Career pathways program ramps up in Vestavia Hills schools

While Vestavia Hills High School has always offered some career and technical education classes, the school system is expanding options for students to pursue career-themed courses before they leave campus.

Director of Curriculum and Instruction Antonio Cooper said the school system is “a long way away” from where it was at the beginning of the 2019-20 school year regarding career classes. One year of career and technical education is required for each student to graduate, but conversations with students revealed a need for more classes that would focus on possible future careers for both middle and high school students, Cooper said.

Some courses have been updated, while other courses are new. New courses include internet marketing, event planning, hospitality and tourism, business finance and cybersecurity, among others. Updated courses include sports medicine, design technology and marketing, among others.

This year, school officials have brought in more stakeholders from the community, including businesses offering internships, professionals now teaching students and other people with opportunities for Vestavia students.

Students can begin taking such classes in middle school and can stay on the same pathway until they graduate, Cooper said. But if they want to switch to a different career pathway or even take courses from four pathways, they can do that, he said.

However, after two or three years of classes in the same area, students can earn credentials, allowing them to work directly after high school if they so choose, Cooper said.

“We want to prepare them and give them certification for post-high school work,” he said.

Part of Cooper’s job is now recruiting businesses to work with high school students, particularly through internships. Students can participate in an internship while also doing classwork, he said. Cooper also helped bring in more teachers to the school system that have experience in the fields of study being taught.

For middle school students, there are courses in computer science, learning how to create phone apps and one course called “Medical Detective,” in which students learn forensic science. All three of those courses, and most of the high school courses, can be completed online, and students who have chosen to attend remote classes will be able to come to campus for any work that they must complete in person, Cooper said.

The main goal is to help students determine what is best for them after they graduate, he said. Instead of students going to college and racking up debt, only to realize they would rather pursue a career that doesn’t necessarily mandate having a degree, the school system would rather help students get credentialed in that field so they can work right away. For students who go to college, the high school career courses may cut down on the number of years and amount of money they spend trying to figure out their major, Cooper said.

“They get an earlier start at developing their craft in that field,” he said.

All of the courses for the 2020-21 school year are full, Cooper said. “That’s comforting in knowing we’re adding courses students are interested in,” he said.

Businesses interested in partnering with the school system can call Cooper at 205-402-5117.