get jobs and keep them to create a lasting career.

CATEC offers academic courses that are both embedded in trade curricula and offered as stand-alone courses. Taking trade and academic courses at CATEC allows students more flexibility with their scheduling as well as learning class materials in authentic ways.

Geometry: John Baran

Students have been working on their new Electricity I curriculum with Mr. Farrar. Soon, they'll jump into basic and essential geometric concepts starting with the Pythagorean Theorem.

AFDA: John Baran

Students have been engaged in a financial algebra unit focused on the stock market. They have explored exponential functions and looked at long-range versus short-range investing. Students have selected various stocks and looked at their growth or decline and calculated Return on Investment. Most recently they have looked at simple, compound, and continuous interest and how those are manifested in real-life contexts.

Each month, we introduce you to two current CATEC students. Here at CATEC, we know our student body is diverse and interesting and we want to share their stories with our community.

Joselin Carias Cortez is a 12th grader from Monticello High School who is taking CATE'c Nurse Assistant class. Joselin has always been interested in helping others. She currently works at UVA and hopes to transition from her current position in housekeeping to a healthcare position once she obtains her CNA license this sprig. She intends to attend PVCC upon graduation and hopes to become a surgical technician.

Jordy Casco Lopez is an 11th grader at Monticello High School who figured out early that he wanted a career in a field that is not dominated by men. He set his sights on becoming a barber and in 10th grade began studying Cosmetology at CATEC. He will graduate from Cosmetology 2 and will sit for his State Board License this spring as an 11th grader. Jordy hopes to return to CATEC next year to study in the Nurse Assistant program. Then when he graduates he wants to become a barber full time. In his spare time now, he does men's cuts from his house as practice.

Curriculum

CATEC’s Veterinary Science program is a natural educational pathway for students interested in working with animals. CATEC’s Veterinary Science class introduces students to the technical knowledge and skills necessary for success in careers pertaining to animals, including pet care industries, government agencies, laboratory research institutions, pharmaceutical occupations, veterinary medical assisting and technology, and postsecondary education. Students learn about veterinary science in a classroom setting, simulated small animal veterinary hospital, and field trips. Animals make guest appearances in the classroom, including dogs, goats, and even a pigeon.

College Credit and Credentialing

Veterinary Science students receive 12 college credits through Blue Ridge Community College. Credits include coursework in veterinary assisting, care and maintenance of small domestic animals, veterinary office assisting, and companion animal behavior. Students who satisfactorily complete the program also receive the Blue Ridge Community College Career Studies Certificate in Veterinary Assisting concurrent with high school graduation. Students take the Certified Veterinary Assistant test through American Allied Health at the end of their course.

Career Outlook

Upon graduation from the program, students can enter the industry as a Veterinary Assistant, helping vets by setting up equipment, preparing animals for treatment, and keeping records. They can work their way up to Veterinary Technician. Projected job growth in Virginia for Veterinary Assistants is nearly 20% and Virginia wages align with the national wage average. Program graduates can continue to post-secondary learning opportunities, can work in area veterinary clinics, or even as Laboratory Animal Care Technicians. Students can also attend Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine to become a veterinarian.

Dr. Smyth is a small animal veterinarian who graduated from the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She practiced small animal medicine in Pennsylvania and the Charlottesville area for many years, and continues to educate pet owners by authoring hundreds of articles about pet health. Dr. Smyth is an adjunct professor for Blue Ridge Community College and, as such, her Veterinary Science students receive dual-enrollment college credits. Dr. Smyth stepped into the role of instructor for CATEC’s Veterinary Science program because she wanted to foster the interest of pet health in community students and help create much needed workforce-ready veterinary assistants for area veterinary clinics.

CATEC offers Adult Education and Apprenticeship training that covers a range of technical education courses. The career and technical offerings will help lifelong learners: enhance current skills, gain new knowledge for increased job marketability, continue life-long learning, make life more enjoyable, or simply have fun. CATEC provides a positive place for post-secondary learning. Apprenticeship programs are approved by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry and provide employer sponsors and their employees with the required related technical instruction hours needed to satisfy a full Apprenticeship program. Watch a video here.

• View the Spring 2023 Catalog
• Register Today

The Charlottesville Albemarle Career and Technical Education Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment of this new scholarship for seniors graduating in the Culinary Program at CATEC: The Justin Tilghman Culinary Scholarship!

The Justin Tilghman Culinary Scholarship is established in the memory of our Son, Brother, Friend and lover of the culinary arts, Justin Tilghman. As a former graduate of the Culinary Program at CATEC, Justin continued his passion for cooking in multiple established restaurants in Charlottesville and the surrounding area. Constantly reading and learning to better his skill and technique in the kitchen, Justin displayed all the traits of a true chef throughout. It is with this scholarship we hope to instill the same passion for cooking and hospitality that Justin strived for throughout his career and his brief time in this world.

Applications for this scholarship will be available at CATEC soon! Stay tuned for all scholarship information from our school counselors, on our website, and on social media in the coming weeks.

Email: scarter@k12albemarle.org
Website: www.catec.org
Location: 1000 Rio Road East, Charlottesville, VA, USA
Phone: 434-973-4461
Facebook: facebook.com/CATECHighSchool
Twitter: @CATEChs