CATEC May 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
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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,

May was a busy month as we celebrate all that our students have accomplished during the school year. Students participated in Interview Week, where they had opportunities to practice their interview skills with local businesses. 31 of our students participated in School-to-Work Signing Day, an event celebrating students and employers who are committing to work partnerships upon graduation from a CATEC program. We hosted an Awards Day ceremony showing appreciation to students who had outstanding performances and behaviors this year. Lastly, we celebrated our completers in the 2023 Completers Ceremony at the MLK Jr. Performing Arts Center, where 160+ students were honored for celebrating their completion of the their CATEC program.

Our last day of the school year is Friday, June 9th. Thank you for a wonderful school year! I hope students, staff, and family have a safe summer.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Carter

CATEC Director

June 9- Last day of CATEC, half day

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 before time runs out this year.

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.

Shauny Moore is an 11th grader at Albemarle High School who has always loved cooking at home with her family. She has translated that hobby into her education in CATEC's Culinary Arts program and at her part time job at Glenmore Country Club as a line cook. She has loved getting to try new dishes and experience new things at her job. Shauny plans to attend Culinary school upon graduation.

Jace Wright is an 11th grader at Charlottesville High School. He wanted to try something new outside his school building and decided to come to CATEC. He took Electricity 1 semester 1 and Carpentry semester 2, as part of CATEC's Construction Trades program. He has enjoyed learning to wire and cut boards. He plans to enter the workforce in the construction trades after high school.

May 21-27 is National Emergency Medical Services Week. EMS Week brings together local communities and medical personnel to honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of medicine's "front line." Now, more than ever, CATEC thanks all of our emergency first responders for their public service and celebrates its Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) students who will enter the industry in the service of others.

EMT Curriculum

As part of CATEC’s Health and Medical Sciences Academy, the EMT program (housed at Western Albemarle High School and the CATEC campus) gives students the opportunity to learn the basics of emergency medical care. Students learn about anatomy and physiology, initial patient survey and triage, airway management, oxygen therapy, treatment of bleeding, shock, cardiac arrest, fractures, spinal injuries, and other medical emergencies. Students can become certified in American Red Cross Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers, the Virginia Workplace Readiness Skills Assessment, and the National Registry EMT- Basic certification.

Duel-Enrollment and Clinicals

CATEC’s EMT program is dual-enrolled with Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC). Students successfully completing the program may receive college credits for the course. Students participate in a required 30-hour clinical experience at local emergency locations, including local rescue squads and the University of Virginia University Hospital. Student experiences are thoroughly documented, determining whether students can sit for their Virginia Emergency Medical Technician-Basic exam.

New Equipment

New equipment is making for an even more realistic EMT programs thanks to an ambulance donation and grant funding. UVA Health donated a retired ambulance this spring, allowing students the opportunity now to practice loading and unloading patients. It also allows them to understand the physical space needed to operate inside an ambulance. Last spring, CATEC was awarded a $37,500 CTE Competitive Innovative Program Equipment grant from the VDOE. The grant allowed the program to purchase a CAE Ares emergency care manikin that has life-like features and a responsive physiology. It simulates 6 clinical experiences right in the classroom.

Projected Job Growth

There are many career pathways for emergency medical professionals. Most often, students can train to become an EMT/Paramedic who assesses injuries, administers emergency medical care, and extricates trapped individuals. They can also transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities. The projected job growth for EMT/Paramedics in Virginia is 20%. Professionals can also become Medical Assistants. Medical Assistants perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of physicians. They can schedule appointments, maintain medical records, take and record vital signs and medical histories, prepare patients for examination, draw blood, and administer medications. On average, Virginia’s Medical Assistants earn more than the national average and can expect 35% job growth.

Mrs. Gardner has been in the Emergency Medical field for since 2000, with 14 years as an active provider, overlapping with 15 years as an EMS Instructor. Her qualifications include: Virginia Paramedic, Virginia EMS Education Coordinator, and an NCEE certification (Nationally Certified EMS Educator). She was a first responder at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. She is a faculty member of the Virginia EMS Symposium, is a member of the Virginia DOE EMT I/II Curriculum Revision committee, and served on the EMT III Curriculum writing committee. Mrs. Gardner is an adjunct professor for Piedmont Virginia Community College and, as such, her EMT students receive dual-enrollment college credits. Mrs. Gardner loves working in this field because “it is always evolving and I love to learn. In EMS, new things are regularly being introduced, new research is being done, and all of this impacts our work in the field. EMS doesn’t get stagnant; there’s always something changing or improving and every day at work is different.”

