Career and Technical Education

Connecting Education and Careers

Ms. Wendy Durham

Director of K-12 Instruction

wdurham@henry.k12.va.us

Mr. Mike Minter

Director of CTE/Career Academy

Michael.Minter@henry.k12.va.us

Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs are offered to all students in grades six through twelve. In the sixth grade, students explore courses including Agriculture, Middle School Keyboarding, Career Pathways, Technology Education and Family and Consumer Sciences. In grades seven and eight, students take elective courses including Career Pathways, Computer Applications, Digital Input Technologies, Family and Consumer Sciences, Technology Education, and Agriculture. In grades 9-12, the Career and Technical Education program areas include Agriculture, Business and Information Technology, Family and Consumer Sciences, Health and Medical Sciences, JROTC, Marketing, Technology Education and Trade and Industrial Education.

Career and Technical Education programs are designed to prepare students for further education at two or four-year colleges and universities, technical college, or to enter the workforce upon graduation from high school. CTE instructional programs are correlated with Virginia"s Standards of Learning and provide opportunities to reinforce SOL instruction. Selected CTE courses offer dual enrollment and articulation opportunities for students with Patrick Henry Community College, allowing students to receive college credit while still in high school. Cooperative education, internships, and job shadowing opportunities provide work based learning experiences for students. Career and technical education student organizations provide leadership development opportunities for students.

Henry County Schools hold high expectations for all students. Students enrolling in programs that offer industry certification exams, state licensures, and occupational competency assessments are encouraged to sit for the exam and gain industry specific certifications, licensures, or credentials. Students have opportunities to earn two student-selected verified credits for state board approved industry certification exams and state licensure exams when certain criteria are met. Career and Technical Education programs continue to grow and change to reflect current workplace expectations of employees.