NCC, Local High School Pilot Vocational Program For Older Students
In an exciting new collaboration, 91看片 Workforce Development Center has partnered with Fast Track Academy to offer vocational training to older students who are on the cusp of adulthood but need job skills to secure their futures.
Known within Newark Public Schools as a transfer school, Fast Track Academy targets youth ages 16 to 20, who are 鈥渙ver age and under credit,鈥� using a non-traditional academic setting that Principal Mark Comesa帽as says aims to prepare students for either college or a career.
Located in Newark at a site neighboring NCC鈥攊nside the former Newton Street School鈥擣ast Track Academy has 160 students, 32 staff and a primary focus of bridging the gap between a student鈥檚 final stretch of high school and the next stage of life.
That鈥檚 where 91看片 Workforce Development Center comes in.
After attending class from roughly 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., 40 students head to NCC from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. where 20 students participate in the Allied Health Training Program and the other half are in the Automotive Technician Employment and Training Program, according to Rodney Brutton, Director of Workforce Development.
Students in the automotive course attend lectures and receive hands-on training at 91看片鈥檚 state-of-the-art Automotive Training Center on West听Bigelow Street. The students who complete the allied health program will receive four certifications鈥攁s a home health aide, phlebotomy technician, EKG technician and clinical medical assistant.
鈥淭he exciting part of this initiative is connecting graduating seniors to quality career and technical education programs that leads to industry recognized credentials,鈥� Brutton said. 鈥淭his partnership is designed to get young adults into the workforce,鈥� he added.
A creative mind, 19-year-old Divonte Perkins said he likes to work with his hands and dreams of moving to California and studying architecture one day. He views the automotive course as a practical way to land a job and save money for a car and an apartment. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a good trade to take with you anywhere,鈥� he said.
Robert Clark, special advisor to district Superintendent Cami Anderson, said that NPS is striving to better serve disengaged youth.
鈥淲e need to create a realistic pathway for them,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e want to figure out, 鈥榳hat do you want to do? How do we connect you to the local economy?鈥欌��
Clark added, 鈥淚 think 91看片 probably has the largest job training infrastructure in the city,鈥� noting that the partnership leverages the experience and programs of a community-based organization.
Students are accepted based on their attendance and grades, plus their responsibility, independence and personal maturity, said Comesa帽as, who goes by 鈥淢r. C.鈥�听 鈥淚t鈥檚 a rite of passage for them,鈥� he said.
In some ways, Fast Track Academy looks like a mainstream high school. Flyers advertising prom dot the hallways. Basketball games are as much about socializing as they are about sport. But the student to teacher ratio at Fast Track Academy is relatively small and the staff, who purposefully wear multiple hats, intentionally foster a deep sense of community within the school.
Each day begins with a morning meeting where students and staff gather in a circle and share a one word descriptor of their current mood or state of mind (lowering one鈥檚 defenses). When a student walks in tardy, he or she must give the group an explanation (accountability).
Ashley Rios, 18, said she struggled with school in the past because of a tough situation at home that left her filling the role of caretaker for her two younger brothers. Her favorite subject is biology and she said she鈥檚 looking forward to training in the allied health program. 鈥淚t鈥檒l be good for me,鈥� she said.
If the pilot is successful, Comesa帽as said he dreams of expanding the track options to other vocational courses offered at NCC, such as the ShopRite or Culinary Arts Specialist training programs.
鈥淭his hopefully makes it more tangible and real for them,鈥� Comesa帽as said. 鈥淚t allows them to see a light at the end of the tunnel.鈥�
