South Central High School students are getting more opportunities.
Superintendent Kerry Herdes and High School Principal Jamie Van Scyoc say juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to spend half-days at the Kaskaskia College Crisp Center in Centralia to learn welding and HVAC. He says usage of the AIM program will allow students who want a vocational career to get a head start including earning college certificates while still in high school.
“We’ll use that in conjunction with what we already do. We send students to OKAW in Vandalia and our nursing students to Salem High School so this would just be another avenue for our kids who may be interested in manufacturing, welding, or anything else. We just appreciate Kaskaskia College working with us and listening and helping and providing opportunities for our kids.”
Herdes says since the school’s industrial arts teacher can provide some welding training for dual credit, South Central students will be able to get a head start. The district is still exploring if help may be available to cover the cost of gas to get to the Crisp Center.
Van Scyoc says they now see about half the high school student body leaning towards a vocational career. But Herdes says they are also working to bring more courses through online learning to students following the traditional college path.
A meeting is set for Tuesday, April 25th, at six pm at South Central High School in Farina to explain the Kaskaskia College AIM program to students and parents.
Kaskaskia College officials say they are offering the same opportunities to all other high schools in the district.
