By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Tucson companies are hiring students out of high school, and teachers are making sure students are ready.
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Career and technical education teachers are touring industry sites this summer, learning about jobs and hands-on skills for students. Twenty-five teachers from Tucson schools and Pima JTED toured Edmund Optics, learning what skills students need to get hired.
Jesus Armando Quintero-Sotelo was hired out of high school a few years ago. He said he was a typical high school student.
“To be honest, I didn’t know what to do. I just played soccer, played video games, and that’s all I did, you know,” Quintero-Sotelo said.
Then he started taking career and technical education classes at Pima JTED.
“CTE brings a lot of, ‘Hey, you don’t need the four years of university or college or the big depth that comes with it,’” Quintero-Sotelo said.
Preparing students for local jobs
Career and technical education boosts graduation rates, but graduation is only the first step. Landing a job is a different challenge.
“I think there’s a viewpoint that maybe there’s not jobs in Tucson; that’s what we hear. A lot of young people think, ‘Oh maybe I’ve gotta move,’” said William Brooks, Saguaro High automotive technologies instructor.
Tucson is known globally for its optics industry. Edmund Optics said the company employs people with a high school diploma.
“We’re always looking for new employees, especially assemblers and technicians; it’s really difficult to find them,” said Virginia Figueroa, Edmund Optics production program manager.
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Figueroa said that if teachers prepare them properly, high school graduates could fill these roles.
“If they know how to follow instructions on how to put Legos together, that’s amazing. That’s pretty good – following instructions is important,” Figueroa said.
“It’s really important for students to know there are lots of opportunities that may or may not involve higher education that do provide a livable wage,” Brooks said.
Quintero-Sotelo is proof it works.
“This helps you get your career path much sooner, it helps you get a job much sooner, and helps you understand everything from the bottom up,” Quintero-Sotelo said.
Isabela Lisco is a Report for America corpsmember covering education solutions for 13 News. Her position is made possible through funding from Report for America and the Arizona Local News Foundation’s Arizona Community Collaborative Fund.
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