Last week, students from Vista Unified School District's (VUSD) Career Technical Education program held a showcase to demonstrate what they’ve learned this year.
It was held at The Film Hub in downtown Vista. There was a virtual welding station and construction, auto tech and culinary arts stations, to name a few.
"This is so they get used to ..." one student told attendees before he was interrupted by a classmate who completed his sentence. "Yeah, the tools," she said.
Robert Crowell, VUSD's career pathways coordinator, said the district offers 21 career pathways in 10 different industry sectors. He said these classes are not the wood shop or vocational training programs of old. The students learn technical skills and the science and math behind them.
“They really are academically challenging. Our students come out with a variety of certifications and early college credit,” Crowell said. "So the students that leave our programs can get as much of a year head start ahead of their colleagues when they start college."
Senior Ivonne Ramos, a student in the culinary arts program, said taking the class ignited a passion for her. She wants to pursue a career in hospitality.
“Because I knew I always liked doing stuff with my hands more," she said. "So I guess like something culinary, hospitality, restaurant, hotel management — something like that.”
For Hunter Smith, a senior at Rancho Buena Vista High School's welding program, welding is a hobby he enjoys.
“It’s just a fun class,” Smith said.
He had thought about pursuing welding, but decided to study marine biology in college because of his love for penguins. But Smith's friends in the program want to pursue welding as a career.
“Aiden, he is going to do — I think I believe he said pipe welding," he said. "And then I have another one, Kaden Dean, who also is going to do pipe welding. So they're both going to get into welding.”
Last month, Vista Unified opened a new Career Technical Education building dedicated to construction and welding at Rancho Buena Vista High. The 9,000-square-foot building is the district’s investment in career training for in-demand jobs in North County, Crowell said.
"The reason that we're focused on the trades, though, is that's where so many jobs are in the North County. We have a huge skills gap," Crowell said. "In fact, I've heard statistics that for every five people who leave the trades, they're only being replaced by one. So it's a great opportunity to come in and make a living wage right away."
The starting pay in trades ranges between $25-$30 an hour, he said.
Vista isn’t the only school district in North County investing in trades career training.
Next school year, both Vista and San Marcos Unified School districts will launch a pre-apprenticeship program. Vista’s will be for adult learners while San Marcos will be geared toward high school students.