May 4th is International Firefighters Day. CATEC is celebrating its Fire Service program and our community of career and volunteer firefighters who help keep us safe. CATEC’s Fire Service program has spent the last 19 years introducing students to the importance of fire safety and public service.

Fire Science Curriculum

CATEC’s Fire Service program introduces students to the equipment and procedures necessary to fight live fires, operate in simulated hazardous materials incidents, and conduct search-and-rescue operations. Students react to multi-faceted situations such as accidents, natural disasters, and simulated terrorism as part of an emergency response team. They become familiar with emerging technologies like communications dispatch, geographic information systems mapping, incident reporting, and simulation programs. Each year, students participate in two live burns at the Charlottesville Albemarle Training Ground. Throughout the year, students gain valuable workplace skills necessary to become successful firefighters, including teamwork, critical thinking, public service, research, report writing, and incident management skills. This course challenges students academically, mentally, and physically.

Duel-Enrollment and Certifications

The Fire Service program has dual enrolled agreements with Central Virginia Community College and Piedmont Virginia Community College. Students who successfully complete the program receive college credits towards an Associates Degree in Fire Service Technology, transferrable to many schools in the Virginia Community College System. Students receive college credit in classes that cover principles of fire and emergency services, fire prevention, strategy and tactics, and First Aid and CPR. Additionally, many students undertake junior volunteer firefighter experiences at area fire stations, earning on-the-job training and exposure to the industry outside of the classroom setting.

Students in the Fire Service program earn up to 18 industry credentials that make graduates very marketable. Students sit for the Virginia Department of Fire Programs Firefighter I and II exam, and can earn certifications in Hazardous Materials Operations, Agency Overview, Active Gun Shooter for First Responders, and Introduction to Technical Rescue. Students can also earn Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) certifications in Introduction to Incident Command, National Incident management System, and National Response Framework and Introduction.

New Equipment

Last year the program received a retired fire truck from the Faber Volunteer Fire Department. Students will now be able to work on a truck, learning about various equipment. Fire Science collaborated with Electricity students to upgrade the equipment and work on a variety of projects together.

Projected Job Growth

Graduates have many career pathways related to the Fire Service or positions in public service. They can become firefighters who work to control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment are at risk. The projected job growth in Virginia for firefighters shows an 14% increase with higher earnings than the national average. Graduates can also become Arson Investigators who collect evidence, eyewitness accounts, and determine causes of fires. Or, graduates can work as Forestry Fire Prevention Specialists, inspecting forests for potential fire hazards and enforcing fire regulations. Instructor Captain Bobby Elliott estimates at least 30 former students have entered the industry as career or volunteer firefighters.

Additionally, many CATEC Fire Service program graduates enter the military. Captain Elliot estimates at least 18 former students have become service members and at least three alumni have become police offers. Similarly, students can continue their educations by combining their public service interests with academic pursuits outside of the Fire Service.

Captain Elliott has been a firefighter since 1985 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fire Science and an Associate of Allied Science degree in Fire Science Technology. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Drill Instructor and is state certified as a Fire Officer III and Fire Instructor III through the Virginia Department of Fire Programs. Captain Elliott is an adjunct professor for Central Virginia Community College and Piedmont Virginia Community College, as such, his Firefighting students receive dual-enrollment college credits. When asked why he loves doing what he does, he said, “I like the opportunity to help our citizens in their time of need no matter what the emergency may be and being a part of the firefighter community is like being part of a family that takes care of each other. The highlight of my career has been watching former students become successful in a Fire Service career or as a volunteer firefighter.”

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 Fall 2023 Catalog
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The CATEC Foundation Board was busy in May supporting CATEC students in a variety of ways. On May 16th, CATEF sponsored our School-to-Work Signing Day Event, generously providing 31 students with program-related equipment to enter the workforce.

CATEF also awarded scholarships to four CATEC Completers on Awards Day. The following students were scholarship recipients this year:

• CATEC Foundation Scholarships: Lanyah Cabell and Michael Flores Rivas
• The Justin Tilghman Culinary Scholarship: Lucas Agee
• Leslie Hughes Walton Scholarship: Ingrid Recinos Guillen

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