Career and Technical Education or CTE includes training that prepares students for high-wage, high-skill, and high-demand jobs. CTE programs provide students with academic knowledge, technical skills, and work-based learning experiences needed to succeed in the workplace.
The CTE program at Frenship ISD is extensive and offers top career training for students. At Frenship High School, students can pursue academic pathways in 26 different CTE state-aligned programs with over 90 courses to choose from.
A handful of the CTE programs at FHS fall into the Public Services Endorsement. These courses focus on industries that are intended to support members of a community. This includes law enforcement, court systems, forensic science, and forensic psychology classes as well as healthcare diagnostics, nursing science, and pharmacology courses.
Samuel Soto, the FHS Law Enforcement Teacher, stated that the CTE programs are so beneficial because the teachers have firsthand knowledge to share with the students. Across the program, students are learning from teachers who have worked within their industry.
“I love being able to share my real-world experience with students and allow them an insight into such a necessary career field, and to be that positive introduction to a possible future career,” said Soto.
The Law Enforcement graduation pathway starts with introductory courses in the history, organization, and functions of various law enforcement agencies. These courses provide the knowledge and skills necessary to prepare for a career in law enforcement. Students learn ethical and legal responsibilities, patrol procedures, first responder roles, telecommunications, emergency equipment operations, and courtroom testimony.
Soto stated that Law Enforcement is not just for students interested in being police officers.
“We just don’t teach students about being a cop,” said Soto. “We teach about the entire criminal justice field, and just overall about being good citizens, and understanding how the world works.”
Within the Law Enforcement program, students have the opportunity to take Forensic Science and Forensic Psychology. These programs focus on the scientific aspects of aiding law and court proceedings. In Forensic Science students learn to collect, preserve, and analyze evidence during an investigation. Forensic psychology includes research on various psychology-law topics, such as jury selection, reducing systemic racism in criminal law, eyewitness testimony, and evaluating competency to stand trial.
Students enrolled in the Law Enforcement courses are encouraged to join SkillsUSA and compete in contests such as Felony Traffic Stop, Crime Scene Investigation, and Building Search.
Frenship CTE courses are designed to aid students in their pursuit of a career, whether through continued education or straight into the workforce. Students can earn their Non-Commissioned Security Officer Level II License and be employed right out of high school with local security companies.
Another program Frenship High School offers in the Public Service Endorsement is Health Sciences. Within this extensive program, students can pursue one of three graduation pathways: Healthcare Diagnostics, Nursing Science, and Healthcare Therapeutic.
The health science program at Frenship is truly beneficial to students wanting to pursue careers in the health field. All students take Medical Terminology, which is an essential requirement for many entry-level jobs in healthcare settings. They also take a course called Health Science Theory. This class allows students to explore healthcare careers, professionalism, and body systems while also learning essential basic skills associated with that body system.
Additionally, Frenship offers practicums for the Pharmacy Technician, Nurse Assisting, and Clinical Medical Assistant courses. These courses connect the learning environment with real-life, hands-on skill sets.
Frenship health sciences student Haylie Hernandez stated that the practicums and labs have been an eye-opening experience for her.
“It gets you to experience what the real medical world is like, how much studying you need to do, how much fun it is to do, especially with clinicals, and it gets you a toe dip into the real-life medical fields,” said Hernandez.
In the practicum courses offered at Frenship High School, each course leads to an actual national certification in a particular area of practice within healthcare. Students can earn the titles of Certified Nursing Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, and Certified Clinical Medical Assistant before they graduate high school.
Within the practicums, the students learn through hands-on experience with trial runs on mannequins and each other. For Hernandez one of the most memorable class periods was when they had to brush each other's teeth.
“At first it was a little awkward because it was with our friends and not a resident or mannequin, but it was actually very helpful with the lesson,” said Hernandez.
Hernandez was inspired to pursue her education in health sciences after watching her mother and aunt help others throughout their nursing careers. Throughout her time in the health science courses, Hernandez stated that her passion for helping others has only grown. The work may be hard, but Hernandez recommends the class to everyone.
“If you really enjoy helping people, it will be great,” said Hernandez. “Especially during clinicals, you see all the residences and it is so fun talking with them. But do be really for a bit of a challenge, but so far I've had such a wonderful time here.”
Students in health sciences are encouraged to get involved in the HOSA, a student-led organization open to anyone interested in healthcare careers and recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services.
Frenship is proud to offer an extensive CTE curriculum to match the interests of all students. Throughout CTE Month, Frenship has been highlighting different CTE courses each week. While February has come to an end, the Frenship CTE teachers continue to work tirelessly to prepare students for careers across dozens of industries.
“We are super excited to continue to guide our students into the workforce,” said Soto.
Read more about Career and Technical Education Month!