Apollo Career Center’s Adult and High School programs are starting the year with record enrollment. 840 Students attending high school career tech programs, and Adult Education has seen exponential growth in programs like Truck Driving, Manufacturing, Public Safety and the Apprenticeship program. With creative scheduling and optimal space usage we have been able to accommodate the number of students as we work with the mindset of Next Ready.
Next Ready has been incorporated into a new vision statement developed over two years with staff collaboration. Apollo Career Center will prepare students to be next ready to have a positive impact in our community. Next Ready is a combination of technical skills and soft skills and so we continue to expand our training in both areas with additions like the Adult Ed Apprenticeship program and the apprenticeships offered to qualifying high school students. The Adult Apprenticeship program, offering electrical, tool and die and industrial maintenance, started with four students and has grown to over 100. There is a demand for technical skills from the employer side and the employee side, that we can specifically address with the training and instructors we have on campus.
There are many ways we measure the success of our programs. Credentialing is a key component, and when the students are able to learn all the skills necessary to obtain an industry-standard credential, that speaks to the effectiveness of our curriculum and the ability of Apollo’s highly skilled instructors. Placement rates and participation in internships and apprenticeships are a win-win for our students and business and industry partners. I am confident that as these adult and high school programs grow, we will be making a significant impact on the labor shortages and the economic development needs across our region.
As the number of students we serve continues to grow, we will continue to look for opportunities to enhance, change and expand programming to ensure we are offering relevant and high-level training. We are mindful of the importance of community support, relationship building and Apollo’s ability to adapt to the labor needs of our partners, but we will always keep our focus on what is most important: our students.
