Building trades will be taught at two San Diego County high schools as part of pilot program, the state Department of Education said Wednesday.
Hoover High School's Sustainable Academy of Building and Engineering in San Diego and North County Trade Tech High School's GreenBuild and Engineering Academy in Vista were chosen among nine schools statewide to be a part of the MC3, or Multi-Craft Core Curriculum.
"Career technical education gets at the heart of what we want for our students — real-world skills and knowledge that will allow them to succeed outside our classrooms," state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said. "The MC3 program makes clear to students that what they are learning in school can have a direct effect on their careers after they leave school, keeping them engaged in their own learning."
Students will be recruited in the ninth grade and begin course work in the 10th grade. The curriculum will incorporate the new Common Core standards and meet University of California and California State University admission requirements, according to the state.
The course work will include math, labor history, training to recognize and prevent hazards in construction sites, first aid and CPR training, and an introduction to the trade industries. The programs also will include internships and mentoring.
The idea, according to the Department of Education, is to develop skills that enable young people find jobs that require skills, as opposed to unskilled, entry-level positions.
The California Labor Federation, the State Building & Construction Trades Council of California, and North America's Building Trades Unions — an umbrella group for trade unions — helped to develop the program.
