Sulphur Springs Mayor John Sellers helped Sulphur Springs High School kick off its month-long celebration of career and technical education programs Monday morning by declaring February CTE Month in Sulphur Springs.
As has been the case for many things since March 2020, this year’s CTE kickoff was a little bit different at SSHS in order to provide social distancing protocols in place due to COVID-19. Instead of speaking before a library room filled with students from CTE classes and organizations, Sellers’ proclamation was videoed for virtual attendance by students.
“This is probably the fourth or fifth time I’ve had the privilege to present this over my career over City Council and as mayor,” Sellers said. “It’s always exciting to me come my alma mater. I graduated from high school here. My son graduated from high school here. My parents graduated from high school and even a grandmother graduated from high school here. So I have a long history with Sulphur Springs Independent School District and as some of y’all know, I love history. But, I also know how important these careers are and the kinds of training you are receiving in high school.”
Career and technology education programs offer students the option to gain academic, technical and employability skills necessary for career readiness. CTE classes and experiences provide students with career exploration opportunities earlier in their educational experience, enabling them to make informed and beneficial decisions about their academic course work and pursue established patterns of study in career pathways. CTE helps connect qualified individuals with available careers in CTE-related fields, including health care, energy, advanced manufacturing, cyber security and information technology. CTE programs helps link secondary and postsecondary fields of study and leads to industry related credentials and provides employers with access to a qualified workforce to ensure a fair and competitive economy, Sellers noted from the proclamation.
“This is such an important part of these young people’s education. More and more we are realizing that there are emerging technology, emerging careers, some career things we don’t know what to call them yet that are going to be happening in our future.”
Sellers said while it’s important to teach the fundamental of education, such as reading, history and English, skills that are so important to students’ future must also be taught. Whether the students choose to go from high school to college or technical school or straight into the work force, it’s most important that “we are trained do what we need to be a beneficial part of our society.”
Sellers encourages all citizens to become familiar with the services and benefits offered in CTE programs to this community, and to become involved with and support the programs designed to enhance these students skills.
“Here at Sulphur Springs High School, we have a tremendous career and technical education program. About 96 percent of our students are involved in a CTE course at some point and most have endorsements in career technical education fields of study. We are very excited to promote CTE Month for the month of February, to promote our students to promote our teachers and to promote our programs here at Sulphur Springs High School,” said Jenny Arledge, SSHS Director of College & Career Readiness/ Career & Technical Education.
To help SSHS celebrate CTE Month, KSST has enlisted the help of our high school interns to compile short videos featuring a few of the CTE programs offered at SSHS. Be sure to stay tuned to KSSTradio.com, check out www.KSSTradio.com and the KSST social media accounts so you don’t miss these weekly CTE features.
