Feature F An Introduction to PTECH & CTECH By Maura Keller
Schools. Classes are available to all RPS students as well as students from Dover-Eyota, Pine Island, and Byron through inter-district agreements. Founded in the fall of 2016, C-TECH is funded by Rochester city sales tax dollars. And although C-TECH students are not enrolled as RCTC students, should they choose to enroll at the college later,
Both the PTECH and CTECH programs are an example of successful collaboration between education and industry to create career pathways.
some coursework can transfer as equivalent (i.e., nursing assistant) or articulated credits (i.e., automotive, veterinary technology and welding) into RCTC programs. Likewise, P-TECH is a public/private partnership that provides a cost-free high school and post-secondary diploma within one of two pathways: information technology and practical nursing. Students have up to six years to complete the program that includes workplace learning, mentorships, and paid internships. P-TECH 535 is the first of its kind in Minnesota. P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) opened its doors this past fall semester and is a collaboration between Rochester Public Schools, RCTC, IBM and Mayo Clinic that received funding through the Minnesota Legislature and Minnesota Department of Education to create pathways for students interested in information technology or practical nursing. “High school students enter the pathway in ninth grade and by grade 11 take courses for both high school and college credit,” says Dr. Jeffery Boyd, president of Rochester Community & Technical College. “Students enrolled in P-TECH will have unique workplace experience through job shadows, mentorships, and paid internships. P-TECH classes are offered on the RCTC Campus. Both programs provide unique opportunities for students to gain the training and skills necessary to enter the workforce sooner in high-demand fields, and it gives students
C ommunities across the country are embracing new and innovative ways to offer credit and non-credit workplace learning opportunities for high school students seeking unique ways to obtain experience and degree credits. These programs are far more learner centered, innovative, and relevant than ever before. Rochester Public Schools and other partners have joined forces to offer two different workplace learning programs, P-TECH 535 and C-TECH, which are structured career pathway programs that provide essential workplace learning including professional mentoring, individualized academic support with secondary and postsecondary faculty, paid internships and an opportunity to earn an industry credential or Associates degree. Specifically, C-TECH (Career and Technical Education Center) is the result of a collaboration between the City of Rochester, Rochester Community & Technical College (RCTC), and Rochester Public Schools (RPS). “We provide upper level CTE courses in nine different pathways (agriculture, computer science, construction, culinary, education, engineering, health sciences, human services, and manufacturing),” says Dr. Kent Pekel, interim superintendent of Rochester Public
Advantage Magazine | 5
November 2021
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