The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and State Board of Education have released Career and Technical Education (CTE) credential performance data for the 2022-2023 academic year, and it provides encouraging numbers for Surry County Schools, who ranked 17th out of 115 school districts in North Carolina for credential attainment rate.
Surry County had 4,690 credentials earned by students during the 2022-2023 year, increasing from 3,404 during the 2021-2022 school year. The district attained an attainment rate of 59.3 percent. A student must earn a score of 70 or higher to receive proficiency status.
Neil Atkins, director of Career and Technical Education for Surry County Schools said: “CTE teachers in Surry County Schools work hard every day to ensure our students earn industry recognized and credentials in all our CTE pathways. 2022-2023 credentialing data from NCDPI is just another measure of success for our CTE programs.”
Educational program offerings include agriculture, business, finance, information technology, engineering, family and consumer science, health science, and much more! Along with these courses, students can also pursue internships and apprenticeship opportunities based on their interests. Students participating in middle and high school CTE programs have earned over 1200 credentials, including ServSafe, AutoCAD, CNA, Photoshop, OSHA 10, CPR / AED, First Aid, and many more.
In middle school, Surry County Schools offers a Career Exploration course that exposes students to many different career pathways! All students have the opportunity to explore the world of engineering and problem solving through our Pre-Engineering (Project Lead The Way) courses and computer science through our Computer Science Discoveries courses. Additionally, the district is excited to offer Agriculture in middle school for all students. Students have the opportunity to hear from local business and industry leaders about many different career prospects.
In high school, there are a wide variety of CTE opportunities for students. Through the Agriculture pathway, students can pursue courses in Animal Science and Horticulture. Those interested in a future career in Business, Finance, or Information Technology can take classes in Business Management, Computer Science, and Digital Media. For students interested in Family and Consumer Science, the district offers courses in Culinary Arts, Counseling and Mental Health, and Education Training. The Health Science pathway allows students to take Biomedical Technology, Health Sciences, Pharmacy Tech courses. There are also offerings in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, like Sport and Event Marketing. Students interested in the Technology, Engineering, or Design pathway are encouraged to take the Pre-Engineering Program (Project Lead the Way) course. Additionally, Construction, Masonry, and Project Management are available for those interested in Trade and Industrial Education.
Superintendent Dr. Travis L. Reeves says he is pleased with the progress that has been made over the past several years. He points to partnership programs like Surry-Yadkin Works, as well as apprenticeships and internships that have been instrumental in showing students and teachers what careers are available in Surry County and building relationships between schools and the local business community.
“Career and Technical Education is critical to student success because it introduces them to potential careers and helps to prepare them for life after high school,” explained Reeves. “Benjamin Franklin famously said, “Good apprentices are likely to make good citizens,” and I wholeheartedly agree. Our Career and Technical Education programs teach, train, guide, and empower students in a variety of career fields, creating a solid foundation for career success, lifelong learning, and good citizenship. In addition to providing quality programs, we want to connect our students with potential employers so they can see the job opportunities available to them right here in Surry County.”
Number of CTE Credentials Earned by High School, 2022-2023:
East Surry High School | 1685
North Surry High School | 1707
Surry Central High School | 1314
Surry Early College | 111
Surry Online Magnet School | 88