Faculty, staff and local businesses throughout Central Orange County are collaborating to bring new career technical education courses to more than 15,000 students.
Recently, they were invited to join the Central Orange County Career Technical Education Partnership — known as CTEp — in its inaugural partner celebration. The March event at FLDWRK in Costa Mesa hosted more than 80 education professionals, college representatives, students and parents from its three partnering districts to showcase the accomplishments of their CTE programs and gather best practices on getting students ready to enter the workforce.
OC Pathways Student Ambassador Dristi Patel, a Canyon High School senior, served as the event’s emcee and highlighted how the internships offered through CTEp have played a vital role in preparing her and her peers for the future.
Dristi was joined by a panel of high school students to hear about their firsthand experiences gaining soft skills like teamwork and problem-solving while in CTEp. Students also shared insights into the real-world opportunities they’ve acquired through their career pathways.
Led by OCDE, the CTEp program serves scholars from the Garden Grove, Santa Ana and Orange unified school districts. Students who enroll in courses through CTEp are able to gain hands-on training while exploring their interests and potential career paths.
“By working together, we create opportunities for our students to gain real-world experience, develop essential skills and build networks that will serve them well beyond their time in the classroom,” said Joyce Foss, CTEp Coordinator at OCDE.
At FLDWRK, career technical education leaders representing each district presented data on student outcomes in career technical education courses and shared new projects that are in development with local industry employers.
Vinz Koller, a career education expert and senior strategist for the Social Policy Research Associates, served as the keynote speaker. Koller spoke to CTEp educators about the benefits of expanding youth apprenticeships and work-based learning while advocating for policies that support education and industry partnerships statewide.
The celebration also featured 10 CTEp business partners, including Spyder Lab, a local company that works with Southern California schools to make graphic media production and digital fabrication courses accessible to students. Spyder Lab founder Joe Bloomfield presented alongside alumni Christian Hoppe, who became involved in the program as an intern during high school.
Through the company’s pioneering apprenticeship program created with OCDE’s Career Education unit, Hoppe shared that he was able to expand his knowledge as a mentor and eventually land his current role as an office manager for Spyder Lab.
“This event is a testament to the power of these partnerships,” Foss said, “and the incredible impact they have on our students and our community as a whole.”
Learn more about how to get involved with the Central Orange County Career Technical Education Partnership by visiting the OC Pathways website.