Students Get a Head Start at Tri-County through Career Partnership Program

CONTACT: AMANDA BLANTON, EXT. 1501 OR DOUG ALLEN, EXT. 1408

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 9/23/2003
(By Lisa Garrett)

PENDLETON --- This past summer, five high school seniors graduated on a Friday evening and the following Monday morning, they were back in the classroom, attending their first summer school class as second-year Industrial Electronics Technology (IET) students at Tri-County Technical College.

Too good to be true? Not if you choose to participate in a Career Partnership Program (CPP) like students at the Career and Technology Center in Williamston, who took advantage of two different opportunities for advanced standing at Tri-County.

One is the CPP, whereby students in a technical program can take college level courses while they are still in high school. The college courses are offered as part of the school's technical program and count towards credits at Tri-County. These courses are taken at the Center but are taught by Tri-County faculty. Students received CPP scholarships (tuition is covered) and credit for the courses.

Another opportunity is through Technical Advanced Placement. Because of the students' competencies in high school electricity classes, they received credit for entry-level college courses once they passed the transition courses in IET at Tri-County.

"These guys had credit for five courses on the day they started college," said Tri-County IET instructor Doug Allen, referring to the credit for four courses students received through TAP and one course they received through the CPP. "They were a semester ahead right out of the gate, leaving just one year left of college."

"These guys are dedicated," said Allen, who taught one of the courses at the Center last semester. "I've seen them mature in such an admirable way. We don't cut them any slack, and they are able to keep up with our freshmen. I'm so proud of them. I expect they will continue to do well."

Every student who participated in the CPP chose Tri-County after graduation. Five entered Tri-County in Industrial Electronics Technology, one enrolled in Electronics Engineering Technology and one in Criminal Justice.

"It's a way to jump into the program and get a head start," said Allen.

It's also a recruiting tool for the college, added Allen.

The advantages of TAP are many, said Allen. "For the students, it's a possibility of cutting two semesters off of the load for graduation. For the College, we get good students into the curriculum and later put qualified graduates in a workforce that needs technicians."

This CPP is a partnership between Tri-County and the Career and Technology Center, said Amanda Blanton, the College's director of collaboration and special projects. "The programs are similar to ours so it's a natural and seamless progression for the graduates to link to Tri-County. It just makes sense."

The partnership with the Career and Technology Center's electricity class worked well because many came to Tri-County for summer classes, added Blanton.
"We're always interested in talking to districts about planning career partnerships. It's a wonderful opportunity for students to get more skills at an earlier level, in addition to gaining college credits."

For more information on CPP or TAP, contact Blanton at 646-1501.
-30-