High school students in the District are learning important lessons that will help them in future careers — and life in general.
“Customer satisfaction is essential to any business,” said one high school senior studying hospitality and tourism at the Jackson-Reed High School, D.C.’s largest Career-Technical Education high school. “You don’t run without your customers, so to keep them happy is to keep your business happy.”
D.C. School Chancellor Lewis Ferebee said the District’s CTE program offers more than 30 industry-recognized certifications that prepare students for career. More than 4,800 students are enrolled in CTE courses across 16 high schools in the District.
“We know when students are engaged in Career and Technical Education programming they’re much more prepared for what’s next after graduating from high school,” said Ferebee. “They’ll have the ability to go right to work out of high school, if they choose to do so.”
In career-based academies, students learn skills, techniques and strategies that will help them in programs ranging from health care, to robotics, to HVAC systems.
“It’s exciting and safe that they get to do this work while they’re in high school,” said Christina Grant, D.C.’s superintendent of education. “So, they’ll be really clear, when they walk out of our doors, on the path they want to explore.”
