North Mason hears from students in CTE programs

Kirk Boxleitner | Mar 23, 20230

Courtesy photo count

A boat made by North Mason maritime program students.

North Mason School District Career and Technical Education Director Alexia Hadfield enlisted two CTE students to discuss the district's new CORE+ Maritime and Culinary Arts programs before the school board March 16.

Student Alex Landreth credited the CORE+ Maritime program with giving him an "incredible experience." His yearlong course covered how boats are manufactured, which he said gives him a head start toward a career in boat-building. He'll be heading off to West Sound Technical Skill Center to learn welding.

Student Terrell Vanorsby touted the culinary program for giving students a creative outlet, as well as creating connections between students and staff.

Vanorsby said he'd like to see the course "branch out into the community," with students cooking for public events and competitions. He expressed pride in "cooking good food" for others.

When asked what his favorite dish has been that he's cooked, Vanorsby said, "A mango chutney fish course. I may use it as a marinade for my pork. I seared it, cooked it well, served it with bell peppers and onions, and finished it off with a mango chocolate-covered tart."

North Mason School District Superintendent Dana Rosenbach reported that the culinary students would be cooking dinner for the scholarship committee in early May, and desserts for the United Way.

Hadfield is anticipating Landreth's pending admission into West Sound's "very competitive" welding program, which he hopes will help him land a job with SAFE Boats. Hadfield noted SAFE Boats is "the only boating manufacturing company entirely owned by its employees," as well as one of the school district's "great industry partners."

SAFE Boats is opening a new facility in Tacoma, and job openings are expected in Tacoma and locally.

"These CTE programs offer great opportunities for Alex and other students to learn new careers, find a passion and put that toward a career, which is what CTE is all about," said Hadfield, who aims to prepare students for "a global market (by) mastering and learning both academic and industry standards."

She added the district's CTE programs should seek to prepare students for "jobs of the future that we don't even know exist yet."

Hadfield cited statistics showing that 94% of students who complete CTE graduate from high school within four years, which is above the national average. North Mason CTE grads who earn two credits of CTE in a "connected" and "sequential" pathway will earn either "tech craft credit, articulated with Olympic College," or one of the surrounding community or four-year colleges, or else they'll earn IRCs (industry recognized credentials).

"By the end of his course, Alex will earn his CORE+ Maritime foundational certificate," Hadfield said, adding that such certifications can be taken directly to employers, 77% of whom "hire students based on their knowledge, not just their diplomas or degrees."

Hadfield said CORE+ Maritime helped "change the culture of the classroom" as "a group of students working on their boats (became) a community working on a boat."

With CTE fields facing a shortage of what Hadfield estimated to be 6.5 million skilled workers in the United States, she sees CTE jobs and scholarships practically waiting for North Mason students who apply.

Other CTE subjects available in the North Mason School District include business and marketing, health science, visual arts and manufacturing.

North Mason's health science is due to split into therapeutic services - covering doctors, physical therapists, nurses and athletic medicine - and the addition of a biotechnology pathway for medical lab technicians, Hadfield said.

"My big goal, as the CTE director, is to expand on these programs by bringing in community partnerships, to better serve both our students and our community in North Mason," Hadfield said. "CTE is not funded in alternative education, even though we do offer it. We're looking for creative ways to offer more programs for our alternative ed students. One day, we'll hopefully get that funded through legislation."