Page 10 - Careers & Stuff 2021

Shops offered to students at POLYTECH include electrical (above), building construction (top right) and environmental (bottom right).
At schools like POLYTECH, skill development for career advancement
is part of the stated mission. But every other high school student in the state has the option to take part in the Pathways program, which allows them to earn college credits or take part in apprentice programs that will give them advantages when they graduate. The state runs Pathways programs in 98% of Delaware high schools, and more than 23,000 students take part, which is 53% of all kids in high school.
“What we want to do is to prepare students to make a choice,” says Luke Rhine, director of career and technical education and STEM initiatives for the Delaware Department of Education. “Either they can continue their education or move into the workforce — or do both.”
Pathways: Helping students explore occupations
Pathways began in 2015, and Rhine reports that 71% of Delaware students in grades 9-12 take part in some
form of career or technical program, including Pathways. They can gain experience and knowledge in fields like health care, IT, construction, engineering and many others. Some are clearly on target to continue their educations in college. Others can begin apprenticeship programs while still in high school — and earn money while doing so — so that they are prepared to step into the workforce the day they graduate.
At the four New Castle County Vo- Tech schools, ninth-graders explore what paths are available to them, meeting teachers and doing some
8 CAREERS & STUFF | DelawareBusinessTimes.com
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