Career & Technical Education

Meet FLVS Student Sariah Robertson

By on June 4th, 2014

Spotlight-Robinson-blog-coverShe’s not your typical video gamer. She’s also not your typical model or cheerleader. In fact, Sariah Robertson is anything but typical – she’s extraordinary! FLVS student Sariah started her own organization called My Girl Code which focuses on inspiring girls to become more interested in advanced technology systems such as coding.

It all started when her mother told her to make something more of her life than just playing video games. Instead of pouting, Sariah turned to the Internet and started researching how to make a career out of game design. Continue reading


To Certify or Not to Certify

By on March 14th, 2014

CTE 2Since so much emphasis is being placed on kids to accelerate in school, earn college credit while still in high school, and learn more and more, earlier and earlier…one might ask, “Why should I consider getting an industry certification?”

The answer is quite simple: college and career readiness.

Had I been given opportunities to earn a drafting certification during my drafting years back in school (I know this is starting to sound like “I walked to school five miles, uphill both ways…”), my career may very well have taken a different road. I might have become a full-fledged mechanical engineer, instead of the only one in the shop who knew how to operate CAD software and earning the title by default. Continue reading


What Is CTE and Why Should I Care?

By on February 11th, 2014

CTE coverThe Career and Technical Education (CTE) offerings at FLVS includes a series of courses aligned to a specific occupational pathway.

CTE courses provide students with the skills, abilities, and attitudes necessary for success in college and careers.

These pathways range from Aquaculture to Web Design and everything in between. Most require multiple courses in sequence for students to develop skills needed for that occupation, but these skills are also valuable for students who continue their education beyond high school because the skills focus on work readiness, collaboration, problem solving, as well as technical experience. CTE, however, doesn’t start or end in high school. Career exploration begins early in elementary school through various career days, selective reading and instructional materials, and through informal education at home and in the community. Middle school often brings students opportunities to develop some technical skills that help further refine career interests. High school allows students to focus on coursework in a given pathway that can lead directly into college programs and/or the workplace. Continue reading