Photograph courtesy of National Academy Foundation.
Haverhill High School is launching a new Information Technology Pathway within its STEM Academy with a public presentation Monday night.
The four-year pathway is certified by the National Academy Foundation (NAF) and helps students prepare for a career in information technology. A kick-off event is scheduled from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Monday, June 15, at Haverhill High School.
“Working together with local technology businesses, community organizations, parents and students, Haverhill High School has developed a Technology Pathway that encompasses rigorous curriculum combined with work-based hands on projects and experiences to prepare students to be college and career ready,” according to a school spokesperson.
The computer-oriented program involves semester long courses, including Computer Systems, Introduction to Programming, Robotics and 3D Printing; face-to-face exposure to industry professionals through mentoring, assistance with projects, guest speakers, business tours and job shadow days; an internship during the summer of students’ junior year; and a senior career project. The program is open to incoming freshmen this fall.
Successful completion of the pathway leads to a NAFTrack certification—a credential increasingly being recognized by colleges, universities, employers and professional trade associations.
To learn more about the information technology pathway, contact STEM Dean Edward Roberts at [email protected].
However valid you feel your cynical approach to this discussion is Duncan, there is more than enough evidence that STEM in the US, MINT in Germany and similar programs established in other countries are successful.. There is more than ample research out there that has shown much better outcomes when students are prepared to work in an economy driven by worker competency rather than plain wishful thinking and lamenting days gone by. We do not have a jobs shortage in the US- we have a shortage of trained and competent workforce. Segway in NH has “Dozens of openings ” according to Dean Kamen (Segway and numerous other patents) – He was speaking at a Robotics Competition i attended a few weeks ago. He asked the students on the floor and in the gallery to “hurry up and graduate, I need you now”… he continued “We have a ‘Skills Gap’, that you can fill.” Competency breeds confidence. Confidence breeds success.
Outside the bubble world of academia and propaganda, the reality is not that at all.
If you want to tell your capable students things work out great, go ahead, I’ll show you IBM’s outsourcing group from Slovakia (which is NOT better) and how IBM obfuscates American job/worker losses under the guise of trade secrets. I can also show after a nationwide search of Ph. D level scientists in bio-tech, the H-1B worker is the best candidate for the job. I see it, and it’s not anecdotal. There’s plenty of capable Americans for the job out there, but companies don’t want to pay American labor rates, benefits, and their baggage. Let’s also not forget that outsourcing doesn’t hit corporate balance sheets, so temps & outsourced firms (non-domestic) look great, cheap labor, they can treat H-1B’s like crap and they don’t complain!
Or maybe you think that the quota limits for H-1B Visa program has been met for the next two (2) years (The Administration and CONgress want to raise the cap), or that the second largest employer in this country behind Walmart is a temp agency is just coincidence? Contract workers are great, for corporate bottom lines.
Not sure what you believe in, but I believe until every AMERICAN in this country has a job first (that they are qualified for), H-1B’s, foreign outsource and temp agencies should be banned. Of course we’ll never see that because that isn’t economically prudent in our capitalistic society. Companies donate a lot of campaign cash to keep that from happening, it is also why Apple (see iPhones) products are made in China. That “skills gap” is total bullshit, there are plenty of well qualified Americans that can do the job in STEM fields, the problem is Corporate America doesn’t want them – see profits.
STEM is perpetrating one the worst scams on our youth.
What these STEM pimps don’t tell you is in the real world, your job will be outsourced, H-1B taking your job, or moved out of The United States completely. Unless the student/person is exceptionally talented, which is rare, better find a new skill set/major. If The TPA/TPP/TiSA passes today or in the next few years, kiss it all goodbye anyways, there will be zero incentive (barely exists now) to hire AMERICAN labor domestically.