▲ Instructor Cody McCleary works with CTE students at Athens Middle School.
ATHENS ISD Athens ISD
Middle school opens pathway for eighth graders to skilled trades career options
County: Henderson ESC region: 10 Superintendent: Dr. Janie Sims 2020 enrollment: 3,128
by Autumn Rhea Carpenter
A
s America continues to face an unprecedented skilled trades labor shortage, the jobs of the future could be the jobs of the past: carpentry, plumbing and electrical work. Skilled trades jobs that often offer higher pay and on-the-job training might be the promising career choices for many people choosing a career path. According to a study conducted between May and June of 2020 by the industrial staffing company PeopleReady, there were 388,345 jobs posted for skilled trades workers — a 50% increase from prepandemic days. Most of the positions remained unfilled for 24 days due to a lack of qualified applicants.
Number of schools: 5
In response to this labor shortage, many schools are offering Career Technical Education (CTE), an education pathway that provides students with the academic, technical and real-world knowledge, skills and experience they need to be prepared for a variety of career options. In 2020, Athens ISD began exploring the possibility of adding CTE courses for Athens Middle School (AMS) eighth graders. The plan was to have students enter high school ready to jump into CTE courses and start earning their certifications faster and earlier than previously possible. The district analyzed which courses were offered at the high school and which instructors at both schools had open spots in their course load. BRAGGING RIGHTS 2021-2022 Texas School Business
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