New faculty to teach in areas of HVAC, Plumbing, and electrical

The Yavapai Community College Governing Board was informed at its April meeting that the College has hired two new faculty for the Verde Campus Career and Technical Education program.  The faculty will teach in the areas of HVAC, plumbing and electrical.

The Board was also informed that the Valley Academy for Career and Technical Education(VACTE) program will be moving with its students to the Verde Campus. This will make consolidation and direction of CTE programs in the Verde Valley and Sedona much easier in the future based on the experience of the College on the west side of the County with the Career and Educational District over there.

VACTE was established in 2001 by approval of the citizens of the Verde Valley and Sedona.  VACTE is one of fourteen Career and Technical Education Districts (CTEDs) in Arizona.  VACTE  member school districts are Camp Verde, Clarkdale/Jerome, Cottonwood/Oak Creek, Mingus Union, and Sedona Red/Rock.

Career and Technical Education Districts (CTEDs) are specialized school districts designed to deliver career and technical education (CTE) to high school students in cooperation with their member districts by providing a pathway for students to earn industry certification and college credit, as well as experience career-based learning, hands-on instruction, and leadership development through a variety of  organizations.

Currently, VACTE has established 12 CTE programs offered at locations throughout the Verde Valley which provide career training to students from the three high schools, area charter schools, and home schools.  These programs include:  certified nursing assistant, construction, culinary arts, emergency medical services, fire science, heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), law enforcement/dispatch, manufacturing/CNC operation, phlebotomy, plant/horticulture, pre-engineering, and teacher training.

A strong partnership with Yavapai College has been developed in providing dual or concurrent enrollment courses, whereby, high school students are able to earn both high school and college credits for the courses in which they are enrolled.  VACTE pays for the college tuition, textbooks, and uniforms for these programs.  VACTE courses also support several industry recognized licenses and certifications which the students may earn upon exit from the programs such as Arizona Board of Nursing Certified Nursing Assistant Licensure and Arizona Firefighter I and II certification.

A short clip of the report regarding VACTE made to the Community College District Governing Board at its April meeting appears below.

West side of County has 41 live CTE programs; Verde Valley and Sedona have 18 live CTE programs

In a report to the District Governing Board April 20, 2021, Yavapai Community College listed a total of 59 Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs being offered throughout the District.  In addition, it listed eight CTE programs that are offered on-line.

The Verde Campus and Sedona Center accounted for 18 of the 59 in-person programs being offered or are anticipated to be offered by the fall 2021.  The Prescott Campus, Prescott Valley Center and Chino  Valley Center accounted for the remaining 41 in-person programs being offered.

In addition to delivering courses through Community College facilities, the College has created a relationship with  area high schools and the Career Technical Education Districts. The Community College  offers Dual Credit courses, where high school students take college courses taught by high school teachers at the high school. Similarly, the Community College  offers Concurrent Credit courses, where high school students take College courses typically taught by College professors at College facilities.

The Community College reports that over time, partnerships with high schools and the CTE districts have grown high school student enrollments to roughly 15% of total College enrollments. Moreover, these partnerships have encouraged more high school graduates to transfer to the Community College, with matriculation rates well above the national average.

The following is the chart submitted to the Governing Board at the April meeting.